La Mine d'Or beach
It is located in the department of Morbihan in the immediate vicinity of the southern border of Bretagne. There is a resort village of Penestina in the vicinity of the beach, famous not only for its scenic golden cliffs surrounding the village from the sea, but also for its unique mine, where gold mining was active in the XIX century.
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Beach description
The two-kilometer long beachline is covered with sand mixed with fine pebbles and surrounded by ochre-colored clay cliffs on the land side. At low tide, the beach becomes wide and comfortable, and there is plenty of room for everyone. But during the tides vacationers are forced to stay close to the rocks, and this is quite dangerous due to the threat of rockfalls or the collapse of the soil. To control the safety of tourists on the beach, three rescue stations have been set up, which carefully monitor the situation until sunset.
Otherwise, the beach is ideal for a quiet and peaceful vacation, not spoiled by the benefits of civilization. There no sunbeds, umbrellas and beach cabins here, but the toilets is near the parking lots. On the southern side, a fresh stream from under the cliffs beats, which can be used as a shower and a source of drinking water.
The sea is warm and shallow, a little muddy due to the clay particles in the sand. The sea bottom and its inhabitants are exposed during the tides: crabs, oysters, starfish and treacherous sea urchins hiding between rocks. Therefore, it is better to collect seafood in special shoes, not forgetting to watch carefully the special flags on the rescue stations, warning about the beginning of the tide.
But the main feature of these places are ideal conditions for paragliding due to the low accessible cliffs, which are convenient to start even for beginers. In addition, the winds are blowing in a suitable direction, which allows athlets to move along the coast and do not take them far into the open sea.
When is the best time to go?
It is possible to relax in France at any time of the year, the time of the trip depends more on your preferences. Summer - a great time to travel to the sea. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, even on the southern French Riviera is not hot weather. In winter , people go to ski resorts in France. It should be be mindful that in summer and winter in France there is a high season, respectively, prices soar. To enjoy the excursions, choose the time from February to April or from September to November, when both in the north and in the south it is not very crowded. If you go to the French Riviera in September, you will never lose: You will find a time when the weather is still warm and the prices are not so high.
Video: Beach La Mine d'Or
Infrastructure
A paved road leads from the village to the beach, which is supported by a small parking. There also cafes and diners close to the beach. Further on, in the clay cliffs an improvised passageway is cut down, through which a white dirt track leads to the shore. It ends with a small observation deck protected by huge boulders from the sea side.
All the main infrastructure is concentrated above the beach, away from the cliffs. There are cafes, restaurants, sports equipment and bicycle rentals, paragliding centers and even a horse-racing club. Due to the peculiarities of the landscape it is prohibited to build high-rise housing on the edge of the slope, so the hotels are not located on the first line. The nearest hotel to the beach is Hotel L'Ancre d'or located a hundred meters from the entrance to Plage de la Mine d'Or and is a small two-storey building with a specious terrace surrounded by luxurious flowering hydrangeas. Coy and comfortable rooms are equipped with spacious balconies overlooking the sea, and as a pleasant bonus the host entertains guests in the evenings with songs of his own performance. There is a great restaurant next to the hotel, breakfast is included in the price.
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Tourists resting in Penestin should definitely visit the unique surroundings of this village. This can be done by yourself, but it is better to book one of the numerous travel agencies of Entre mer et Vilaine - a seven-kilometer walk along the coast with a professional guide. He will walk through the most picturesque places, show the abandone gold mine and other local attraction. The group will then stop at the scenic estuary where the fresh water of the Vilein River is mixed with the salt sea water. There you can observe the rare birds nesting in these places, as well as taste the famous local oysters, which are grown here on the sea farms. And by the evening, tourists will have an unforgettable experience – the orange mountains in the sunset turn into fantastic gold bars, which spread their magical shine over many kilometers. It is worth noting that it is an exclusively hiking trip, for cycling enthusiasts there is another route – Vélocéan, which can also be purchased in any tour operator.
Another interesting excursion is a boat trip to the mussel and oyster farms with free champagne and dinner cooked of freshly picked shellfish. And, of course, all the vacationers in Penestine need at least once to make a paragliding flight under the professional supervision of experienced instructors of the center "Golden Wings".