The Easter weekend was the perfect timing to remember some nice childhood memories during a family visit on the Atlantic coast, from La Rochelle to Royan.
The first stop, after a few hours in rainy La Rochelle, was in Châtelaillon. The place is full of beautiful shops and Belle Epoque villas from the 19th century, and also has a beautiful sandy beach. This was the perfect setting for the annual kite festival.
For a tasty lunch, head to Le Comptoir de l’Océan. The lobster soup and cod brandade were delicious.
We then drove further south to St Georges de Didonne. Oyster lovers shouldn’t forget to stop in the famous town of Marennes. The weather was just beautiful, in spite of the wind.
At night, La Cazuela is a good idea to enjoy the sunset and benefit once again from the freshness of local fish and seafood.
On the next day, we chose to stop by Royan’s harbour and had lunch at the Petit Bouchon. The meals were all innovative and well presented.
In the afternoon, we discovered the charming fishermen’s village of Mornac-Sur-Seudre. Many artists have set up their own galleries, which didn’t surprise us when looking at the beautiful and colourful little streets.
Another highlight of our stay was the local sweet shop : Atelier des Bonbons. Every sweet is homemade and delicious, from marshmallow to nougat and barley sugar sticks. Flavours are diverse and surprising : violet, aniseed…
We ended our weekend with a relaxing walk by the coast on the sentier des Douaniers in St Palais sur Mer, among fishing huts, steep cliffs and 19th century houses. A perfect place for family or romantic short breaks by the seaside, not to be missed !
The adresses :
Le Comptoir de l’Océan, 65 Boulevard de la Mer, 17340 Châtelaillon-Plage
La Cazuela, 97 Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny, 17110 St Georges de Didonne
Le Petit Bouchon, 8 quai Amiral Meyer, 17200 Royan
L’Atelier des Bonbons, 16 rue du Port, 17113 Mornac-sur-Seudre