Although I live 30 minutes from the Mediterranean coast I actually prefer the Atlantic. It might not be as warm but what it lacks in climate it makes up for in views, diversity and the sea pounding against the rocks. There is a tide, so every day the beaches are uncovered and then renewed. In contrast, the Med can be as dull as a large millpond.
For the British househunter there are many advantages. Parts of the Atlantic are reminiscent of England, a bit like Cornwall with good food (pastries rather than pasties). Unlike Cornwall (or Cannes, for that matter) you will probably not be stuck for hours in a traffic jam trying to get to the beach.
The Atlantic coast has escaped many of the horrors inflicted on the Med; the housing estates are limited and actually not bad, as the quality of products used is higher. They don’t seem to build everything with breeze blocks, as they do down my way near Montpellier.
Unlike stretches between Nice and Cannes, which have been turned into industrial zones, up north you can still drive for hours through unspoilt countryside. And if it’s the jet-set you’re looking for, you can head to the islands off the coast, like the Ile de Ré or the Ile de Noirmoutier in the Vendée.
Property prices are considerably cheaper than those in the south, with the notable exception of the Ile de Ré and parts of Biarritz, a magnificent town reminiscent of a grander version of Brighton in the 19th century, with glorious buildings and grand walkways. Sit in one of the bars along its seafront and watch the waves from the Atlantic crash onto the beach.
According to the Fédération Nationale de l’Immobilier (National Federation of Estate Agents), the average price per square metre for a flat in St Malo, for example, is €2,927 (£2,000), compared to £2,850 in Cannes. A house there would cost about £1,690 per square metre; the equivalent in St Raphael on the Côte d’Azur would go for £2,730.
David Frere-Smith, managing director of www.frenchpropertylinks.com, which has more than 9,000 properties for sale in France, ranging in price from just £4,000 to £17m, says the Atlantic coast continues to fetch a premium compared with areas inland.
“Clearly prices haven’t been rising as fast in 2006 as they did in recent years,” says Frere-Smith. “But properties are not hanging around. Don’t forget, on the Atlantic coast you not only have the Brits buying but also the Parisians looking for second homes. In line with most areas of France, prices look set to end 2006 about 5%-10% higher. Not a bad result, but not the annual 15%-25% that we’ve got used to.”
One huge advantage of the Atlantic coastline for the British homebuyer is accessibility. You can easily drive to many spots there in a day. You can fly as well — or sail there in your Swan yacht. The budget airlines fly from Britain to La Rochelle, Nantes, Bordeaux, Brest, Rennes, Cherbourg and Biarritz.
I met a couple who were holidaying on the coast who told me it takes them less time to get to La Rochelle from their home in London than it does to reach their country cottage in Norfolk. The TGV network serves the coast very well, with lines into many of the big towns. A new route is scheduled to open in December 2008 to Sables d’Olonne, so prices around there are likely to rise.
Parts of La Rochelle are distinctly lacking in charm, but the old port with its medieval twin towers and moored yachts is a heavenly place to stroll around or stop for a coffee. Although British buyers have traditionally headed for the surrounding countryside, agents report increasing interest in recent years in properties in town.
“The market in La Rochelle has really taken off since Ryanair started flying there and we are seeing much more interest from Brits than we did a few years ago,” says Langton Highton of the Agence des Iles agency (www.agencedesilesatlantique.com).
Whether you end up in Biarritz or Boulogne, there is much to see and do on France’s Atlantic coast. Bear in mind, though, that between October and May it doesn’t only look like Cornwall, but the weather can be just as bad. Which is partly why I chose to live near the Mediterranean. Here is a choice of five the less well known spots to get you started.
Arcachon
If you like sandy beaches, this is the place for you — it has the highest sand dune in Europe, the Dune du Pyla. On a windy day as you clamber up to the top you can feel like an extra in Lawrence of Arabia. The view from the peak is breathtaking. Some property in Arcachon is marginally less expensive than it is in Biarritz — possibly because you don’t have designer shops or the crashing waves of the Atlantic, as it is set on an oyster-shaped bay. But it has plenty to recommend it: a beach in the middle of town, two piers and plenty of good restaurants. Villas in and around the town start at £310,000 for 100sq m of living space, with little or no garden. For a large house with a sea view, you’ll have to pay at least £685,000.
According to Caroline Berg at CBI Immobilier, prices have been rising steadily for the past six years and will continue to do so. “People are prepared to pay almost anything for the right property,” she says. There is increasing interest from British buyers in this coastline. “They used to buy old farms inland, but now they’re beginning to come to the coast.”
Some people will suggest you head for Soorts-Hossegor, down the coast towards Biarritz, for the great outdoors. Don’t. It is an ugly little place with a beach surrounded by housing estates. The surf may be great, but for most people, that’s not enough. Although I guess that if you spend most of the day with your head underwater, it’s immaterial what your surroundings look like.
Noirmoutier
Between the city of La Rochelle and the island of Noirmoutier, there isn’t much to recommend. The most famous place is Les Sables d’Olonne, but sadly this is now just an example of how a coastal town can be wrecked. The main square is lovely, but the seafront is now so full of modern horrors that it’s hard to see beyond them and enjoy the splendid beach. It is twinned with Worthing, and I think I’d rather go there.
Luckily for the inhabitants of Noirmoutier, stricter building regulations have been put in place there. The island is idyllic; there is no other word for it. There are two styles of classic Noirmoutier house: whitewashed with a pink tiled roof, reminiscent of properties in Greece, and old stone, built in the 19th or 20th centuries. Land will cost you about £100 per sq m and an old stone house anywhere near Le Bois de la Chaize, the most chic spot on the island, will start at about £1m.
Brits are a rarity. “I’ve hardly ever seen an English person on the island,” says Alexandra Mas, whose family has owned a house on the island for 40 years. When her grandparents bought it, you could only get to the island by driving there during low tide. Now there is a bridge. The closest airport is Nantes.
Ploumanac’h
This is just what you expect from the pink granite coast in Brittany: wild flowers, wild sea, rocky outposts and dramatic landscape. Ploumanac’h is as good as it gets. Access is easiest by helicopter, but failing that, you can get the boat from Plymouth to nearby Roscoff. Airports within driving distance include Rennes and Brest. “Prices in Brittany have risen by 30% over the last three years,” says Chris Slade, of agency A House in Brittany. “Far fewer people are now expecting to find something for €25,000 (£18,000).” Just as well. In Ploumanac’h there is nothing you could expect to live in for less than £68,000. The website www.immofrance.com has a four-bedroom property for sale without a sea view for £320,640.
Cancale
One of the most charming drives in France is the back road that runs from St Malo to Cancale. There is a view of the sea almost all the way, as well as sweeping green fields, forests and sandy dunes. Cancale is a lively seaport, famous in France for its oysters. This is the place to come if you like seafood.
The demand for property here is more from the locals, so it has an authentic feel to it. Prices are about 20% less than in neighbouring St Malo. “An apartment with a sea view will cost you about €4,500 (£3,000) per sq m,” says Benoit Jacquet, from Blot Immobilier in Cancale. “A small house in the centre of town without a sea view starts at €200,000 (£135,000). But there is much less interest here from Brits than in St Malo or Dinard.”
Montmartin-sur-Mer
The Normandy coastline stretches eastwards for 375 miles from Mont-Saint-Michel to the resort of Le Tréport. The first gem along this stretch of France is Montmartin-sur-Mer, a protected town that has yet to be discovered by the masses, even in summer. The houses are made from local Normandy stone and prices are reasonable. The Cabinet Folliot estate agency recently sold a large farmhouse for £340,000.
“It’s a lovely spot and totally unspoilt,” says Sue Young, who runs www.yournormandyhome.com. “This is a place for people who appreciate the natural beauty of Normandy and who also like somewhere that is family-oriented. The beaches are very safe.”
Access to Montmartin is via boat, train or plane. Cherbourg is a short drive away, as are Coutances and Granville, where you can catch a train. The closest big airport is at Rennes.
On the market
Set in acre near La Rochelle, this late 18th-century house has nine bedrooms, five reception rooms, a large garage and a swimming pool. It is on sale for £1.3m with Latitudes, 020 8951 5155, www.latitudes.co.uk
This five-bed maison-de-maître, 500m from the nearest sandy beach near Pornic, has a two-bed cottage. It is for sale for £765,000 with Francophiles, 01622 688 165, www.francophiles.co.uk
In Pire-sur-Seiche, this renovated 18th-century mill has a swimming pool and outbuildings to renovate. It is for sale for £398,000 with Agence Initia Arvor, 00 33 299 713 530, www.fnaim.fr
Near Plouguerneau on the north side of the Brest peninsula, this three-bed cottage has been recently renovated. It is on sale for £150,000 with A House in Brittany, 01903 202 272, www.ahouseinbrittany.com
