La Baule

The bay at La Baule runs roughly nine kilometres in an unbroken curve of fine sand between two headlands, and the resort behind it exists because of a nineteenth-century engineering problem: drifting dunes had already buried a village, so pines were planted across the sand to fix it, and the forest that grew became the setting for villas. The seafront is now a wall of apartment blocks, but streets inland keep the 1900s and art deco villas among the pines. The tide goes out a long way over hard flat sand, which makes it a place for sand yachting and long walks rather than dramatic surf.

What you actually see

• The nine-kilometre bay - one long unbroken curve of fine sand.
• The villa quarter - belle epoque and art deco houses among pines.
• The pine forest - the planted woodland that fixed the dunes.
• The flat low-tide sand - hard ground used for sand yachting and riding.

When to go

June to September for swimming, with August crowded and expensive. Spring and autumn suit the beach walk and the villa streets. The sea stays cold into early summer.

Honest expectations

The seafront is dominated by large modern apartment blocks, and the resort is expensive in season. The beach is groomed and busy rather than wild. Water quality is generally good but the sea is cold.

Nearby

Guerande lies north; Le Croisic is west.