Domaine du Collet

The small fishing port of Port du Collet, once known as the biggest exporter of salt on France but famed these days for its oyster hauls and oyster culture, is a kilometre from the site at the bottom of the Bourgneuf Bay and the mouth of the Falleron and Breton marshes. Fishing plaices (soz) dot the coast from here to Domaine du Collet's local village of Les Moutiers en Retz. For spectacular sands, Pré-Vincent, four kilometres away, comes with an award-winning beach, and Les Moutiers en Retz is at the southern edge of the Loire-Atlantique's Côte de Jade, running along the coastal edge of the Pays de Retz. The historic harbour town of Pornic, in the middle of the Jade Coast 16 kilometres away, is an excellent option for a day trip for more splendid sands, fishing boats, villas and the town casino. From Pornic, follow the old trade path along the coast, or take a boat trip out from the harbour for short coastal sails or longer ones to Noirmoutier, the Ile de Yeu or Morbihan. Ancient megaliths, including the 5,500 year old Tumulus des Mousseaux just outside Pornic are also nearby.