Pornichet


Pornichet is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.

Geography

Location

Pornichet is a coastal town of the Côte d'Amour, located tens of kilometers west of Saint-Nazaire.
The adjacent towns are Saint-Nazaire and La Baule-Escoublac.

Physical geography

The town of Pornichet is located
The lowest altitude is of 4 m at the racetrack. The dune behind the beach of the Libraires reaches 9 m. The cliffs of Bonne Source and Sainte-Marguerite can reach 12 m. Going inland, altitudes progressively increase up to 44 m. The highest point is located in the hamlet called Ville ès Blais.

Shore and beaches

Pornichet has three beaches: in the West, the Beach of the Libraires, of 2 km length, is part of the Bay of Pouliguen, shared with La Baule; the border is marked by the Mazy creek. In the East, between the Pointe du Bec and the Pointe de la Lande, are located the beaches of Bonne-Source and Sainte-Marguerite, separated by a rocky head called the Pointe de Congrigoux.

Toponymy

The name of Pornichet comes from Port Niché, which could be translated by Port in a nivek. The town is named following its principal characteristic of a port located in an alcove along a salt-work channel, which was connecting the salt-works and the bay.

History

Until the town was created in 1900, Pornichet was a hamlet of Saint-Nazaire.

Sister cities