Simply Contis.

This unique fine, sandy beach extends for miles and there’s room for everyone: sun-worshippers, sand-castle builders, walkers out for a long stroll along the water’s edge, surfers and lovers of other board activities, joggers, fishermen, etc.

Take off your shoes and time stops, you’re in the here and now, you can even just sit down and watch the waves. A picture postcard that you never get tired of, an invigorating dose of nature that fills you with energy.

A wooden viewpoint has just been built, offering an incredible view and ideal for admiring the sunsets.
And sometimes, to the north of the mouth of the Courant when the conditions are right, you’ll have the thrill of seeing the prow of a boat reappear that sank there 125 years ago.

Whatever has brought you to Contis, you’ll love its beach

Contis gets its unique character from the atmosphere created by the magical “Courant”, a river that forms a bay in the dune before it flows out into the Atlantic.

Its beach is an ideal size and looks like a theatre in which the show changes from one moment to the next.

You’ll feel privileged here, at a point where the river ends its journey, hemmed in by the dykes at its mouth, and meets the Ocean, which comes and goes with the tides.

You’re in a protected area, listening to the ever-present music of the Ocean, which you can reach via a short walk along the riverbank.
You’ll see a few small boats, some of them unusual, and you may be lucky enough to see one of them on its way out to sea.

It’s our emblem and is certainly on all the photos taken by the people who visit us.

Built in 1862 by decree of Napoleon III, its distinctive feature is that it was not erected in the sea but 500m from the beach in the middle of the forest. It is 39 m high and was lit for the first time on the night of 19 to 20 December 1863. Every night since then, the Contis sky has been illuminated by the signals sent out to see by its lighthouse, to a distance of approximately 42km.

It’s open to visitors in July and August and if, one day, you walk up its 183 steps, you’ll have a feeling of total freedom. Painted with a double black spiral, Contis lighthouse is one of only three “Barber’s Pole” category lighthouses in the world to have this motif, the other two being at Cape Hatteras in North Carolina and St Augustine in Florida.

When you climb up high, you can immediately see Contis for what it really is: a little corner of paradise between the Ocean and the forest, at the heart of Europe’s biggest forest area.

You can cycle along the Atlantic coast on the “Vélodyssée”, the longest cycle route in France which will eventually be connected up to the whole of Europe.

Join it near the lighthouse and head north or south along this magnificent new track. It’s so good that you feel like you’ve sprouted wings as soon as you start pedalling. It follows an ideal route, giving you the chance to observe the plant life that’s very particular to the seaside as well as the wildlife: it’s quite common to come across squirrels, does, fawns or roe deer.

The cycle tracks are so wide that it’s easy for cyclists to pass each other without getting in each other’s way; perhaps it’ll encourage some of the less sporty to take up walking or cycling.
To be enjoyed without moderation, and it’s free!!

Have a great ride!!