Staying several days? Here is what genuinely justifies the drive, ordered by distance from the studio.
Noirmoutier and the Passage du Gois, 45 min
The classic. Noirmoutier is about 45 minutes away via the Fromentine bridge, with its salt marshes, fishermen’s huts, the Bois de la Chaise and beaches lined with holm oaks.
But the real spectacle is the Passage du Gois: a 4.2 km causeway linking the island to the mainland that disappears under the sea twice a day. You can cross it by car, by bike or on foot, but only within the permitted window around low tide.
Check the official timetable before you go, and do not improvise: every year cars are stranded there. Cross at the start of the window, never at the end.
Saint-Brevin-les-Pins and the estuary, 30 min
Long sandy beaches, a pine forest, and above all the Estuaire trail, a route of contemporary artworks scattered along the Loire between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. The most famous, Huang Yong Ping’s Serpent d’océan, a 130-metre serpent skeleton beached on the foreshore, appears at low tide.
It is free, it is strange, and it makes an impression on children and adults alike. Check the low-tide time before you go: at high tide there is nothing to see.
Two beach addresses here: Rita, an Italian with genuine Neapolitan pizzas on boulevard de l’Océan, and Le Moorea, part beach bar, part snack bar, part surf spot, with surf, paddle and skim hire and music on Sundays.
La Baule, Guérande and Le Croisic, 1 hour to 1 hour 15
Once over the Saint-Nazaire bridge, another world. Guérande and its medieval ramparts, the salt marshes between Guérande and Le Croisic, the bay of La Baule, and the small port of Le Croisic with its aquarium.
The densest day of the lot. Leave early and accept that you will not do everything.
Nantes, 50 min
About 50 minutes by car, or an hour by train from Pornic station, which saves you the parking, and is very practical. The Machines de l’île and the mechanical elephant, the castle of the Dukes of Brittany, the passage Pommeraye, the Bouffay quarter.
A day in Nantes without a car from Pornic is entirely doable, and it is what we suggest to guests who arrive by train.
Lake Grand-Lieu, 45 min
Far less known, and all the better for it. In winter, the largest natural lowland lake in France, a major bird reserve, with hides and an interpretation centre at Bouaye.
One for nature and bird enthusiasts, but they come back delighted.
Saint-Nazaire, 1 hour
Our favourite outing for a day without a beach, and by far the most impressive with teenagers. Three visits, in this order:
- L’Espadon: a real submarine you can go inside, moored in the fortified lock. You walk right through it, narrow corridors included. The kind of visit you remember ten years later.
- Escal’Atlantic: a full recreation of the interior of a transatlantic liner, inside the submarine base. Beautifully done.
- The Chantiers de l’Atlantique: a tour of the shipyards where the world’s largest cruise liners are built. Booking is compulsory and ID is required, and places go quickly in summer.
A total contrast with the coves of Pornic, and a day that holds up even in the rain.
The Côte de Jade by bike, no car at all
The best outing of all needs no car: the Vélocéan and Vélodyssée routes pass through Pornic, and Sea Bike & Sun hires bikes on quai Commandant-l’Herminier, three minutes from the studio. The detail is in activities in Pornic.
A table to choose from
| Destination | Travel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Brevin | 30 min | Families, contemporary art |
| Noirmoutier / the Gois | 45 min | The unmissable one |
| Lake Grand-Lieu | 45 min | Nature, birds |
| Nantes | 50 min (or 1 h by train) | City, culture, rain |
| Saint-Nazaire | 1 h | Submarine, liners, teenagers |
| Guérande, Le Croisic | 1 h 15 | The big day out |
A question about planning your stay? Write to us: we reply quickly, and we know the tide times by heart.