BEACHES

Les Sables D’Olonne is worth a visit with it’s Cote d’Azurish facade, great beach, al fresco restaurants. At the rear of the promenade narrow streets leed to the old houses and interesting shops. In the centre there is a large church and close by is the imposing town hall. The port and marina is famous for the Vendee Globe Challenge, single handed non stop round the world sailing race, which takes place every four years. At the southern end of the promenade is the Sables Zoo, which has a collections of reptiles, exotic birds, big cats and other animals.


The holiday resort of Saint Jean de Monts is famous for it’s long sandy beach and popular beachfront with shops, cafes and restaurants; an older part of town with a lovely church and interesting market and excellent indoor food hall of local produce; many sporting facilites and an excellent golf course and practice area, the lovely forest footpaths and cycle tracks, all a short distance from our house.





The Noirmoutier island offers several sandy beaches, protected dunes and woods by the sea. The ‘Gois’ is an old road only accessible when the tide goes out, but now there is a bridge allowing permanent access. In the small town of Noirmoutier you will find a fortified castle and an old church. For the children there is a water park, aquarium, a shipbuilding museum and salt museum.