48 hours in Noirmoutier

Centre-Val de Loire - Pays de la Loire/2024

Close to the Vendée coast and some 60 km from Nantes, the island of Noirmoutier, with its friendly atmosphere, beautiful beaches, markets and charming fishing ports, offers a little corner of paradise.

Located off the coast of Beauvoir-sur-Mer, the island of Noirmoutier is accessible via a bridge, inaugurated in 1971, which replaces the historic Gois crossing. The latter can only be used at certain times, as it is submersible at high tide. Even though the signs and warnings are clearly visible, around fifteen vehicles are rescued or emergency repairs carried out every year! It has to be said that the Gois offers an incomparable view, and many tourists also walk along it to enjoy the spectacle (from 1 h 30 before low tide to 1 h 30 after) and to collect - as many fishermen do - cockles and clams along the 4.2 km path, which can easily be completed in an hour if you don't dawdle. Once you've arrived on the island, you can continue your adventure in Barbâtre by visiting the Sébastopol polder, a protected site classified as a nature reserve for its ornithological wealth. Noirmoutier is an island... and a village. Everyone knows everyone, and from south to north, the white houses, trails, signposted footpaths and small roads form a comforting unity that grows stronger as the visit progresses. In a nutshell, the three main "hotspots" are L'Épine on the west coast, the Herbaudière district at the northern tip and, of course, Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, the "capital", home to most of the restaurants and food shops. You'll never be lost in Noirmoutier: this elongated tongue puts everything within sight and, even by bike or on foot, everything is easy to get to, with the locals quick to provide the necessary directions. Looking for a nice beach? Go to La Guérinière, to the Plage des Éloux, which extends the magnificent panorama of the Hotel Punta Lara, one of the must-sees of your stay in Noirmoutin. Continue on to the beaches of Saint-Jean and La Bosse, until you reach the bustling little port of Morin. In L'Épine, the Saturday market is always lively: the village is full of people, shops are plentiful and the impression of permanent solidarity is confirmed. At the Station de la Plage, the whole image of the island is on display, in this place of artists and creators that has over time become a meeting point, café and boutique. L'Herbaudière is the island's fishing port, one of the most famous on the Atlantic coast, the equal of La Cotinière on the Ile de Ré. It has become even more famous since the advent of Alexandre Couillon, a local boy who, with his wife Céline, has reached the pinnacle of French gastronomy in his restaurant La Marine, right on the port. Alexandre Couillon was named Gault&Millau's 2017 Chef of the Year and is a member of the imaginary "three Alexandre's" club, along with Gauthier and Mazzia, who represent the pinnacle of French culinary creativity. The main village is Noirmoutier-en-l'Île. Just as typical, it spreads its white houses and secret corners around the heart of the town. The town's lively streets are the Grande Rue transversale and the Place de la République, where you'll find the Halles, open Fridays, Tuesdays and Sundays in season. The site is dominated by the 12th-century château-fortress, now a museum and listed since 1994. Between Noirmoutier and l'Herbaudière, the essential walk through the Bois de la Chaise leads to the pretty beaches to the north-east, such as the Plage du Mardi Gras, where some scenes from Claude Sautet's César et Rosalie were filmed, or the Plage du Vieil. In addition to oysters and seafood, our specialties include the famous and unique bonnotte potato - an early and rare variety found on the island's markets in May, with tender, tasty flesh and iodized, nutty notes - as well as salt from the marshes, distributed by the Noirmoutier Salt Cooperative.