When people think of the ‘Loire’ they tend to think of the Loire Valley or Loire wine rather than the Loire coast. Which is a shame because this coastal area is home to some lovely holiday resorts such as La Baule and Pornic, an attractive fishing port in Le Croisic and the salty history of Guérande, while it also straddles the mouth of the mighty River Loire estuary. It is also the site of the second largest area of marshland in France, one rich in wildlife.

It should be said that French visitors are already well-acquainted with the charms of the Loire coast. The Loire-Atlantique, as this area is formally known, is the seventh most visited of France’s hundred or so départements. The area has 133 kilometres of mostly unspoilt coastline, an attractive climate that is kept mild in the winter by the presence of the Atlantic Ocean, and which also stops the coast getting too hot in summer. The River Loire itself offers a chance for boating and messing about on the water as well as providing lovely views as this mighty river approaches the ocean after its long journey across France. If you like golf, meanwhile, there are plenty of great golf courses to choose from.

Inland from the Loire coast there is plenty to see and do too. The attractive city of Nantes on the Loire is well worth a visit, as is the small town of Clisson with its unexpected and wonderful Italian-style architecture. To the north of the département is the town of Châteaubriant with its medieval centre and half-timbered houses, while to the east is the old town of Ancenis, historically the gateway to Brittany, and which has a fortress overlooking the river. For history buffs, this was the town where the famous Edict of Nantes of 1598 was drawn up.

Vineyards

And of course no trip to this area would really be complete without a trip to the famous vineyards. The Loire-Atlantique has 9,500 hectares of vineyards and is home to the well-known and popular Muscadet white wine which forms the vast majority of the area’s output.

Seaside Towns and Resorts

In addition to the well-known resorts of La Baule and Pornic, there are some smaller but equally attractive seaside towns and villages waiting to be discovered. North of the Loire estuary sit Le Pouliguen and Porniche which flank La Baule and its stunning bay of fine sand. Nearby Batz-sur-Mer is good for surfing.

Further up near Le Croisic, on a stretch of coastline known as the Côte Sauvage (‘wild coast’ – a name also given to another coastal area near Royan) the little seaside villages of La Turballe and Piriac-sur-Mer are popular with locals and visitors alike.

Further north still lie Mesquer and Quimiac, whose lovely sandy beaches are set against a backdrop of pine trees, while the beautifully-situated shallow bay of Pont-Mahé is regarded as a good, safe place to take children.

Nor should one ignore Saint-Nazaire when it comes to seaside entertainment. Though this large town is best-known still for its shipbuilding industry and the key role it played in the Second World War as a German naval base, it also has a beach culture, Indeed, it is branded by the local tourist authority as ‘The Town with 20 beaches’. One of these beaches is the beach at Saint-Marc-sur-Mer immortalised by film director Jacques Tati in his 1953 film Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (‘Les Vacances de M. Hulot‘) which was shot on location there. There’s even a bronze statue of the fictional Monsieur Hulot to mark the beach’s film-making history.

Further down the Loire coast, south of the estuary, is the stretch of coastline known evocatively as the Côte de Jade. Here the the best-known resort is Pornic. In addition to the customary pursuits of sunbathing and swimming, the large open beaches of villages such as Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, Les Moutiers-en-Retz and the wonderfully-named Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef are also broad and flat enough for land yachting. Indeed, one of the attractions of the Loire coast is that there are so many beaches and such large beaches that there is usually plenty of space for everyone. South of Pornic there is the little resort of Les Moutiers-en-Retz, which is popular with families. One reason for this is that there is a seawater pool where the children can enjoy themselves in the water even at low water.

Also, read our Loire coast restaurant guide here.

Getting to the Loire coast

By air
Nantes Atlantique Airport is 10 to 20 minutes south-west of Nantes by taxi, bus or shuttle service. It has regular UK flights to London City airport with CityJet, while Flybe has a service to Southampton and Manchester. There are also regular flights to and from Dublin and many other European destinations.

By train
Nantes is just two hours by high-speed TGV train from Paris, and four hours from Lille in northern France.

By road
The A11 connects Paris to Nantes via Le Mans and Angers. The distance is around 385 km and on average takes just under four hours. To get to Bordeaux you take the A 10 and A 83. The distance is around 350km and the journey time is around three hours 20 minutes.

By ferry
The Loire-Atlantique is well-placed for for the ferry to and from Britain via the ports at St Malo (190 km, two hours by road), Roscoff (316 km, three hours 19 minutes by road) and Caen (290 km, two hours 55 minutes by road).

Photo 2 by Klovovi / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 3 by stephane martin  / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 4 and Photo 6 by Falcon® Photography; Photo 5 by Maël Racapé