10 Amazing Things to Do in the Vendée

1. The Puy du Fou

This theme park, set in the north of the Vendée and over the years, many of its shows have been voted ‘Best Shows in the World’!. The park offers a multitude of spectacular shows ranging from gladiators in a life-sized colosseum, marauding Vikings, musketeers, medieval knights and a fantastic bird of prey show – Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes. In the evening there is an awesome sound and light show, Le Cinéscénie, tracing the history of the Vendée through the years, and featuring over 1,100 participants – including several animals

2. The Marais Poitevin

For a more relaxing day out, the Marais Poitevin is ideal for exploring the quiet waterways and wetlands of this beautiful ‘Grand Site de France’. You will find pretty villages with ruined abbeys, waterside resaurants and miles of canals to punt along – either independently or with a guide.

The abbeys of Nieul-sur-L’Autise and Maillezais hold summer and Christmas festivals with medieval re-enactments and craft fairs. This is truly a nature lover’s paradise, with guided walks along the towpaths and traditional crafts kept alive in village studios.

 

3. Clean and safe beaches

The Vendée is famous for being the second sunniest part of France after the Mediterranean coast, boasting over 3,000 hours of sunshine every year. It is also the second-most-visited area of the Atlantic Coast for French holidaymakers. There are over 140 kilometres of sandy beaches to choose from, including long, safe beaches for surfing and body boarding such as Les Conches or La Terrière; rocky beaches for finding crabs and fossils, like Jard and St Vincent; and flat beaches for sand-karting and kite flying, such as La Faute-sur-Mer and Veillon Plage. The bustling seaside towns of La Tranche-sur-Mer and St Gilles Croix de Vie offer lots of summer entertainment on the beach and in the streets in the evenings, with singers, fireworks, concerts and street entertainers amusing the holidaymakers.

4. Over 1,400 kilometres of guided cycle paths

The Vendée has the largest network of cycle tracks in France, with over 1,400 kilometres of sign-posted routes spanning varying degrees of difficulty, from flat coastal pathways to rolling hills and valleys in the northern Vendée. The coastal route takes in 220 kilometres of track, of which over 150 kilometres is dedicated to cyclists, so is free from other traffic. The routes pass by spectacular scenery, with sand dunes, sweeping beaches, wetlands, coastal cliffs and picturesque towns dotted throughout.

5. The Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race

This famous race sets sail from the busy port of Les Sables d’Olonne every four years, with the next one due in November 2024, then 2028. This race is an endurance test for participants: single-handed, round the world and with no assistance! The town comes alive in the weeks leading up to the race, with a ‘yachting village’ setting up camp around the large harbour, lots of entertainment and events and a great atmosphere in the many restaurants!

6. Good transport links

The Vendée is ideally located for holidaymakers coming from the UK and Ireland, as it has two airports within an hour’s drive at La Rochelle and Nantes – both served by several of the budget airlines from many UK airports. It also has great road links to the northern ferry ports – with St Malo only a three-hour drive away. The motorway takes you north to the other ports of Cherbourg (five hours) or Calais/Eurotunnel (six and a half hours).

7. Locally caught seafood

The area boasts a large fishing fleet, with daily catches being brought into the harbours at Les Sables d’Olonne, L’Aiguillon sur Mer and many other fishing harbours along the coast. Specialities include freshly caught mussels and oysters, sardines, blue lobsters and lots of shellfish. Every seaside town has restaurants serving the ‘catch of the day’, and moules-frites are on every menu!

8. Summer fêtes and festivals

The Vendée is home to many international music festivals, ranging from Le Poupet at Saint Malo du Bois in July to the Festival Les Nuits set in several of the ‘Petites Cités de Caractère’ offering jazz, baroque, classical and opera music. Most towns and villages hold a summer fête which might include an antiques fair, ploughing competitions, regional produce, country dancing and tasting lots of local food and wine. These events are a great way of mixing with the locals, tasting the local foods and practicing your French skills!

9. Local wine routes

The Fief Vendéen wine-growing region has been awarded an AOC designation and it is becoming well known for its lovely rosé and white wines, as well as some unusual single-grape variety reds. The vineyards are grouped together in five areas around the southern Vendée (Mareuil-sur-Lay, Vix, Pissotte, Chantonnay & Brem), and you can visit the wine cellars, either in grand chateaux or rural barns next to the vineyards. A fun day out, passing through some lovely scenery!

10. Lots of family attractions

The Vendée is a great base for family holidays, with so many activities to do! Here are just some of them:

O’Gliss Water Park, with slides, rivers, wave machines and a beach.

Chateau des Aventuriers with a treasure trail around the garden, dinosaur park and Escape Room game inside the castle

O’Fun Adventure Park swing through the trees on zip wires, go-karts, pony rides, paintballing and picnics in the forest

Parc Floral de Court d’Aron: flower paradise, with tropical festivals, lotus flower lake and farm petting area for young children

Les Haras at La Roche sur Yon: national stables with shows every day 

Mervent Forest and lake: sporting activities around the lake, small zoo, and hiking through the forest

Vendée Kart: Adrenalin-raising racing for all ages – there’s even a small circuit for young children.

Koa Surf: Learn to surf at La Tranche-sur-Mer

Book your holiday accommodation through Vendée Holiday Cottages for a choice of properties, ranging from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom country farmhouses.

Adrenalin-raising racing for all ages – there’s even a small circuit for young children.

Koa Surf: Learn to surf at La Tranche-sur-MerBook your holiday accommodation through Vendée Holiday Cottages for a choice of properties, ranging from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom country farmhouses.

An abundance of family attractions and activities!

The Vendée is a great base for family holidays, with so many activities to explore! Here are just some of them:

• Adventure Chateau at Avrillé, with a treasure trail around the garden, dinosaur park and visits to the chateau.
• Atlantic Wake Park – with water ski slaloms and ‘Wipe-Out’ style bouncy castle obstacle courses on water!
• Parc Floral de Court d’Aron: flower paradise, with Polynesian tropical festivals, Lotus Lake and farm petting area for young children.
• La Roche sur Yon: Haras – national stables with shows every day, Mechanical Animals in the Place Napoleon.
• La Tranche sur Mer: Sea fishing trips, sailing, surfing lessons, paddle boarding

The Vendée is ideally located for holidaymakers coming from the UK & Ireland, as it has two airports within an hour’s drive at La Rochelle and Nantes – both served by several of the budget airlines from many UK airports. It also has great road links to the northern ferry ports – with St Malo only a three-hour drive away. The motorway takes you north to the other ports of Cherbourg (five hours) or Calais/Eurotunnel (six and a half hours)

To view more attractions of the Vendée, see the “What to do in the Vendée” Page on our website.

Book your holiday accommodation with Vendée Holiday Cottages for a choice of properties, ranging from two-bedroom quaint cottages to five-bedroom family homes. Always book directly with Vendée Holiday Cottages to avoid the extra fees that some other holiday sites will charge.

 

Tel: Annette on 00 33 251 28 43 98

WhatsApp: 00 33 643 37 87 74

Visit our site: https://www.vendeeholidaycottages.com