In the early part of the 20th century the French Atlantic resort of La Baule was an upmarket tourist destination that attracted the well-heeled from Paris and Nantes. The attraction was simple – you arrived by train at the town station a few hundred metres from the sea and you were confronted with a stunning view of this most lovely of bays.

The La Baule appeal remains the same to this day, even if the resort is not as exclusive as it was in its early years. La Baule is today a member of a club called the Club des plus belles baies du monde or ‘The most beautiful bays in the world’. Now one has to treat this title with a little caution – the club was created by a French MP who just happened to represent an area in northern France whose bay, curiously, also features in the club. But there can be little doubt that La Baule’s stunning bay (which it shares with the smaller resorts of Pouliguen and Pornichet) deserves all the plaudits it gets.

What to see and do in La Baule

Activities

Officially known as the Baie de Pouliguen (‘Pouliguen Bay’) rather than La Baule Bay, this delightful curve of coastline has a 9 km beach which has some of the finest pale sand going and is often referred to as one of Europe’s loveliest beaches. All of which makes La Baule an ideal resort for a beach holiday with all that goes with it — sunbathing, swimming and beach-side cafés. And as for water sports, the area offers opportunities to go diving, fishing, sailing, canoeing, surfing or simply taking a boat trip to enjoy the stunning scenery. For landlubbers there are karting tracks, tree-climbing centres, mini-golf courses and even a bowling alley at nearby Guérance. Check with the local tourist office: Office de Tourisme 8 place de la Victoire, La Baule, Tel: +33 2 40 24 34 44 for more details.

Sights

For there is certainly more to the La Baule area than just sun, sea and sand. For one thing there’s some interesting architecture to admire. The resort was created with the arrival of the railway line in 1879 and there remain some fine villas from the late 19th and early 20th century with their floral-patterned stucco work and mosaic friezes. The most famous are the villas Pax and Regina. But La Baule and neighbouring Pouliguen and Pornichet are home to many such villas, many of them set in the edge of the pine forests that were planted in the mid-19th century to stop the dunes from advancing too far inland. There is a variety of different architectural styles on display, from Belle Epoque to Art Déco, with British, Basque and even Moorish influences. They are elegant reminders of a bygone era of French seaside resorts.

Events

And though La Baule is a little less exclusive than in the past it is still a fashionable, chic resort with upmarket shops to enjoy. It is also home to a number of marine regattas and each May hosts a prestigious international showjumping event. At Pornichet check out the Saturday morning market at Les Halles, while Pouliguen’s lovely beach, the plage du Nau, is certainly worth a visit. It also has a lovely little harbour from which you can go on boat trips.

Where to Eat

Naturally enough there are many wonderful place to eat in La Baule, Pouliguen and Pornichet. Le Duguay Trouin restaurant in the harbour at Pouliguen is renowned for its seafood. La Signature du Sunset has a wonderful setting on the beach at Pornichet. And La Croisette brasserie has become something of a fixture in the centre of La Baule itself. But there are, of course, lots of different places to choose from right along the bay and in the little villages beyond the resorts.

Getting to La Baule

By air
The nearest airport is at Nantes which is about 75 km away. NAVairport operates a shuttle service between the airport and Guérande, La Baule and Pornichet, via Saint Nazaire.

By train
La Baule’s main station is just three hours from Paris.

By road

La Baule is around 455 km from Paris (just under four-and-a-half hours) and 670km from Lille (about six-and-a-half hours). La Baule is just over 200 km (two-and-a-half hours) from St-Malo.

Photo 1, Photo 2 and Photo 3 by Arlenz CHEN / CC BY 2.0 images cropped