Royan

Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Saintes and Rochefort. Capital of the "Côte de beauté", the city is located at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary, the largest estuary in Europe. Royan has five sandy beaches, a marina, and a fishing port.GeographyRoyan is a seaside resort situated in the west of the department of Charente-Maritime, in the former province of Saintonge. It occupies a site on the mouth of the Gironde Estuary, on the eastern side, near the Atlantic coast. Along the coast, the limestone cliffs and beaches (locally called conches), alternate in position at the sea.