From the Beach to Seawater Therapy

Before Boulevard Chanard was built, the spot where you’re standing was little more than a wild stretch of shoreline. The new boulevard changed all that, helping transform the waterfront into a showcase for Quiberon’s fashionable seaside scene. First proposed in 1884 and inaugurated around the turn of the 20th century, the promenade was created to attract wealthy vacationers and give them a resort worthy of their expectations.

Take a look at the villas lining the promenade. Here, you can forget Breton restraint. For half a century, architects seemed to compete to see who could create the most spectacular facade.

These theatrical homes were meant to put their owners’ social status on full display. And with 900 meters (about 2,950 feet) of fine sand facing due south, the Grande Plage gave vacationers exactly the kind of beach they had come looking for. But Quiberon’s fascination with the benefits of the sea didn’t stop at swimming.

In 1964, the resort entered a new era with the development of modern seawater therapy, known as thalassotherapy, thanks to cycling champion Louison Bobet. After a serious road accident, the three-time winner of the Tour de France discovered the therapeutic benefits of seawater while undergoing rehabilitation. Impressed by what he experienced—and by Quiberon itself—Bobet joined forces with the town’s mayor to establish one of France’s first major seawater wellness centers.

His reinvention didn’t end there. The former cycling champion even piloted the air taxi himself, flying celebrities from Paris to Quiberon. Not a bad second act for a Tour de France legend.