Attractions and Places To See around Saint-Palais-Sur-Mer - Top 20

🏖️ General Overview Chay Beach is a family-friendly, fine sandy beach located in Royan (Charente-Maritime), on the Côte d’Argent promenade between Pigeonnier Beach and Pointe du Chay. It stretches for approximately 200 meters and boasts a pleasant natural setting, with a cove bordered by rocks typical of the Charente coastline. 🏝️ Features • 🌊 Beach type: fine sand, sheltered cove. • 🏄‍♂️ Atmosphere: relatively calm and family-friendly, ideal for children and vacationers seeking relaxation away from the large urban beaches. • 🐾 Pets: prohibited from April 1st to September 30th. • 🫧 Water quality: excellent (Blue Flag label awarded for 2025). 🧭 Lifeguard and Safety • Swimming is supervised during the season (June to early September), with areas marked by red and yellow flags. • The area is classified as a Category 3 "Supervised Beach" and lifeguards are present during the indicated hours. 🪑 Amenities On-site, you can find: • 🏖️ Sun loungers, parasols, and mattresses for rent. • 🚿 Foot rinse and public restrooms. • 📶 Wi-Fi access, first aid station, and an area accessible to people with reduced mobility (assistance may be required depending on the slope). • 🍴 Beachfront restaurant ("Le Chay" bar-restaurant with sea views). 🚶‍♂️ Atmosphere and Activities • 🎈 Ideal for families and leisurely strolls. • 🌞 People come here for swimming, playing on the sand, flying kites, or simply relaxing by the ocean. • 🅿️ Parking is available nearby, and the beach is easily accessible on foot or by bike from Royan town center in just a few minutes. 🧭 Practical Tips • 📆 Best time to visit: summer for supervised swimming and full services, but also during the off-season for a more peaceful atmosphere. • ☀️ Arriving early in the morning makes parking easier during peak season. • 🐶 Dogs are not allowed during the summer season; check the signs on site during the off-season.

The Chay de Royan beach is a continuation of the Pigeonnier cove on the Côte d'Argent promenade and offers a larger area than the latter. This sandy beach is family-friendly with a restaurant on the beach. It is supervised during the summer season (mid-June to early September) and you can rent mattresses and cabins. The environment of this beach is very pleasant, there are fewer houses than on the other beaches in Royan. A large car park is available near this beach (left side). Access is possible for people with reduced mobility via an inclined plane with assistance (the slope is steep). Dogs are prohibited from April 1st to October 31st.

Chay Beach is a sandy beach that offers a breathtaking view of the Cordouan lighthouse. It is surrounded by rocky cliffs and, as such, is sheltered from the wind and is a pleasant place to do your hike.

Nice view of the lighthouse. More information: https://www.royanatlantique.fr/en/visites-excursions/phare-de-vallieres-saint-georges-de-didonne/

It is the northernmost point of the Médoc. You can't go any further, except by swimming.

2 detachments of the 44th division of the Heer (land army) of the Wehrmacht arrived in Royan and its region on 06/23/1940. Their mission is to control the Gironde estuary which controls access to the port of Bordeaux. In December 1941, the Pio.Btl.327 of Oberstleutnant HUMBERT took part in the first work to build support points (the famous "Atlantic Wall") with the Fest.Pio.stab.28 of the Oberst SCHULTZ based in Royan and the Oberbauleitung PAULA of the Organization Todt. The work took on more scope from October 1942 thanks to the Todt Organization, and was supervised by the Pionere Führer of the AOK 7 (7th Army), Generalmajor Otto SCHAUM. In Charente Maritime, all the works will require the implementation of more than 4 million m3 of concrete. The TODT organization had a standardized fortification program "REGELBAUTEN" already used for the construction of the Siegfrid line. The Atlantic Wall required 300,000 French workers and nearly 3,000 companies. The Chay, Suzac and Coubre batteries were installed in March 1942. Southern limit of the "Festungen Gironde Nord", the Suzac B1 battery, which became S 30 HKAA 5/746 Köln, was equipped, in 1944, with 5 series firing pieces composed of 4 tubes of 76.2 GK 307 (r) horse-drawn installed under casemates at 120° firing H669 and four 105 K 331 Schneider cannons sheltered under structures at 60° firing H671, controlled from a post of fire direction PDT H636a., armament supplemented by support weapons of lower caliber (50 mm mortar, 20 machine gun, DCA) installed on platform, in tank or in tobruk, and by a concrete shelter for H128 personnel and an H134 block. A minefield protects access to the battery and concrete obstacles deter any attempt to land on the beaches. The Suzac battery, then the southern limit of La Poche de Royan, hit by bombing during Operation "Vénérable" on April 14 and 15, 1945, was largely destroyed by Allied aviation supported by "Lorraine" and the "Duquesne", two old ships built in 1913 and 1928 respectively. There remain on the ground 5 bunkers (in English) or blockhouses in German) under the command of a firing post (CP) and the ruins of a shelter buried under ivy. 2 other shelters are embedded in buildings where they serve as cellars. Finally a last bunker is exploded.

The port of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne is located in the northern part of the town, at the bottom of a small natural cove south of the tip of Vallières materialized by the dyke and the rocky bank of La Béchade. With 74 rings, it cannot accommodate vessels over seven meters. Boats can access it between three hours before high tide and three hours after high tide. The port is dominated by the silhouette of the Vallières lighthouse, which secures its entrance and which is just opposite that of Verdon-sur-Mer, on the Pointe de la Grave, on the other side of the estuary. Its construction spanned from 1898 to 1902. It is distinguished by its square tower shape in limestone, with a granite base, . It has 144 steps and is 36 meters high, dominated by a copper cupola. It is made up of 4 floors – 29 meters in all, on which a 7-meter lantern is placed. Before him, an 8-meter beacon tower had been built in 1860 to guide ships to the port. Its height proved to be too low to be sufficient to secure navigation in the estuary. The lighthouse was built near this first building, of which nothing remains because it was destroyed during the Second World War. The lighthouse was also damaged during the liberation of Royan (there are traces of shells on the walls of the lighthouse) but it was restored after the war. Its electrification dates from 1947. In 1969, its usefulness was called into question by changes in the rules of navigation on the estuary. It is then decommissioned. Listed as historical monuments since 2012 The visit of the Vallières lighthouse, in the town of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, is possible every day from mid-June to mid-September, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. then from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A climb of more than 140 steps promises you a breathtaking view of the magnificent Gironde estuary. At the reception desk, a drawing competition is organized every year. The children's works are exhibited throughout the season in a room in the lighthouse. After the visit, it is possible to stroll in the gardens of the estuary and enjoy the exceptional wild setting of the cliff of Vallières

Grande Conche Beach (or Saint Georges de Didonne Beach) is set between two limestone cliffs: to the north, on the Royan side, by the Vallières cliff and to the south, towards Meschers, by the Suzac cliff. Long of more than 2 km, the beach of Saint-Georges is very arranged in its part close to the city center and more natural, wild towards the point of Suzac. On this immense expanse of fine sand, swimming is supervised in summer (several lifeguard stations). Many activities and services are offered: kindergarten, beach club, swimming school, beach volleyball, nautical base, rental of tents and parasols, restaurants. Outside the summer period, sand yachting sessions take place on the Grande Conche beach under the aegis of the St Georges de Didonne sailing club.