10 unmissable highlights along the Atlantic coast

  1. Explore the salt marshes of the Guérande peninsula as well as its medieval town, officially recognised as a "Ville d’Art et d’Histoire" in 2004.
  2. Visit the Château de Gilles de Rais, alias "Blue Beard", which dominates the medieval town of Pornic.
  3. Be spellbound by the underwater world of the Aquarium de La Rochelle, where you can discover the largest and most beautiful species of fish in Europe.
  4. Take a boat trip from Boyardville or Fouras to visit Fort Boyard, a fortification built in the 19th century and now famous thanks to the French TV game show of the same name.
  5. In Aquitaine, take a wander through the Médoc**, the world’s leading wine growing peninsula!** Discover you oenological sign in la Winery, a contemporary architectural space made of glass and steel.
  6. Discover the maritime heritage of the Arcachon basin with its huts built on stilts, fishing ports and villages famous for oyster production.
  7. Try to scale the Dune du Pyla near Arcachon, at 114m the highest sand dune in Europe and once at the summit, treat yourself to a nice glass of Bordeaux!
  8. Visit the Musée de la Mer, in Biarritz, in which the 7,000m² of live displays feature 25 panoramic aquariums and the Cité de l’Océan et du Surf, opened in June 2011 and dedicated to raising awareness and knowledge of the oceans.
  9. Explore the Château d’Antoine Abbadie, a scientist fascinated by geography, astronomy and Oriental culture, in Hendaye. This neo-Gothic-style castle, built by Eugène Viollet Le Duc in the 19th century, is home to an old astronomical observatory and a chapel in which Antoine d’Abbadie is buried.
  10. Enjoy a swim in the Lac de Biscarosse, whose 25°C turquoise waters lend it the air of a lagoon in the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Saint-Jean de Monts