Royan

Central market

Marché central

The central market, in the shape of an inverted seashell, was designed by Louis Simon and André Morisseau and opened in 1957. It served as a model for the CNIT building in the La Défense district of Paris.

high season (mid-June to mid-Sep) daily 7:00-13:00, low season (rest of the year) Tue-Sat 7:00-13:00

Chay Beach

Plage du Chay

A small and intimate beach with extremely fine sand set between two cliffs. The path leading to the beach from the centre has nice views over the Garonne estuary.

free access

Coubre lighthouse

Phare de la Coubre

The Coubre lighthouse was built in 1905 at the mouth of the Gironde estuary. At a height of 64 m, it's the highest lighthouse on the Charente coast. More than 300 steps lead up to the top, from where there are fantastic views over the Coubre pine forest, Royan with surroundings, Oléron island and the coasts of Médoc. On Facebook.

Foncillon Beach

Plage de Foncillon

Right in the heart of the city below the congress palace. In 1819, when Royan first became a resort, this beach was assigned as a beach for ladies only. Nowadays it's open to everybody, and popular with families as there are hardly any currents. Here too there are beach chairs and tents for rent.

free access

Grande-Conche beach

Plage de la Grande-Conche

A 2.6 km long magnificent beach of fine sand, this is the largest and most central of Royan's beaches. It ranges from the marina to the tip of Vallières, and is shaped like a shell, hence its French name translates to the Great Shell Beach. In season beach chairs and tents in yellow, blue and white (the colours of the city) are set up along the beach, and lifeguards patrol the beach from mid-June to early September from 11:00 to 19:00. Also events take place on the beach, most notably the "Un violon sur le sable" festival and the fireworks show on August 15.

free access, there's a fee to use the beach chairs

Grottes de Matata

The town of Meschers is famous for the Matata and Régulus caves. Dug out in cliffs next to the river, they were inhabited until the early 20th century. The Matata caves feature a museum showcasing underground life throughout the centuries, and a hotel and a crêperie. On Facebook.

Parc de l'estuaire

The Estuary Park is an extension of the protected Suzac Forest, and presents the fragile ecosystem of the region. There's a museum and guided parks tours. Set on a cliff, it offers amazing views of the surroundings. On Facebook.

Parc des Jardins du Monde

A botanical park of 7.5 ha near the Carel university. It has an impressive collection of orchids in a huge greenhouse, perhaps even the most extensive in Europe. The exterior comprises an English, Japanese and a Tuscan garden. Other exhibits include a large 1800 year old olive tree, a "labyrinth" of rainforest vegetation, an aromatic garden and a rose garden. On Facebook.

€5 for children, €8 for adults

Pontaillac Beach

Plage de Pontaillac

Once upon a time this was the beach for the upper class who went there wearing suits and gloves. After WWII however it has become a beach among the others and can get really busy. It's also popular with surfers, and there's a surf school and surf shops nearby. The casino sits right on the beach. Tents and beach chairs for rent.

free access

Royan Port

Port de Royan

After being destroyed in WWII, the port was rebuilt in 1965, enlarged in 1983 and 1993, and renovated in 2008. It's one of the most important marinas between Nantes and Arcachon and has space for 1000 boats, a fishing port and is the starting point for ferries across the river. It's lined by shops, restaurants and bars making up the Les Voûtes du Port mall. On Facebook.

Seafront

Front de Mer

The seafront is a 600 m long built extension of the Grande-Conche beach, a transition between the city and the beach, and the liveliest part of the city during summer. This set of buildings were built in the "tropical modernist" style described in Understand above. The ground floor of the buildings forms a long shopping arcade with a variety of shops, restaurants, bars and cinemas. In the bar Le Regalty, famous French rock singer Alain Bashung (1947-2009) performed for the first time in 1963.

Temple protestant

Protestant church designed by architects Marc Hébrard, René Baraton and Jean Bauhain and built between 1953 and 1957. This church too received its inspiration from Saint-François de Pampulha in Belo Horizonte. It houses an organ built by the Schwendekel factory.

Église Notre-Dame

Royan's Church of Our Lady was inaugurated in 1958 as the masterpiece of architect Guillaume Gillet. A "cathedral of concrete" both literally and figuratively, with a height of 36 metres it's higher than its more famous namesake in Paris. The building seats 2000 persons and is completely made of reinforced concrete and features modernist stained glass windows, including the work Assumption of the Virgin by Claude Idoux. It's organ is one of the largest in western France.

Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption

Another example of the "tropical" style, the church was designed by Jean Bauhain in 1952 who was inspired by the Saint-François de Pampulha in Belo Horizonte. Interesting features include the large ceramic tympanum depicting Virgin Mary and the stained glass windows by glass master L.Gouffault.

Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges

A Neo-Gothic church built in 1891, that miraculously escaped the bombings of the Second World War. The interior is in mostly "Belle-Époque" style (statues, frescoes, organ) and it has an Art Deco high altar. The stained glass in the choir represents Virgin Mary surrounded by angels.

Église Saint-Pierre

The oldest building in Royan, built in the 11th century. While it has not been entirely ruined during the times the town was destroyed, it has been damaged, repaired, rebuilt and modified. First built in Romanesque style, when it was repaired after the WWII bombings it became more simplified as there was a lack of money to reconstruct the finer details. The crypt below the bell tower houses an ossuary.

Cordouan lighthouse

France's oldest lighthouse, constructed between 1584 and 1611, and the tenth-tallest traditional lighthouse in the world. It's been nicknamed the "Versailles of the sea" and the "King of lighthouses and lighthouse of kings". In 2021 it was listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. You can get in by your own boat or by tour - see the Do section for tour operators.