The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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AUTUMN 2024

  • Text
  • Free magazine
  • Paris
  • France
  • Brittany
  • Lyon
  • Bordeaux
  • Photography
  • Travel
  • Recipes
Packed with brilliant guides, features and stunning photos, mouth-watering recipes from top chefs, culture, history and much much more. Discover Paris & its hidden gems and dodge-the-drizzle treats, beautiful Bordeaux and it's secret seaside sensation, Cap d'Agde, Corsica and the off-the-beaten track Cele Valley in the Lot, Narbonne, Lyon & Languedoc and many more fabulous French gems.

of seawater

of seawater (thalassotherapy). As well as a 30°C saltwater pool, bubble jets, steam room and two saunas, this particular spa offers an aromatherapy shower, sea view gym and a sunroom with outdoor decking where you can unwind watching the ocean. Guests at the Hotel Kastel next door enjoy free access to the pool, but the experience is even better if you treat yourself to some of the spa treatments: an almond-oil Breizhfornien massage, a facial, seaweed wrap or a Watsu seawater shiatsu massage. If you’re staying elsewhere, booking a thalassotherapy treatment also grants you access to the spa centre, so you’re almost obliged to make the most of all the facilities and truly unwind! Great for families This resort is equally fabulous if you’re bringing youngsters. Firstly, the promenade is wide and level, with a flat surface that’s great for pushchairs and strollers, so you can easily walk for an hour along the seafront. The main beach, Plage du Trez, is a long stretch of golden sand with the advantage of being mostly sheltered from the breeze. The beach itself leads gradually into the water, so even toddlers can make the most of gently lapping waves while they paddle. There are other beaches, too, including the smaller cove of Saint-Gilles and Le Letty further east, where the sandbank protects the beach from the ocean, forming a lagoon-like area. Plague du Coq Should the weather prove less than ideal, you have an ace up your sleeve thanks to the cinema that is right in the centre of town, on the seafront. Cinémarine has two cinema rooms with a total of 420 seats, and shows the latest releases as well as themed screenings throughout the year. That’s a great option for a night out or an alternative to the beach on a drizzly day! Walking, cycling and exploring The GR ® 34 (grandes randonnées: France’s network of walks, created in 1971) is also known as the Customs Officers’ Trail, as it was once patrolled by officers looking for smugglers coming in along the shore. This fantastic, freeaccess coastal path follows the entire coast of Brittany for over 2,000km offering some of the © A Lamoureux Bénodet tourisme © A Lamoureux Bénodet tourisme most breath-taking views you could wish for, and the section either side of Bénodet is one of the most photogenic. If you walk along the seafront promenade west towards the old port and continue to follow the coast, you can walk up to the iconic Cornouaille Bridge that spans the River Odet. From this height of 70 metres, you are rewarded with unbeatable views of the marina, the town below and the surrounding woodlands. Cross the bridge and follow the path down to the charming harbour of Sainte- Marine, which faces Bénodet. You can stop for refreshment here before heading back or, from April to late September, you can catch Le Letty Cornouaille Bridge © A Lamoureux Bénodet Tourisme the water taxi known as Le P’tit Bac that will take you back to Bénodet. Walkers and hikers are spoilt for choice when it comes to trails around Bénodet, and you can find out more information from the Tourist Office or the Breton Riviera website. Out on the water Bénodet sits where the River Odet meets the ocean, and indeed its name comes from the Breton for ‘head of the Odet’. One of France’s most beautiful rivers, the Odet leads north to the cathedral city of Quimper, a route that 38 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 39