Cote d'Amour

Visit Cote d'Amour, Pays de la Loire

The Cote d'Amour is the name given to the coast west of Nantes and just south of Guerande, that runs north of the Loire estuary from St Nazaire to Le Croisic - the coat of the Guerande peninsula. This coastline includes the Cote Sauvage, the most north-western stretch, which runs from Le Croisic to le Pouliguen.

The name 'Cote d'Amour' was chosen to promote the coast in the region at the beginning of the 20th century when the region first started to develop as a popular tourist destination.

The coast here offers several fine sandy beaches, along with rock sections and caves to explore, some traditional port towns, and resorts that have developed more recently. Among our personal favourites:

1) towards the southern end of the Cote d'Amour La Baule has a very long sandy beach backed by expensive hotels.

Moving west along the coast, the main towns are Pornichet (especially popular with children and young families), le Pouliguen, and le Croisic, with several attractive beaches en route.

2) the most interesting of these towns, Le Croisic is an active fishing port at the end of the peninsula (although tourism has taken over as main earner for the town). The splendid villas in the town date from the days when Le Croisic was a worldwide supplier of salt, and it is a pleasure to stroll along the seafront here.

Other noteworthy places along the Cote d'Amour include La Turballe, a busy port; and the villages of Batz-sur-mer and Piriac-sur-Mer.

3) A smaller resort than most along the Cote d'Amour, Batz-sur-Mer also has a lovely beach

Other information

If you can drag yourself away from the beach for a while the walled town at Guerande has a historical centre that is a pleasure to explore.

See Pays de la Loire and Loire-Atlantique (the region and department for Cote d'Amour) for more travel ideas...

Suggested places to visit near Cote d'Amour, France

Distances shown are direct, driving distances will be greater.

More suggestions: Guerande 7km; La Baule 9km; Pornichet 13km; Saint-Brevin-les-Pins 26km; La Roche-Bernard 30km; Sarzeau 33km; Jade Coast 33km; Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys 34km; Ile Houat 35km; Pornic 37km; Noirmoutier 38km;

Cote d'Amour tourist information: sights and attractions nearby

Marais Salants de Guérande - site of natural beauty (15km) : Briere - regional natural parc (21km) : Pointe Sainte-Gildas - site of natural beauty (27km) : Loire Estuaire - site of natural beauty (29km) : Golfe du Morbihan - site of natural beauty (41km) : La Vraie-Croix - ville fleurie 4* (44km) : Megaliths of Locmariaquer - national monument (45km) :

See more places and a map at places near Cote d'Amour