Choosing a beach town for relocation
 

Hello! I would like to move to a clean, secure and calm beach town with mild, rainy climate, perfectly accessible for wind and not surrounded by mountains. Currently, I am choosing between Biarritz/Bayonne, La Rochelle, Normandie (Le Havre/Rennes/etc.) and Bretagne (Saint-Malo/etc.). I would highly appreciate your recommendations and opinions on these or other locations.

perfectly accessible for wind? Are we talking boating? I've not looked in detail at La Rochelle harbour or Yacht haven but I think they face into the prevailing wind, so easy to get into but harder to get out of.

I agree that your wishes are not very clear. There is no lack of beach towns in France of every conceivable variety. I have not seen any beaches in Rennes for the moment.

Also the climate of Bayonne/Biarritz is totally different from anywhere in Normandy or Brittany.

I have some ideas, but I will await additional precisions.

Thank you for your comments.

As I have indicated, I am in the process of choosing a beach town to relocate for several months. The requirements to the town are as follows: clean, secure, beautiful, not too touristic, mild climate (raining is a plus), not surrounded by mountains. I walk/cycle a lot and would like to have an opportunity to do it safely in and around the town. For the moment I am considering Bretagne, Normandie and Nouvelle - Aquitaine. Would appreciate your recommendations as to a particular beach town in these or other regions of France.

Well, I regularly fantasize about spending some time in Soorts-Hossegor, but I very much doubt that I would want to spend months there.

This may shock you, but I would be quite happy spending much longer in Dunkerque or Calais.

Thank you! And why Dunkerque and Calais?

I can see myself spending a couple of months in Normandie or Bretagne, though I’m not a beach person at all. But there’s loads to see and do around there, including biking, so I’d be in hog heaven.

Manolin, you don’t mention what time of the year you’ll be there, I think Bretagne could get rather chilly in winter. Also remember there are tourists everywhere, in my experience there’s really no “off” season nowadays. Even during these Covid times, as people from within the EU have free access to each other’s countries.

I think the cote d'or might interest you, so south of La Rochelle and north of the Gironde.

If not, I spent a childhood in Barfleur on the Cotentin. Big beach to the north of the town, normally empty. St Vaast is also nice and the sea-food is slightly better.

Dunkerque and Calais have huge beaches for endless walks, but they are also real cities with excellent connections to Paris or even London. Dunkerque is also close to the amazing kitschy beach resorts lining the Belgian coast.

Then again, if you really want a windy beach, you might consider the frightfully ugly town of Berck-sur-Mer. It is the kite capital of Europe and also beach carts with sails.

The kite festival was covid-cancelled this year of course.

https://anyportinastorm.proboards.co...-festival-2011

What about this town?

https://flic.kr/p/8kUDUs

Thank you very much for all your suggestions!

I am actually looking into, among others, La Rochelle, thank you. Unrelated with boats though. It is a beautiful and relatively big town. Three of its beaches are listed among the cleanest beaches of France in 2020 (https://www.pavillonbleu.org/palmare...ates-2020.html). Plus it is no. 29 in the list of the best French towns (https://www.ville-ideale.fr/classements.php) and no. 2 in the alternative list (https://www.villesetvillagesouilfaitbonvivre.com).

geetika, I am currently residing in Alsace and am planning to relocate as soon as I have an understanding whereto.

Michael, thank you for the suggestion. The sea view in Pourville-sur-Mer is marvellous, but it is more of a village to my taste. I would prefer a middle-size town.

Dieppe is nearby

https://flic.kr/p/8kUDN9

I like Dieppe too, went there many years ago and again last year. But I admit I prefer the villages out of town a bit.

I am curious - if you are a cyclist, why do you want it to be windy? Really just curious.

I was wondering the same thing, not to mention why someone would want a rainy place if they are going to cycle a lot, I don't like wind or rain when I'm cycling.

Same. I meant to ask about the rain part, too. ;)

What could be more pleasant than cycling against the wind when it is raining?

You want wind, rain, beaches and no mountains, move to the Netherlands. Perfect for bike riding, if you don't mind wind and rain.

Must be in France?