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ROYAN
Resort that rose from the ashes
Strategically placed at the mouth of the mighty Gironde estuary, Royan has been a favourite holiday spot since 1875. Wealthy tourists arrived by train from Paris and Bordeaux and “Belle Epoque” villas soon sprang up along the shoreline.
Many of these elegant properties were lost in the bombing raids of 1945, but More than half a century later, Royan is a beguiling mix of flamboyant 19th century buildings and post-war minimalist design and the largest resort on the Atlantic coast between La Baule and Biarritz.
Whether you want to have fun on the sands with the children or get active over a round of golf, try your luck at the casino or spend a day out on the water, Royan can offer it, with the added bonus of 2,600 hours of sunshine a year. Take a self-guided audio-tour to discover the different styles of architecture; visit the bustling food stalls beneath the dome of the covered market; or take a cruise into the Gironde estuary.
Sport and seaside neighborhood
Enjoy the fun !
Sport practice
In Royan and its surroundings, everything has been set up so as to allow the athletically inclined to practice a favorite sport during their holidays: sailing, windsurf, personal watercraft, surf...
Seaside neighborhood
Audaciously prominent, the Notre Dame church (1955) now towers over the maritime past and the paradise for bathers and sand castle builders embodied by the five beaches, sheltered as they are from the western winds.
The most celebrated of these beaches, the « Grande Conche », outlines a curve composed of more than two kilometers of fine sand.
Shopping, relaxation, bathing or night-time outings … This elegant seaside neighborhood can meet any and all summer holiday expectations. Drawn up by Louis Simon, its architectural composition skillfully mixes pre-war style with modern urban façades and leaves room for a large central esplanade astride the sea.
As for the Belle Époque neighborhoods that were partially spared at the tragic conclusion in Royan of World War II, the coastal areas to the west, such as Pontaillac and to the east, such as Le Parc, have conserved some scattered traces of their colorful pasts as resorts.
Explore the Gironde estuary
Discover the french largest estuary
Royan is a great base for exploring the eastern shore of the Gironde estuary. Go west to enjoy the resort of St-Palais-sur-Mer, the Côte Sauvage -Wild Coast - dunes,the well-stocked La Palmyre zoo – one of Europe’s largest – and the scented forests of the Arvert Peninsula, especially La Coubre forest.
Discover also the Coubre and Cordouan lighthouses (France's oldest lighthouse) and the fishing village of Meschers-sur-Gironde, dotted with carrelets – square fishing nets that are lowered into the water from fishermen’s huts on stilts. And finally, take the time to visit Talmont-sur-Gironde, classified amongst France’s Most Beautiful Villages for its windswept Romanesque church and narrow streets of whitewashed houses and craft workshops.
5th Fort Boyard Windsurf Challenge - Fouras
6 - 7 November 2010 This fifth edition of the "long distance" windsurf competition will gather 200 participants to challenge the mythical Fort Boyard.
| Charente | Charente-Maritime | Deux-Sèvres | Vienne |
