Côte d'Amour, northwestern Atlantic coast of Pays de la Loire, France

Côte d'Amour is a named stretch of Atlantic coast in Loire-Atlantique running from the Traict de Pen Bé to the Loire estuary at Saint-Nazaire. Its central feature is the beach of La Baule, which forms the floor of the Baie du Pouliguen and spans Pornichet, La Baule-Escoublac and Le Pouliguen. West of the Pointe de Penchâteau, the shore becomes the rocky Côte Sauvage toward Le Croisic.

Until the 19th century the shore held two fishing ports, Pornichet and Le Pouliguen, separated by a sandbank called La Bôle; salt extraction and seaweed collecting declined around the 18th century. The railway from Saint-Nazaire reached Pornichet in 1879, built by engineer Antoine de la Perrière, and architect Georges Lafont laid out La Bôle, renamed La Baule-Escoublac in 1887. In 1911 the weekly La Mouette asked readers to name the coast; the poll result appeared on 5 July 1913, with côte d'Amour winning 361 votes against côte de Saphir's 163.

The name comes from a readers' poll run by the La Baule weekly La Mouette in 1911; the result appeared on 5 July 1913, with Côte d'Amour taking 361 votes against 163 for Côte de Saphir. It only began appearing on postcards in 1918, and its success stayed mixed because the boundaries were vague and residents found it hard to adopt. Each local community holds a weekly market, and Le Pouliguen's July festival draws more than 300 musicians and performers.

The best time to visit is from May through September when the weather is mild and beach promenades are active. The various towns are easily accessible by bus or car and suit both day trips and longer stays.

The name was chosen by readers of the La Baule weekly La Mouette in a 1911 poll; the result appeared on 5 July 1913, with côte d'Amour taking 361 votes against 163 for côte de Saphir. The label only began appearing on postcards in 1918, and it spread slowly because its boundaries were vague.