A walk along the promenade of Le Croisic’s harbour is enough reason to visit this charming town in the Loire-Atlantique region, just south of Brittany. Still an active fishing port, there are many cafes and restaurants in beautiful half-timbered buildings on the harbour-front serving up fresh fish and shellfish. Le Croissic itself is the place to buy cockles, as fresh can be. There’s even a dedicated Route des Coquillages – a shellfish trail - to take. Walking around the town is a simple pleasure, but there’s a lot more to do. You can feed penguins and look at shark, seahorses and stingrays at the Ocearium, with its exciting underwater tunnel, and visit the Espace Escargot – a snail farm where you can learn about the slippery creatures and then taste them. Then, cool off at one of the beaches surrounding the peninsula. Plage de Port Lin and the Baie de sable Menu are the most popular with families.