Villas in Saint Palais sur mer

About Saint Palais sur mer

Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is one of six resorts that make up the Côte de Beauté, a name coined in 1931. Its main beach, the Bureau, is a small bay of golden sand in the town centre, between the Nauzan and Platin headlands, facing the Atlantic where the Gironde estuary opens. The seafront is lined with restaurants, bars and shops, and a coastal path, the sentier des Douaniers, runs beside the sand. La Coubre, a large state forest of maritime pine, borders the commune and is crossed by the EuroVelo Atlantic Coast cycle route. The homes are tightly grouped and mostly compact, with a family of four or five in mind. Royan, rebuilt in the 1950s, is a short bus ride away.

Is Saint Palais sur mer right for you?

Best for

Couples and small families wanting a walkable beach town beside Royan

Not for you if

You want a long sweep of sand on the doorstep, because the Bureau is a small bay.

Near Saint Palais sur mer

• Royan

  Neighbouring resort rebuilt in the 1950s, a showcase of modernist architecture with the concrete Notre-Dame de Royan. A short bus ride away.

• Le Verdon-sur-Mer

  Reached by ferry across the Gironde estuary from Royan in about 30 minutes, on the Médoc side.

• La Coubre forest

  A state forest of maritime pine covering nearly 8,000 hectares, bordering the Atlantic and the estuary, crossed by the EuroVelo Atlantic Coast route.

• Saint-Georges-de-Didonne

  Another resort of the Côte de Beauté, with a beach the Bureau's page describes as much larger than the one at Saint-Palais.

Getting to Saint Palais sur mer

La Rochelle is the nearer airport at about 60 km, with Bordeaux about 95 km away. Public transport from either takes over four hours, so plan on a hire car. Royan is 65 km from La Rochelle and 98 km from Bordeaux by road, and Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is a short hop beyond it.

When to go to Saint Palais sur mer

Lifeguards on the Bureau beach work from 11am to 7pm from around mid-June to early September, and the paid children's beach club runs from 15 June to early September, so July and August are the full-service months. Royan averages about 2,250 hours of sun a year, which compares with the French Riviera, so late spring and September are worth considering too.

Saint Palais sur mer villa holidays: questions answered

Nearby towns to Saint Palais sur mer

• Ile d'Oléron (79)
• Vaux Sur Mer (48)
• Les Mathes (45)
• Royan (23)
• Ile de Re (11)
• Saint Georges de Didonne (8)
• All of Charente-Maritime