Lonely Planet India - August 2016

F

UNNY you don’t really hear much

about the French seaside apart from

the coruscation of the Cote d’Azur

but there really is a lot of coastline.

And one of the sweeter less-touristy

spots is little La Baule a resort for

families and for people who want a quiet holiday.

Let me start here with what’s good for adults. For one

there’s the sea whether you enjoy it with the sand

between your toes or just as a view. The beach is

lovely – some 9km long and like something out of

a childhood memory with jaunty little sails at the

horizon. Then there’s the number of rather elegant

hotels along the pretty waterfront a pleasure to

walk along. There’s your own hotel the Hermitage

Barriere which reminds you in quiet dark blues

and gold that the French really do understated

luxury well and gives you one heck of a view too.

And then there are the spas. This really is a spa

town and it is into their steamy embrace that you

must wander once you’ve locked the children

in a cupboard (just kidding! Ha ha. Er.). Try for one

the treatments at the huge Thalgo which include

among other things immersion in a seaweed

soup-like thing (do excuse the non-spa language).

As someone who’s suspicious of weird substances

I go in expecting a certain degree of pain and

goopiness but it isn’t bad at all and the underwater

jets help. Much more interesting though is the

relaxation room a huge solarium – and best of all

the world’s coolest obstacle course. Yes really.

You swim paddle and bubble your way through

waterfalls and several vertical and horizontal

jets deep and shallow pools yelping gently

as the bubbles go where they shouldn’t. It’s fun

energising and somehow relaxing at the same time.

Would I do it again? Oh sure but after a short nap.

And where have the children been all this while?

Well there’s the beach for one. If your child can’t

pass the day on the beach with a bright red pail

his name is probably Damien and you should

not give him a tricycle. However there are also

a number of beach clubs designed to keep kids

busy. If you’d rather join in you can learn sailing

or take a rowboat out – the possibilities are endless.

If you’d like to do something a little more

instructive near La Baule is the lovely little

medieval walled city of Guerande and the salt

marshes known for excellent sea salt – take home

a pouch for salads or a salty caramel toffee

guaranteed to make your child unable to demand

Playstations for at least a week.

La Baule

La Baule’s beautiful

curving bay attracts people

who prefer their holidays

quiet (but this being

France quiet still means

unbearably stylish)

PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES

EASY EUROPE FRANCE FOR FAMILIES