Le Pouliguen

Le Pouliguen is a small seaside town in the Loire-Atlantique, at the western end of the bay of La Baule, and it has kept the character of a fishing port while its neighbour grew into a large resort. The two towns are separated only by a channel, and the walk from the end of the La Baule beach to Le Pouliguen takes a few minutes. The name comes from the Breton words meaning white pool, a reference to the pale water of the inlet, and the history of the town is tied to the sea and to salt.

The centre of the town is its harbour. A narrow channel, the chenal, leads from the sea to a basin, where fishing boats, small sailing yachts and pleasure craft tie up along the quays, and the water is bordered by pastel-coloured houses, cafés and fish restaurants. The channel is also the outlet of a vast tidal inlet, the Traict, which receives the waters of the salt marshes of Guérande, the area famous for its sea salt and its fleur de sel, harvested by hand by the paludiers, the salt workers, in the summer. The salt trade was once the basis of the local economy, and the marshes can be visited a few kilometres inland. The fishermen of Le Pouliguen worked with small boats, and sardines were a major catch in the nineteenth century, which explains the old canning traditions of the Breton coast.

The streets behind the harbour are narrow and lined with low houses, shops and bakeries, in a quiet, almost village atmosphere. The parish church of Saint-Nicolas, patron saint of sailors, stands in the town, and in summer a market fills the centre of the town on certain days. The town is a favourite of sailors, and regattas are held in the bay, which is sheltered from the Atlantic swells. The Grande Plage, a stretch of fine sand, is the main beach, and the quieter Plage Benoît, which joins the beach of La Baule, is popular with families. Along the coast, the Pointe de Penchâteau marks the beginning of the Côte Sauvage, the wild coast, which runs toward Le Croisic with its rocks, cliffs, small coves and views of the Atlantic, a pleasant contrast to the long sandy bay. A footpath follows the shore for several kilometres.

Le Pouliguen is easily reached by train and by road from Nantes, and it is a good base for day trips to Guérande, with its medieval walls, and to the island of Noirmoutier and the estuary of the Loire, further south. In summer the streets and the harbour are busy, so early morning or evening visits are more peaceful. A stroll around the port and the old streets takes about an hour, and it can be extended by the coastal walk.

The town is close to the Casino Barrière de La Baule and the Promenade du Bord de Mer, and it suits families, sailors and walkers.