It is one of the jewels of Loire-Atlantique, halfway between Breton and Vendée influences: the Pays de Retz. This territory extends in the southwest of the department, and is full of wealth. The columnist of the show Et si on departait? on Europe 1, and author at Lonely Planet, Jean-Bernard Carillet, shares this Thursday his tips for making the most of the Jade Coast to seaside resorts, via Nantes.
The Jade Coast, a gem
Pornic offers a very beautiful setting for a swim. Photo credit: LOIC VENANCE / AFP
The first place to put your suitcases is the Jade Coast, a name given because of the color of the water, which is home to very beautiful seaside resorts such as Pornic. And if you want to live an authentic and fun experience, you can hire a fishery for a day or a weekend. The fisheries are amazing wooden huts on stilts that are built on part of the coastline to facilitate fishing. It is the perfect lodging, as well between friends as in family or in couple.
A sort of rustic cocoon - without water, electricity, or WC - but cozy, a fishery offers the privilege of a breathtaking view of the ocean and the Loire estuary. We feel cut off from civilization and the regular sound of the waves becomes our only companion. The impression of changing the world is real. And if you have a craving, all you have to do is manually activate a winch that sends a net into the water, the plaice. With a little luck, you will be able to bring up smelt, sole, or even mullet. All you have to do is grill them and savor them the right way in this incomparable setting.
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Another place to enjoy quiet holidays is the Brière park, north of Saint-Nazaire. Here, the atmosphere is bucolic with canals, marshes, reed beds and peat bogs. It is possible to take boat trips, on foot or even by bicycle. The opportunity to discover the typical houses of the village of Kerhinet, with their thatched roofs. You can even sleep there for the experience to be complete.
The salt marshes of Guérande
Always with a view to enjoying breathtaking landscapes, it is essential to go through Guérande and its salt marshes. By offering you the services of a guide, you can discover this fascinating liquid checkerboard and the world of salt workers. Several walks are possible, but I recommend the one that is done in the moonlight. A real sensory experience in the great calm of the evening with a walk at dusk, sunset and return to the flashlight. It is organized three times a week in August.
LU and the Machines of the Island
The elephant can even water passers-by. Photo credit: FRANK PERRY / AFP
For a more urban holiday, Nantes is a stopover not to be missed. Nostalgic fans can visit the former LU biscuit factories, a site that since 2001 has become an exhibition space called the Lieu Unique. And do not tumble to climb to the top of the LU tower, to admire the panorama and in particular the view of the castle of the Dukes of Brittany.
Another unmissable place in Nantes, the Machines de l'île, located on the quays of the Ile de Nantes. Impossible to miss these extraordinary living sculptures in metal and wood, giant articulated animals like the 12-meter-high elephant which can accommodate 49 passengers on its back. An experience that is coupled with a visit to the hangars and old shipyards where these works are built, halfway between the world of Jules Verne and that of Leonardo da Vinci.
A ride in old rigging
But the Jade Coast also offers seaside resorts, La Baule or Piriac-sur-Mer, a little further north. Be careful, however, if you go to the latter, the coast is rougher. No long beaches here, but a succession of small ocher cliffs which sometimes leave a little room for a few stretches of sand. The village is also worth a detour with its beautiful granite houses full of hydrangeas and hollyhocks. These are a living environment and a very colorful atmosphere, which have seduced great artists, such as Zola or Daudet.
The sunset in Piriac-sur-mer will not leave you indifferent. Photo credit: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
And if you feel like taking a deep breath of fresh air, opt for a trip aboard the Grand Norven, an old sailing ship that symbolizes the city. An old sardine sailor which is a replica of the boats that sailed off the coast during the first half of the 20th century.