Ranking
The most beautiful beaches in Loire-Atlantique
La Baule, Monsieur Hulot’s beach, Le Croisic, Pornic and Saint-Brevin: the most beautiful beaches in Loire-Atlantique, from the Côte d’Amour to the Côte de Jade.
6 min read
Loire-Atlantique has two coasts: north of the estuary, the Côte d’Amour and its big beaches of fine sand; to the south, the Côte de Jade, its coves and its fishing huts.
Our selection
BeachLa Baule BeachLa Baule-Escoublac · 3 hours to a full day, longer to walk the whole bayFrom Pornichet to Le Pouliguen, the bay of La Baule stretches about 9 km of fine sand, with lifeguarded sections, beach clubs, water sports, walks, facilities for disabled visitors and water quality monitored all summer.
BeachPlage de Monsieur HulotSaint-Nazaire · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, the Monsieur Hulot beach combines sand, a jetty, rocks, a historic hotel, a statue of Jacques Tati, the Blue Flag, summer lifeguards and two Tiralo beach wheelchairs.
BeachPlage de Port-LinLe Croisic · 2 h 30 to a full dayIn Le Croisic, Port-Lin is the town’s main beach, a sandy cove lined with seaside villas, lifeguarded in season, with a kids’ club, showers, toilets and excellent water quality.
BeachPlage de la NoëveillardPornic · 3 hours to a full dayNext to the marina in Pornic, La Noëveillard is a lively urban beach of fine golden sand with historic beach huts, a beach club, the Blue Flag and the Handiplage label.
BeachPlage du NauLe Pouliguen · 3 hours to a full dayBetween the harbour jetty and the town hall of Le Pouliguen, Le Nau is a Blue Flag family beach, lifeguarded in summer and wheelchair accessible, with a Tiralo, showers, toilets, beach clubs, volleyball, beach huts and shore fishing at low tide.
BeachPlage de l’OcéanSaint-Brevin-les-Pins · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, the Plage de l’Océan offers fine sand, dunes, lifeguarded swimming in July and August, a Tiralo, a Hippocampe chair, a beach club, play areas, a water sports centre, restaurants and free parking.
The Côte d’Amour
La Baule beach stretches for nearly nine kilometres, from Pornichet to Le Pouliguen. Further west, Le Croisic and Batz-sur-Mer alternate coves and rocks along the wild coast.
Monsieur Hulot’s beach
In Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, near Saint-Nazaire, Jacques Tati filmed Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday. His statue still looks out over the little beach.
The Côte de Jade
South of the estuary, Saint-Brevin, Tharon and Pornic offer big beaches and coves, and fishing huts on stilts dot the coast.
All our beaches in Loire-Atlantique
- BeachLa Baule BeachLa Baule-Escoublac · 3 hours to a full day, longer to walk the whole bayFrom Pornichet to Le Pouliguen, the bay of La Baule stretches about 9 km of fine sand, with lifeguarded sections, beach clubs, water sports, walks, facilities for disabled visitors and water quality monitored all summer.
- BeachPlage de Monsieur HulotSaint-Nazaire · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, the Monsieur Hulot beach combines sand, a jetty, rocks, a historic hotel, a statue of Jacques Tati, the Blue Flag, summer lifeguards and two Tiralo beach wheelchairs.
BeachPlage des LibrairesPornichet · 3 hours to a full dayIn Pornichet, Les Libraires is a large urban beach lifeguarded in summer, the only beach in Loire-Atlantique with the Handiplage level 4 label, with beach clubs, adapted access and a lively seafront.- BeachPlage de la NoëveillardPornic · 3 hours to a full dayNext to the marina in Pornic, La Noëveillard is a lively urban beach of fine golden sand with historic beach huts, a beach club, the Blue Flag and the Handiplage label.
- BeachPlage du NauLe Pouliguen · 3 hours to a full dayBetween the harbour jetty and the town hall of Le Pouliguen, Le Nau is a Blue Flag family beach, lifeguarded in summer and wheelchair accessible, with a Tiralo, showers, toilets, beach clubs, volleyball, beach huts and shore fishing at low tide.
- BeachPlage de Port-LinLe Croisic · 2 h 30 to a full dayIn Le Croisic, Port-Lin is the town’s main beach, a sandy cove lined with seaside villas, lifeguarded in season, with a kids’ club, showers, toilets and excellent water quality.
- BeachPlage de l’OcéanSaint-Brevin-les-Pins · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, the Plage de l’Océan offers fine sand, dunes, lifeguarded swimming in July and August, a Tiralo, a Hippocampe chair, a beach club, play areas, a water sports centre, restaurants and free parking.
BeachPlage ValentinBatz-sur-Mer · 3 hours to a full dayIn Batz-sur-Mer, Valentin is the resort’s largest beach, with about 740 m of fine sand, summer lifeguards, places to eat, two toilet blocks, a sailing school, a wheelchair mat and amphibious chairs.
BeachPlage de Pen BronLa Turballe · 2 h 30 to a full dayIn La Turballe, Pen Bron extends the Grande Falaise beach to the Pointe de Pen Bron, with fine sand, Conservatoire du littoral dunes, a Blue Flag, free parking and no lifeguard.
BeachGrande Plage de TharonSaint-Michel-Chef-Chef · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, the Grande Plage de Tharon stretches for more than a kilometre of fine sand, with summer lifeguards, a Tiralo, a beach club, a water sports centre, sand yachting, shore fishing, toilets and free parking.
BeachPlage Saint-MichelPiriac-sur-Mer · 2 hours to half a dayIn the heart of Piriac-sur-Mer, Saint-Michel is the resort’s central beach, lifeguarded in July and August, with a shower, parking and a lifeboat slipway.
BeachPlage de Pont-MahéAssérac · 3 hours to a full dayIn Assérac, Pont-Mahé is a huge, very shallow beach in a Natura 2000 bay, ideal for families, kitesurfing and windsurfing, with summer lifeguards and wheelchair access.
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Going further
Loire-Atlantique, in the journal
- Where to stay in Nantes: our hotels by district
- What to do in Loire-Atlantique during the Christmas holidays
- What to do in Nantes during the Christmas holidays
- What to do in Loire-Atlantique during the All Saints’ holidays
- What to do in Nantes during the All Saints’ holidays
- What to do in Nantes: the complete guide
- What to do in Saint-Nazaire: the complete guide
- What to do in Pornic: the complete guide