Attractions and Places To See around Vaux-Sur-Mer - Top 20

The carrelets are today part of the emblematic images of Royan and the Côte de Beauté. However, contrary to what the current landscape might suggest, the large pontoons with huts are relatively recent. A much older fishing The word carrelet originally designates the square net used for very simple fishing. Fishing with a carrelet has been attested in the region since at least the 18th century. At that time, these were not yet the elegant huts on stilts that we know today. The fisherman used a square frame with a net, which he lowered into the water and then quickly pulled up. This fishing was particularly practiced by women and could provide a dietary supplement. The turning point of 1900: the birth of the pontoons It was around 1900 that the carrelet began to change its nature. With the development of sea bathing and seaside tourism in Royan, fixed structures appeared on the quays, rocks, and cliffs. In Royan, they can be found in particular on the rocks of Pigeonnier and at Pontaillac. Initially, they were essentially simple masts equipped with a winch. The users were often merchants, liberal professions, retirees, or wealthy owners rather than professional fishermen. A particularly interesting old photograph shows the conche de Pontaillac in 1918, with fishing installations. The carrelets become leisure spots Between the two wars, and especially after 1945, the carrelets multiplied. The generalization of paid holidays, the increase in free time, and the development of popular holidays favored their transformation into real small holiday resorts. The installations gradually became more substantial: cliff → footbridge → pontoon → hut → mast and winch → square net Owners often built their own installations with wood or salvaged materials. In the 1950s, this practice experienced a real boom around Royan. Why are there so many carrelets around Royan? The relief of the Côte de Beauté is particularly well-suited for this. They can be found in particular: * in Royan, at the Pointe du Chay, at Pigeonnier and at Pontaillac; * in Vaux-sur-Mer, particularly towards the conche de Gilet; * in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, along the headlands of Terre-Nègre and Perrières, towards the Pont du Diable and the Concié; * in Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, particularly towards Suzac; * in Meschers-sur-Gironde, along the cliffs and coves. The carrelet is indeed identified today as a viewpoint in Royan. The 1999 storm: a catastrophe The carrelets are extremely vulnerable to storms. The storms of 1996 and especially 1999 destroyed a very large part of the installations in Charente-Maritime. On the coasts of Aunis and Saintonge, nearly 90% of the approximately 700 carrelets had been destroyed during the January 2000 storm. They were then gradually rebuilt, with the help of owners and public schemes. Today: a heritage of Royan The carrelet is therefore not just a fishing equipment. It has become an element of the maritime and landscape heritage of Royan. The Musée du patrimoine du Pays Royannais classifies it as 20th-century maritime heritage and points out that the current installations are essentially the result of the development of this practice in the 20th century. An interesting historical point: the carrelets that we spontaneously associate with Royan today are therefore mainly the result of the evolution of seaside tourism after 1900 and their extraordinary development after 1945, and not the intact survival of a very old tradition of fishing huts.

🏖️ 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.

The fishing huts are a popular photo opportunity here on the coast.

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.

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 classic to do at least once. Just avoid busy days during the peak tourist season.