The fashionable seaside resort of Bénodet occupies an enviable position in southern Brittany, where the Odet river meets the bracing Atlantic. It is blessed with many fine beaches on the south-facing coast and west-facing river estuary, making it a popular summer destination for families, watersports lovers and fishing fans. The Plage du Trez, in the centre of Bénodet, is a golden crescent of sand replete with family amusements, and a cafe to retire to when bad weather blows in.
If fishing's your thing, the pine-fringed, sandy Plage de la Pointe St Gilles is bordered by rocks that make it a perfect hunting ground for crabs, shrimps and shellfish. To watch the sun go down, head for the west-facing sandy Plage du Coq, where the river meets the ocean – the perfect place to catch the late-afternoon sun.
Bénodet is just one of many resorts on France's Atlantic coast that offer sun, sand and a seaside lifestyle. Pornic on the threshold of Brittany and the Vendée, 31 miles (50km) from the city of Nantes, is a smart medieval town with a marina, castle, golf course, golden sandy beaches and a prehistoric burial chamber, called Le Dolmen des Mousseaux, right in the centre of town. The chateau of Gilles de Rais, better known as Bluebeard's Castle, is ideal for history lovers, while gastronomes can embark on the vineyard route towards Nantes to discover the wines of Muscadet.
Along the craggy clifftop from Pornic runs a nine-mile (14km) path that was once patrolled by customs officers keeping an eye out for smugglers in the coves below. Try to take your eyes off the sea views for long enough to appreciate the 19th-century holiday villas that perch on the cliff along the route.
Further down the coast, Saint-Jean-de-Monts in Vendée boasts a 5-mile (8km) white-sand beach and is a nature-lover's playground, with a long plantation of pine trees separating the seafront from the main town. Explore the extensive network of cycle lanes and footpaths, tee up at the promenade golf course or take a boat to discover the nearby islands of Noirmoutier and Yeu.
South from Bordeaux, Biscarrosse is a flat, sandy pine forest on the edge of the town of the same name. Whether you choose the stillness of lakes or the dramatic ocean waves, there is no shortage of water here. If you ever wanted to take a surfing or kite-surfing lesson, this is the place to do it.
In the Basque country, just before the Spanish border, Anglet, Biarritz and Hendaye, with their accompanying miles of coastline, are a mecca for surfers. With them comes a laid-back lifestyle, with flip-flops and board shorts considered acceptable attire in even some of the smarter restaurants. For those in search of food, Anglet boasts a fine market where Basque and Gascon specialities can be sampled side by side. Biarritz, meanwhile, is enjoying something of a renaissance. For years the destination of choice for the smart set, it has now become a favourite holiday destination for young surfers, and the local nightlife has livened up to accommodate them.
The best place for a gentle stroll in Biarritz is around the Plage du Port-Vieux, a sheltered beach which ends in a walkway to the Rocher de la Vierge, a white statue of the Virgin Mary that has become a symbol of the town.
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/seaside-lifestyle/atlantic-coast
