Activities and things to do in Pornic

The thalassotherapy spa

Pornic has one of France’s best-regarded thalassotherapy centres, built in 1990 on the site of the former Casino des Flots, facing the sea.

Two ways to use it: a day pass, ideal when the weather turns, or a multi-day course, which explains a good share of our off-season bookings. Spa guests stay one to three weeks, and a studio with a kitchen works out far cheaper than a hotel over that time. Write to us, we offer reduced weekly rates.

Pornic Aventure, the treetop park at Val Saint-Martin

On the shore of Val Saint-Martin lake, a few minutes from the centre. Nine courses for all levels, 120 obstacles and 1,500 metres of zip lines, some of them over the water.

Safety is handled by a continuous belay line with professional supervision, so it works from a young age. It is by far the best activity in the area with children or teenagers, and the adults always end up having a go.

The lake itself makes an easy loop on foot: a good option for a late afternoon without the car.

The Popcorn Labyrinthe

A giant maze cut into a maize field, on the road to La Plaine-sur-Mer, along the D13. About ten minutes by car from the studio.

Open in July and August only, once the maize is tall enough, from morning until early evening. There is more than the maze: wooden game trails, treasure hunts, murder-mystery investigations, and themed adult nights on selected dates. Prices start at around ten euros depending on the format.

Suitable from age 3 for most activities, free parking on site, dogs welcome. It is simple, it is silly, and it fills an entire afternoon with children.

Do check this season’s dates and opening hours before you go: they change every year, and so does the field.

The Côte de Jade by bike

The best pleasure-to-effort ratio of the whole stay. The Vélocéan and Vélodyssée routes pass through Pornic: a cycle path follows the coast, south towards La Bernerie-en-Retz and Les Moutiers, north towards Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef and Saint-Brevin.

Sea Bike & Sun hires bikes right on the harbour, on quai Commandant l’Herminier, three minutes’ walk from the studio. So you can set off without touching your car.

Our favourite route: half a day towards La Bernerie, with a swim stop on the way and an unhurried return late afternoon.

The Môle casino

Five minutes on foot from the studio, on quai Leray. Slot machines, table games, a restaurant and events all year.

We regularly host players who come for the poker tournaments. If that is you, the studio is probably the closest accommodation you will find, and the keypad lock means you can come in at three in the morning without waking anyone or telling anyone.

The pottery

Established in the Cracaud valley since 1947, the Pornic faïencerie is one of the few surviving craft industries in the region. Its bowls, personalised with a first name, are the local souvenir, and there are some in the studio.

Shop and workshop can be visited. An excellent idea when the weather turns.

And if it really rains

In the order we recommend them:

1. The spa, on a day pass
2. The pottery and its shop
3. The Pornic cinema, in the town centre
4. A day in Nantes by train from Pornic station, an hour’s journey and no parking problem
5. The casino
6. A book, a coffee, and rain against the studio window

The sixth point is not a joke. It is part of why we care so much about the interiors.

Want to go further afield? See our day trips, and for food, our addresses.