General info
The nearby coast is a mixture of rocky headlands and lovely sandy beaches. It is exceptionally pictoresqueand is perfect for holiday makers who like to admire beautiful scenery, relax on the beach or enjoy
watersports and activities.
La Retraite is just inland, the nearest beach is about 20 minutes drive away. This means that whilst the
beaches are still easy to get to, the house is away from the busy traffic of the coast. Here is a little bit of
information about some if the nearest beaches to La Retraite.
St Cieux,Lancieux
Is a sandy beach with rocky outcrops. Some of the rocks are
submerged at high tide but can be walked to at
low tide. Kayaks can be
rented at Lancieux , sailing and windsurfing are also popular here. It
is marked on the
map as a Baliniere (resort) but it is quiet
and
not overrun. There is a beachside restaurant and a place to buy
ice
creams by the beach, in the village there are a couple of
hotels/bars and one shop selling beach
equipment. There is not much
else. It is about 14 miles from the house.
Grande Plage, St Cast
Wide Sandy beach with a children's play area which includes table
tennis, trampolining , swings and the likes.
When we have been there
this has all been free. Close to St Cast town with
it's
bars restaurants and a few
shops.
Pen Guen Plage, St Cast
Another wide sandy beach with a good children's play area and a parking space and a car park right next to
the beach. Similar to Grand Plage but not next to the town.
Plage Quatre Vaux
Small cove , with oyster boats working from the beach. There is a toilet , table tennis and a restaurant by
the camp site. The beach is sandy and flanked by cliffs. There are good, waymarked paths along the cliffs.
There is also a freshwater stream that flows into the bay. This is a lovely small beach, with lovely views
across the Arguenon, but when the tide is out the sea almost disappears from view. This is the nearest
beach to the house.
Cap Frehel
Not a beach but a well known beauty spot, a pleasant rocky peninsula , the Cap itself is a prominent rocky
outcrop which is easily visited by foot. It is possible to park at the lighthouse and work a short distance to
the cap, or there is roadside parking with marked footpaths over the moors to the cap. It is also possible to
take a boat trip to view the cap from the sea.
Being popular it can get busy, particularly on French public holidays.