The French Atlantic Ports represent twelve destinations located on France’s North and Western coastline: Rouen, Honfleur, Caen-Ouistreham, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Saint-Malo, Brest, Lorient, Nantes Saint-Nazaire, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Bayonne.
Together, they welcomed over 400 call and north of 662,000 guests in 2018, and are looking at robust 2019 schedule, with 109 different ships and 42 different cruise lines planning to make stops, ranging from the small Sea Cloud 2 to the iconic Queen Mary 2, and brand new MSC Grandiosa later this year.
Each region of the French Atlantic Ports offers a wide range of excursions, experiences and unique UNESCO sites to visit, the group, said, in a statement. Themes to explore are as diverse as culture, World Heritage, nature, history, shopping, traditions, gastronomy, events and leisure.
Destinations range from Le Havre (Normandy), the gateway to Paris, to the Brittany Islands, which will see Saint Mal invest in a new pedestrian bridge for better terminal access by the end of 2019.
The Loire valley offers up the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site register in France, while the Southwest Region shows off architecture from the 18th century, castles, or half-timbered houses and narrow streets, as well as gastronomy and vineyards. A new terminal Pauillac (one hour from Bordeaux) for large cruise ships is under construction.
