We stumbled across Saint-Brevin-les-Pins almost by accident whilst looking for a dog-friendly cabin on the French Atlantic coast. Tucked on the south side of the Loire estuary, just across the water from Saint-Nazaire on the Jade Coast, it’s a relaxed seaside town with eight kilometres of wide sandy beaches, pine forest, dunes and a wonderfully old-school French seaside atmosphere. If it isn’t on your radar then it should be a stop on a road trip through the Loire-Atlantique or Pays de la Loire.
Why we loved Saint-Brevin-les-Pins
Saint-Brevin-les-Pins was a place that suited us perfectly. And clearly families in France love it too as the town is filled with sprawling belle époque villas that have been in families for years. It’s a classic seaside town with miles of sandy beaches backed by maritime pine forest and dunes. Importantly there are no resorts! We actually stayed in the little sister to Les-Pins, Saint-Brevin-l’Ocean, where the pace was even slower. It’s the southern part of Saint-Brevin and a dreamy location (if you ignore the 38 degree day…):
- Long, wide beaches with big skies
- Pine forests running almost to the sand
- Wooden boardwalks and cycling paths through the dunes
- Low-rise development along the coast
The pace here is quiet even in summer compared with better known places the French escape to. This made me particularly happy. I asked ChatGPT to describe Saint-Brevin-les-Pins when we were there as I loved the vibe, but couldn’t put my finger on why and where it reminded me of. It said it had a quiet Atlantic elegance which isn’t trying to impress you, but does! It compared it to family-oriented Comporta, sleepy bits of Cape Cod, similar scenery to Cap Ferret, windswept like the flat Dutch coast and a gentler less surfy version of the Landes coast. Ile de Re it noted as more obviously wealthy with an Instagram aesthetic, whereas Saint-Brevin has an old-school seaside affluence and charm. I love that set of descriptors as it’s spot on, and the kind of place we love.
Where we stayed in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins
Our cabin was gorgeous, built recently by the owners, Jane and Renaud, who live adjacent in a larger one themselves. The cabin is immaculately put together and curated by the owners who have great interior taste and design skills. The furniture is for the most part reclaimed, so it is eclectic and interesting. It’s set back from the road on a side street with tall trees along the curb. It’s a beautiful cabin, not least because it is also dog-friendly. It’s also an eco cabin with a big focus on sustainability throughout.
Downstairs is open plan with a lounge space, dining area and kitchen. The kitchen wants for nothing, it had everything you could ever need! Hidden away under the stairs is a cloakroom loo as well as a washing machine. We loved the selection of games and puzzles. There are big French doors that open out to a small enclosed garden. Predominantly the garden is decked and there’s a sail type shade which looks nice and works well. There’s an outdoor dining table and chairs as well as a couple of beach chairs. Hidden away in the corner of the garden are a few surf boards which are a great thing to have when the sea is only a few minutes walk away!
Upstairs are two big and comfortable bedrooms with relaxing and luxurious interiors. The master has a big double and the second bedroom has a double bed as well as a single bed. In the landing space there’s a massive storage cupboard for your things. There’s a spacious bathroom with an excellent shower, it did get very warm as the window wasn’t one that opened. All the curtains are thick and keep the heat and the light out.
There isn’t air conditioning which was a challenge for us when temperatures peaked above 38… France has been unusually hot this summer too. However there is a hosepipe in the garden which kept us all cool and the garden had lovely shade. The lounge and bedrooms have enormous windows that open fully, so once it was evening the house cooled quickly. We did wish we had taken more fans with us, as there were none in the cabin.
We booked on Airbnb and the reviews speak for themselves.
Exploring Saint-Brevin-les-Pins
Out and about there’s a simple way of life to enjoy. If you don’t have bikes (the preferred mode of transport) then it is only a short walk to the Carrefour Market for food and wine, and there’s a bakery just near it for pastries as well as a few tourist shops too. There’s a great selection of places to eat in l’Ocean too, or drive up to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins for more choice. We had lunch in Madame Roulotte and were definitely the only English – the owner made a goat ‘maaaa’ at me to make sure I understood that I’d ordered goats cheese…
We walked through the pine forest and along the board walks up towards Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, the beach really is massive and apart from the odd beach bar it is relatively untouched. The beach in l’Ocean is restricted for dogs in the summer, but others weren’t. We were happy using the walk ways and forest – with the heat that was plenty for us. We found ourselves wanting to take part in the land yachting we saw each day, that tells you how big the beach is at low tide! We found a fab place on the waterfront for supper – Lili Beach Cafe – great menu, good vibe and sensibly priced.
The Serpent d’Ocean
Just to the north of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins there’s a unique sculpture to visit. We visited Serpent d’Ocean at sunset when the tide was out and it was quite an astounding piece of sculpture to find on the beach! I imagine it is spectacular as the tide starts to cover it too, I can imagine it attracting Loch Ness monster type attention!
Where else to visit in Loire-Atlantique
As a result of the heatwave when we visited, we took the opportunity to do very little apart from visit the beach to cool down and take short walks out for food. We took the surfboards on the short walk to the beach and Bertie played happily for hours in amongst the local and visiting French families. We walked for longer in a thunder and hail storm which was divine! Had the weather been more usual, then we would have visited a nearby vineyard, had a look around the pretty local town of Pornic and explored the submarine history in Saint-Nazaire.
Quick facts about Saint-Brevin-les-Pins
- Where is it? South of the Loire estuary, near to Saint-Nazaire
- What’s it like? Quiet, low rise Atlantic seaside town
- What’s its vibe? Old-school french holidaymaking rather than insta-ready
- Best for? Beach days, surfing, cycling, walking, families, dogs and a stop on a road-trip
Saint-Brevin-les-Pins is authentic seaside France, spacious and unhurried and firmly rooted in its landscape and elegant history rather than being a tourist hotspot. It’s always a risk to go off the beaten track, but this was a risk worth taking, a true hidden gem! We would definitely return and I can imagine a trip back to this relaxing bit of France, maybe even latched on to a visit to Puy du Fou which is firmly on the wish list!
