Did you know, La Baule, which is but a brief 45-minute flight from Paris, is where French high society has its seaside residences? Its beach is by far one of the dreamiest in Europe. And yet, although it’s straight up lunacy, La Baule still remains relatively unknown outside of France, and surprisingly disregarded as one of the sweetest destinations to visit.

Its beach is only one among a slew of reasons to discover La Baule. The resort is a rich mix of villas, luxury hotels and romantic beaches, and only a fingersnap away from the enchanting historical village of Nantes, a heavenly frontier of modern art and gastronomy.

For our honeymoon, my husband and I stayed at Relais Chateau Castel Marie-Louise, an elegant, intimate, idyllic manor on the Cote d’Amour. Yes, we were automatically in a post-wedding trance, but regardless, there was no other way to feel in this bubble of mystique. The hotel, the beach, the dining… everything was romance, minus the Maldives ennui. We could walk on the beach, or go bike-riding, horseback-riding, or simply love-riding. There was golf, tennis, and secret ambrosial corners in the gardens to incentivize stolen honeyed kisses. And with its Michelin-rated restaurant keeping our heads higher in the clouds, we could just have easily stayed put.

OH, BUT WE DIDN’T

There was more to our honeymoon of honeymoons. Not far from our hotel was the Domaine de la Bretesche, a 15th-century château in the heart of a magical park packed with ancient, sky-scraping trees. The magic carried on, when we made our way over to an ultimate Gastronaut’s lunch at Le Montaigu, where every detail was curated and inventive. From its iconic bar, a former stable block which still preserves its ancient marble feed and water troughs, we then floated over to the Cour Carrée Spa. And like two mischievous sprites in fantasyland, we baptized our overindulged selves in their indoor pool, bought more perfume bottles than we needed and lost ourselves altogether in facials and massage.

Oh but I dare not leave out the 18-hole golf course that granted us magnificent views overlooking a castle too beautiful for words. We were quite certain it couldn’t get more breathtaking than that.

OH, BUT IT COULD

La Baule is a major attraction for elite equestrianism as well. Here, horse lovers experience the thrill of racing along the beach and the exhilaration of watching a polo match at Jumping in La Baule. This is also where Guérande salt is harvested. So for those of us who are both horse-lovers and salt-snobs, the prestigious ‘Brittany Polo Club’ is located smack in the middle of the salt marshes of Guérande. A Guérande salt-rimmed margarita as we watched the race was a nice touch to close our daydream with a grand finale.

OH, BUT THERE IS MORE. But I’m already lost in my thoughts of that margarita…