More Places to Visit in Vendée 

Port du Bec

Once you find this little fishing harbour on the Bay of Bourgneuf (follow signs to l'Epoids) you can see at once why it has been nicknamed the "Port chinois" or "Chinese port". Taste local oysters at the "Mord'Eau" bar, or drive north on the road behind the dike and look at the new wind farm.

Passage du Gois

The 4km submerged roadway across the Bay of Bourgneuf, linking the island of Noirmoutier to the mainland near Beauvoir-sur-Mer never fails to evoke a frisson of fear in motorists.

Ile d'Yeu

On this 23 sq km island, an hour by boat off the north Vendée coast, time seems almost to have stood still. Rent a bike from one of the many hire shops along the quay in the main town of Port-Joinville

Sallertaine (near Challans)

A delightful village, in summer its shops burst into life with artists and craftspeople, exhibitions of local life are staged in the 12th-century church, and you can rent canoes to paddle along the surrounding canals.

Musée Milcendeau (near Soullans)

This peaceful spot in the marshes south of Challans is dedicated to two famous men of Soullans - the writer and politician Jean Yole and his contemporary and friend, the landscape artist and portraitist Charles Milcendeau (1872-1919).

Apremont  

Picturesque village, clinging to the rocky sides of the Vie valley, with a crumbling Renaissance castle and a lake - the largest in the Vendée - with a sandy beach. Canoes or flat-bottomed boats available for hire below the dam for pleasant trips downstream.

Les Sables d'Olonne

Even out of season there is plenty of activity in this resort, the smartest on the Vendée coast.

Jard-sur-Mer

Pretty village, 20km east of Les Sables-d'Olonne, with a picturesque harbour, lovely beaches, holiday homes set among fragrant pine woods, and some delightful walks along the cliff top and through forests.

Avrillé

The area around these two villages is full of prehistoric stones (23 dolmens and 100 menhirs, it is estimated).

Parc Floral de la Court d'Aron (St-Cyr-en-Talmondais)

Between Luçon and Les Sables-d'Olonne lies a magnificent garden. Koi carp swim lazily in the ponds, and bamboos and banana palms rustle in the breeze. From late June till early August a vast lake is totally covered with thousands of exquisite pink-tinged lotus flowers.

Mareuil-sur-Lay (near Lucon)

Attractive wine-producing town overlooking the river Lay, dominated by an austere Romanesque church and a gracefully dilapidated 16th-century castle. A signposted Route des Vins leads to some of the many vineyards on the outskirts.

Marais Poitevin  or "Green Venice", South Vendée

A magical misty wilderness of tree-lined, duckweed-covered canals, south of Fontenay-le- Comte and west of Niort.

Fontenay-le-Compte

Ancient streets lined with mellow stone houses indicate the former importance of Fontenay, which was once the capital of Bas-Poitou (as the Vendée was known until after the French Revolution).

Vouvant (near La Chataigneraie)

This pretty place, 12km north of Fontenay-le-Comte, surrounded by medieval walls and looking down over the meandering river Mère, has been understandably labelled one of France's most beautiful villages.

Cinéscénie  Puy-du-Fou

Justifiably regarded as the greatest sound-and-light show in Europe, this glorious summer open-air entertainment at Le Puy-du-Fou, near Les Epesses, uses sophisticated special effects to tell the history of the Vendée. Late May to early September.

Grand Parcours, Puy-du-Fou

This "historical theme park" at Le Puy-du-Fou, makes a great day out for all the family. Performances throughout the day of falconry, jousting, magic and music, demonstrations of rural crafts and atmospheric reconstructions of a Norman fort, a medieval town and an 18th-century village. May to September.

Chateau de Barbe-Bleue, Tiffauges

The substantial ruined castle of "Barbe-bleu" (Bluebeard) towers over the little town. During the Hundred Years' War its owner, Gilles de Rais (or Retz), fought alongside Joan of Arc. Retiring to Tiffauges, he developed a passion for alchemy and, believing he could make gold from the blood of young children, seized and murdered more than 200 from the area.

Notre-Dame-de-Salette  (near Chavagnes-en-Paillers)

Built in 1889 by an inspired priest on a steeply-sloping site, this point of pilgrimage consists of crazily-castellated brick towers and walls teetering above a hillside garden full of colourful, almost life-sized statues.

Logis de la Chabotterie, St-Sulpice-le-Verdon

Elegant stone manor house and lovely garden, exquisitely restored and furnished to give an idea of late-18th-century life. If you click on various headings on the site, you can enjoy a “virtual visit”.

Chapel of the Petit-Luc, Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne

The most moving memorial to the late-18th-century Vendée Wars is this 19th-century chapel, built on the site of a massacre. On 24 February 1794 Republican troops slaughtered 563 women, children and old men in the village; the victims' names and - most affectingly - their ages are set in stone around the inside of the tiny church perched high above the Boulogne river. If you scroll down to the Memorial des Lucs, you can take “virtual visits” of the memorial and of the chapel.

(above recommended by, Angela Bird)

The Vendée

The Vendée is a large department (or county) about the size of Devon or Cumbria, located on the French Atlantic coast, just South of Brittany and Nantes, and North of La Rochelle. Its position, within 2 to 5 hours of the various western ferry ports, makes the area an easy day's journey from Britain and Ireland. The population, according to the 1999 census, is 540,000.

The name "Vendée" is taken from that of a river that runs through the south-east of the department. After crossing the forest of Mervent it flows through the town of Fontenay-le-Comte, which used to be the capital of Bas-Poitou - the county's name was changed to Vendée after the French Revolution of 1789. The river meanders through the marshes to meet the Sevre Niortaise, and turns West to meet the sea in the bay known as the Anse de l'Aiguillon.

Discovering the Vendee region is a revelation for the uninitiated, as it boasts some of the finest sandy beaches in Europe and a sunshine record equal to the South of France. With its beautiful coastline and beautiful "bocage" countryside, it’s no wonder that the Vendée is often described as one of the best-kept secrets in France.

St. Jean-de-Monts is the second largest resort on the Vendeen Coast and, like its neighbour the resort of  Les Sables d'Olonne, has a wide magnificent bow shaped beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. 

A holiday in the Vendee is perfect for families and the region has so much to offer for children and parents alike. For location, facilities and services, a gîte holiday is the perfect option for a family driving from the UK. Holiday gîtes are numerous throughout the Vendee, and generally provide accommodation to a very good standard providing excellent value for money.

For hours of sunshine and activities, you can’t beat the Vendée.

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