Fort National

What it is

The Fort National is the granite bastion that rises on an islet facing the Grande Plage, about 300 metres from the rampart. Vauban built it in 1689 to defend the entrance to the privateers' port, and it has been a listed historic monument since 1906. It is privately owned: it is run by the company that has been restoring it since 2000 with help from the State, the département and the region.

You can only reach it on foot at low tide, across the sand. At high tide it is cut off, which is why it opens at different hours each day.

What you see

All visits are guided. The guide meets you at the top of the drawbridge and the visit lasts about 35 minutes. It covers the two enclosures and the underground passages: the great cistern, the dungeon that also served as a powder store, and the stories of the fort, from sea attacks and the duels of the privateer Robert Surcouf to Chateaubriand's memories and the tragic days of the Second World War. The explanation is in French; they give you the text in Spanish, English, German, Dutch and Italian.

From the top you have an open view of the bay and of intra-muros, with the whole rampart in front of you. It is a good place for sunset if the tide allows.

When it opens

It opens in the French school holidays at Easter and All Saints, on the long weekends in May (1 May, 8 May, Ascension and Pentecost) and every day from 1 June to 30 September. The hours depend on the tide and change each day: the fort publishes them in the calendar on its website. In 2026 it reopened on 1 June.

The signal is simple: when the French flag flies on the mast crowning the fort, it is open.

Prices

• Adults: €5.
• Children aged 6 to 16: €3.
• Under-6s: free.
• Groups of 10 or more: €4 per person.

There is a discount for students, large families and jobseekers, with proof. Tickets are sold at the fort's gate and only in cash or by cheque: the fort has no electricity and does not accept cards.

Getting there

Access is via the Grande Plage, also called the plage de l'Éventail, in front of the castle. You go down to the sand by the Porte Saint-Thomas or from the Galère car park and cross about 300 metres of beach. Check the tide table first: the way opens at low tide and closes when the water rises.

For parking, the convenient option is the Paul Féval park and ride and the bus to intra-muros; inside the wall there is little room and it is expensive. From the station bus line 2 drops you at intra-muros.

With children and accessibility

Children are given a free adventure guide to follow the visit and ask the guide questions. It works well from about age six: it is short and has a drawbridge, a dungeon and tunnels. It is not accessible by wheelchair or pushchair: you have to cross the sand and climb stone ramps and stairs. Wear footwear that can cope with wet sand.

Combine it

At the same low tide you can also go to the Grand Bé, on the other side of the point, although you will not have time for everything if the tide is short. Afterwards climb up to the ramparts to see the fort from above, by then surrounded by water.