Visiting the French Atlantic coast

The western side of the French coast is an area that I’ve never had the occasion to explore. So I welcomed the chance to make my way down that side of the coast and explore, in a day or two what I could of St. Palais-sur- Mer. This little town is situated within the greater area of Charentais Maritime, which is itself located in the region of Poitou Charentes. Originally, the town was a called Bureau-les-Bains, or Bureau-St. Palais after the old customs office, but soon came to be called St. Palais when the town expanded. It is now a lively town with a cheerful square filled with little cafes and shops to explore.

It is a lovely place with 5 beaches to choose from. It is nicely situated as the waters of the Atlantic in this area are much calmer. And it has the added benefit of being at the juncture of the Atlantic Ocean and the estuary of Gironde, so the main beach lies within a sheltered cove. During the day there were a number of people playing the fisherman and as the tide came and you could explore the little pools laid bare by the receding tide. The main beach is not very large but there is enough room so that one can lay a towel down and rest without being unduly disturbed by the other people who have come to share the beach. That said there were still a good number of people on the beach! What struck me about St. Palais was the good number of families with children on the beach. This is definitely not a singles beach. The children even had their very own Club Mickey where they could safely play while their parents sunned themselves contentedly.

Here's the beach before the crowds descend...

Of course, I could not resist a visit to the local market which I learned was open all year round. It was a huge sprawling affair with stands of meat and fish, fruits and vegetables and of course, no market would be complete without the stand of cheese with their all too fragrant wheels of camembert, chevre and others to numerous to recount. Wandering around I even came across a number of stands carrying, locally made dishes, clothes, mostly of a nautical vein and even shoes! It was nice to stroll about soaking the ambiance that is so particular to a French market. People congregate to share the latest news, buy the freshest product and if they find a sweater or espadrille to wear home, then so much the better.

Its a lovely place and worth keeping in mind for other future visits.

A proud display of local wares....