The secret is out – welcome to Pornichet!
Pornichet is a vibrant French beach town only three hours from Paris by TGV with its city center and expansive beach walking distance from the train station.
Come walk along the coastline where you will find kilometers of fine sand beach offering water sports and activities but also rocky cliffs and quiet sandy dunes and a one-kilometer long boardwalk nestled between the ocean and the colorful Pornichet villas. The beautiful sunsets, calming ocean waves, fresh seafood, and active city center will win you over after one visit.
Pornichet may be a fabulous beach retreat but do not worry, it does not close its colorful shutters up in the winter months. More than half of its homes are permanent residences largely due to its TGV station, its proximity to Nantes and Saint Nazaire. Its covered market is open six days a week (every day during the summer months). There are several bakeries, restaurants and professional services serving the approximately 10,000 Pornichétins, as well as 23 kms of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.
There are many architecturally interesting and charming homes in Pornichet due to its long history. Before the train from Paris was finished in the mid 1800’s, Pornichet was ‘Port – Nichée (or nestled port) in the shadow of Saint Nazaire, with only a small population of fishermen and salt producers. Near the coast, you will find many fishermen cottages, small white houses with tall hedges, colorful shutters and quiet impasses.
With the arrival of the train, came the Paris celebrities and their desire to build impressive stone villas and small chateaux. You will find the architecture of the hundreds of Pornichet villas located near the city center, near the central beach and in the Sainte Marguerite neighborhood to be different every time but with a few things in common – sparkling stone walls, colorful wood arches and shutters, beautiful flower-filled gardens and personalized names such as Eden Park, Sweet Home, La Bohême, and Chalet des Roses. Leggett Immobilier has on offer one of these villas, Bethléem, a former Presbytery built in 1882.
The tree-lined streets of the Oceanside neighborhood of Sainte-Marguerite were designed by French and English entrepreneurs with the desire to keep the area natural. This area has many quiet neighborhoods and its own beach with seafront restaurant. Leggett Immobilier has on offer a modern home on a tree-lined street in Sainte-Marguerite with enclosed garden, sans vis à vis and walking distance to the bakery and grocery store.
If the city life is not for you – ne vous inquietez pas! Pornichet offers many neighborhoods served by bus only a couple kilometers away from the action offering large modern homes with swimming pools, expansive gardens and peaceful evenings in the countryside. Leggett Immobilier has on offer a gorgeous modern home with impeccable gardens and swimming pool that is not to be missed.
Whether you want to enjoy dinner listening to the waves at a beachfront restaurant, dance the night away at one of the many summer events, or sail your boat out of the harbor into the blue horizon, Pornichet has something for everyone. Come to the beach! I’ll pick you up from the train station! A bientôt!
– Tricia Sarrazin, your local agent in Pornichet