Beaches near Bourgneuf-en-Retz and tides in the Bay of Bourgneuf

Is there a beach in Bourgneuf-en-Retz?

No, there is no bathing beach in the commune itself. Since 1 January 2016, Bourgneuf-en-Retz and Fresnay-en-Retz have formed the commune of Villeneuve-en-Retz. It does reach the Bay of Bourgneuf, but through the Marais breton: the southern half of the commune is meadows, channels and salt pans, not dunes and sand.

In the Middle Ages, though, Bourgneuf lived off salt and its harbour. As the bay silted up, the Port du Collet took over, built in the 14th century at the mouth of the Falleron, about three kilometres from the town centre. Shared with Les Moutiers-en-Retz, it is now a small oyster harbour with wooden pontoons. At low tide it uncovers a wide mudflat alive with thousands of birds. It is a place to watch the tide, not to swim.

So to lay out your towel, you drive a few minutes west.

The nearest beaches

Les Moutiers-en-Retz, about 10 minutes

The closest seaside village, with six kilometres of natural beaches.

• Plage du Collet, beside the harbour channel, is the closest to Bourgneuf. The seabed is flat, so swimming only works around high tide.
• Between Plage du Lancastria and the Port du Collet stand 36 pêcheries, wooden huts on stilts at the end of a footbridge, where locals fish with a square dip net. They are private concessions: admire them from the shore.
• Plage du Pré-Vincent, near the village centre, is the lifeguarded beach of Les Moutiers in summer, with a playground and a sailing centre next to it.

La Bernerie-en-Retz, about 12 minutes

The main beach of fine sand runs right through the centre, 50 metres from the shops, along a promenade. Its real asset with children is the large seawater pool of the resort, where you can swim at any state of the tide. For a walk, start from Plage de Crève-Cœur and follow the coastal paths.

Pornic and the Côte de Jade, about 15 minutes

Beyond La Bernerie the coast turns rocky: coves, the coastal path, the old harbour. We cover it in a separate guide: Pornic, the Côte de Jade and the beaches of the Pays de Retz.

Noirmoutier via the Passage du Gois, about 30 minutes

At the southern end of the bay, the Passage du Gois leads to the island of Noirmoutier and its beaches, but only around low tide; the bridge brings you back at any time. The full itinerary is in our guide to the Breton marshes, the Bay of Bourgneuf and the Passage du Gois.

Understanding the tides in the bay

The bay has two high tides and two low tides a day, at times that shift every day. The size of each tide is given by its coefficient, calculated by the SHOM, the French naval hydrographic service, on a scale from 20 to 120. Below 70 you are in neap tides; above 70, spring tides; from 100 upwards, the French speak of grandes marées, the biggest tides.

In Pornic, the difference between low and high water exceeds five metres during the biggest tides. In a bay this flat, that shows: at low tide the sea pulls back a very long way over sand and mud; at high tide it comes back under the pêcheries.

With children, aim for the two or three hours around high tide, when the water is close and shallow; late afternoon on a rising tide, over sun-warmed sand, is a local favourite. At low tide, switch to the seawater pool in La Bernerie or to shellfish gathering.

Where to find tide times: the SHOM's free website, maree.shom.fr, choosing Pornic, the nearest port to Les Moutiers and La Bernerie. We deliberately publish no times here: they change every day.

Shellfish gathering

At low tide the bay fills with people gathering shellfish, known in French as pêche à pied. The main finds are cockles, clams and oysters. The best outings are on big coefficients, when the most foreshore is uncovered. Set off an hour or two before low water and head back as soon as the tide turns.

The main rules, set by prefectoral order:

• Recreational gathering is for your household's own consumption; selling the catch is forbidden.
• Gathering is not allowed between sunset and sunrise.
• Each species has a minimum size and a maximum quantity, for example 2.7 cm and 4 kg for cockles. Sort your catch on the spot and put undersized shells straight back.
• No spades or rakes: only a few small hand tools are allowed.
• Stay at least 15 metres from oyster beds, and put back any stones you turn over.

Open or closed areas. Gathering sites are classified by health quality, and some are closed, sometimes temporarily, because of bacterial pollution or algal toxins. Before you go, check the regional health agency's page Où pêcher en Pays de la Loire, the prefecture's list of current bans and the Littorea network's rules by species; bulletins are also posted at the town hall. Avoid harbours and storm drains, and do not gather in the 48 hours after heavy rain.

Safety.

• Note the time of low tide before you leave and turn back as soon as the sea starts rising.
• Keep out of the mudflats, especially around the Port du Collet: mud is not a place to walk.
• On the Passage du Gois, only cross at the posted times, roughly an hour and a half either side of low water; if the tide catches you, climb a refuge tower.
• In fog, give shellfish gathering a miss.

Which beach for whom?

• Very young children: the seawater pool in La Bernerie at any time, or Plage du Pré-Vincent at high tide.
• Lifeguarded beaches: Pré-Vincent in Les Moutiers and the main beach in La Bernerie, in summer.
• Wild walks and photos: the line of pêcheries, from Lancastria to the Port du Collet.
• Birdwatching: the Port du Collet at low tide, with binoculars.
• Coves and coastal path: Pornic and the Côte de Jade.

Practical

• The bay's beaches are ten minutes from La Maison du Bonheur, our single-storey house for six in Bourgneuf-en-Retz, rented directly by the owner.
• More about the town and its surroundings: holiday rentals in Bourgneuf-en-Retz.
• Back at the house, the garden and the barbecue wait for the day's catch.