La Bernerie has all the advantages of a large town, without the disadvantages. This well-preserved, lively village on the Côte de Jade, with its large sandy beach just 50m from the shops, has an undeniable asset that appeals to families: a large, safe stretch of seawater that's accessible for swimming and for learning water sports at any time of the tide. When the sea is low, fishermen know that at La Bernerie they can glean oysters and other seafood from the foreshore... a real treat. The oysters here are well reared, and even won prizes at the last Salon de l'Agriculture!
The beach is a lively place, accessible even in wheelchairs, with children's games, deckchairs and a long promenade for sea-scented strolls in all seasons. Numerous shops are open all year round, making this an attractive and lively town. The seaside architecture has been preserved and the town has been well looked after. It's a great place to live.
Did you know that a famous rock at La Boutinardière is called the "Hole of Hell"? It's a large rock with a hole in it into which the wind rushes. The sound is amplified and you hear "the sound of hell"!
Julia's favourites : the beach at crève-cœur and its golden cliffs swimming in the late afternoon when the sea rises from the sun-warmed sand eating oysters directly on the rock with friends and my boyfriend, and a small bottle of white wine walk around the lake on a stormy day with a high tide, avoiding getting wet tea at the L'Embellie bookshop and a piece of Nantes cake
La Bernerie-en-Retz in brief: 2723 inhabitants (2014) 608 km2 Motto: Pictonum Virtus Britonum Fides (The courage of the Poitevins, the faith of the Bretons) 4.5 km of coastline
