The Atlantic coast: a beautiful camping area
The Atlantic coast, a wonderful area for your next camping holiday. Key words are rough and fierce. Large differences between high tide and low tide ensure an enormous wealth of oysters and other delicacies on the French southwest coast. Surfing or looking for shells? It's all possible here.
The Atlantic coast is an El Dorado for island hoppers. Île de Ré, Île d'Aix and Île d'Oleron: all islands with their own charm. Île de Ré is known for its white fishermen's houses covered with hollyhocks. You will find nice fishing ports, villages with narrow streets and sturdy castles. Here you can visit the salt pans, where salt is still harvested by allowing seawater to evaporate through the sun.
Nice day trips
The island of l'Île d'Aix is a nice day trip. In a few hours you can cycle around the entire island, past beautiful bays, ruins and old forts. Perhaps the nicest island is Île d'Oléron, where entire families search for shellfish on the extensive beaches. The island is full of pine trees: an ideal place to have a picnic with tasty cheeses and baguettes.
Atlantic coast: plenty of variety
The variation on the Atlantic coast is enormous. Take La Rochelle, a beautiful seaside resort in the north. Highlights are the old port, the towers and the shopping streets where you can shop for nice souvenirs under the arcade arches.
Chic seaside resort of Biarritz
At the other extreme is fashionable Biarritz, which was once home to whalers. In decades, the town grew into one of the most chic seaside resorts on the French coast. Luxury hotels stand shoulder to shoulder along the boulevard and there are plenty of terraces. You may still see seals lying around and otherwise you can marvel at – or in – the art-deco casino where dozens of tourists take a gamble.
Peace and quiet inland
The interior is a nice place for those seeking peace and quiet, bird watchers and cyclists: Les Landes. This used to be a swamp area, but now the vast hinterland is home to the largest pine forest in Europe. And while you're there: visit the Vézère valley, an unspoilt piece of nature with remains from prehistory, or more specifically: the Palaeolithic era. You just have to imagine the dinosaurs yourself!
Recommendations
Visit the city of Bordeaux: the most important city of the region. Port de la Lune is the beautiful 18th century district and UNESCO world heritage site.
Fun with children
At the Center Equestre Marina (in Mimizan-Plage) you can go horse riding on the beach under supervision. With the whole family!
Good food
Fruits de Mer! A whole bowl of seafood for yourself! And on Île de Ré, take a jar of sea salt with you: 'Fleur de Sel', with very fine crystals. Also try a glass of 'Pineau des Charentes': a sweet aperitif of grape must with cognac.
Looking for a new or second-hand camper or caravan with which you can explore the Atlantic coast? Take a look at the offer CampersCaravans.nl
