Things to Do

Royan's strongest sights are its post-war architecture, Atlantic beaches and the lighthouse trips out into the Gironde.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Cordouan Lighthouse

Cordouan Lighthouse stands on a rocky shoal at the mouth of the Gironde, about seven kilometres off the Charente-Maritime coast. UNESCO lists it for …

Sight
02

Notre-Dame de Royan

Notre-Dame de Royan is the town's great post-war statement: a vast reinforced-concrete church built between 1955 and 1958 after the old neo-Gothic church was …

Sight
03

Marché Central

Royan's central market is a shell of thin concrete, built in 1956 with a sweeping, pillar-free vault and skylight at the centre. It is …

Sight
04

Parc de l'estuaire

Parc de l'estuaire protects the coastal forest and cliff landscape around the Gironde estuary. Its small museum and guided trails explain the local ecosystem, …

Museum
05

Pontaillac Beach

Pontaillac is Royan's best-known surf and family beach, set below its residential quarter west of the centre. It has a more contained feel than …

Sight
06

Coubre lighthouse

Coubre lighthouse stands at the mouth of the Gironde estuary and is the highest lighthouse on the Charente coast. Climb more than 300 steps …

Sight
07

Grande-Conche Beach

Grande-Conche is Royan's main beach, a long crescent of fine sand running from the marina toward the tip of Vallières. Its sheltered shape gives …

Sight
08

Parc des Jardins du Monde

Parc des Jardins du Monde is a botanical park in Royan with themed gardens, water features, and a large greenhouse known for its orchid …
09

Église Saint-Pierre

Royan's oldest church, rebuilt and altered across centuries of damage and repair.

Sight
10

Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Anges

Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Anges is a Neo-Gothic church from 1891 that survived the Second World War bombing that reshaped much of Royan. The interior keeps a …

Sight
11

Chay Beach

Chay Beach is a small sandy cove tucked between low cliffs east of Pontaillac. It is more intimate than Royan's main beach, with fine …

Sight
12

Eglise Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption

Eglise Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is a 1950s church in Royan's post-war modernist orbit, designed by Jean Bauhain. Its tropical modernist influence shows in the ceramic tympanum …

Architecture
13

Temple Protestant

Royan's Protestant temple is one of the town's postwar modernist churches, built between 1953 and 1957 as Royan was being remade after heavy wartime …

Architecture
14

Grande roue de Royan

Seasonal port-side Ferris wheel with views over Royan and the Gironde

Sight
15

Parc-aventure Coolongalook

Parc-aventure Coolongalook is a family adventure park just outside Royan, with tree-climbing courses, nature trails, and outdoor activities for children. It is best treated …