Situated on the Lumière coast (Coast of Light), the seaside resort of Les Sables-d'Olonne is a renowned destination presenting numerous attractions: a bustling seafront promenade lined with shops and cafés, a beautiful 3-kilometre long sandy beach that is very popular with summer tourists, a large marina, numerous events and sports activities, a casino and a thalassotherapy centre. Every four years, the seaside resort of Les Sables-d'Olonne hosts the departure of the Vendée Globe, the famous single-handed, round-the-world yacht race sailed non-stop and without assistance.

Built in the 11th century and then fortified in the 12th century, the Talmont-Saint-Hilaire castle is a real medieval fortress that was the residence of the king Richard I of England.

Open to visitors, the Talmont castle organises medieval-themed events every summer. And from June until September, the fortress is adorned with lights and projected images during the Nights of Richard the Lionheart show.

Located at the mouth of the Vie River, on the Coast of Light, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is a designated tourist resort with a fishing harbour considered the oldest in Vendée. The leading sardine fishing port on the Atlantic coast, it displays its colourful boats around the fish market and has been awarded the “Remarkable Site of Taste” label. Its canned sardines bear the Red Label quality mark, while sardine fishing was added to France’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018.

Merged in 1967, the former municipalities of Saint-Gilles-sur-Vie and Croix-de-Vie occupy the two riverbanks, linked by Concorde Bridge. In the Morocco district, which developed from the mid-16th century onwards, narrow lanes, low fishermen’s cottages and walls made from ballast stones bear witness to the town’s maritime past. Also worth seeing are Joséphine Tower, the first local lighthouse, built in 1851; Saint-Gilles Church, whose bell tower and north aisle are listed as Historic Monuments; and Sainte-Croix Church, built in the 1890s.

Families can enjoy the approximately 3-kilometre-long Main Beach, the sheltered Boisvinet Beach and a wide range of water sports. Fishing Port of Call showcases harbour occupations, while the Fisherman’s House and the Sardine Workshop explore sailors’ homes and the history of canning factories. Located in the heart of the town, the railway station provides direct connections to Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie from Nantes.

Nearby, the Vendée Coastal Road offers beautiful views over the Atlantic, while the Brem vineyards can be explored through their wine cellars and hillsides close to the ocean.

Located between Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez and Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, the Vendée Corniche reveals three kilometres of wild rocky coastline, a rare sight along this largely sandy shore. This coastline of the former island of Rié encompasses three distinct landscapes: the Boisvinet Corniche, overlooking the Vie Estuary; the protected section of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez; and the Sion Cliffs, which meet the beaches to the north.

Protected as a natural monument and site since 1926, the section between Pelle à Porteau and Goutaille Cove features cliffs generally standing 7 to 8 metres high. Its dark mica schist, crossed by veins of white quartz and folded during the formation of the Hercynian mountain range, is eroded by waves, storms and runoff. The coastline has consequently retreated by approximately 10 metres in 70 years, so visitors should keep to the marked paths and remain behind the safety barriers.

The coastal path follows a picturesque succession of rocks, inlets, beaches and small coves. At the end of the Sion Cliffs stand the Five Pineaux, five isolated rocks also nicknamed the “Five Monks” in a local legend. Farther south, the Devil’s Hole is a sea cave into which the ocean surges powerfully when the sea is rough. It can be viewed from the designated safe areas without crossing the guardrails. The Arrondeau Viewpoint offers a superb panorama of the cliffs, the Grosse Terre Beacon and, on clear days, Yeu Island.

Open to visitors free of charge, the full walk takes two to three hours and is not a circular route. A cycle path also runs along the coast and connects with the Vélodyssée cycle route, while guided tours by tourist train are available during the season. Sturdy footwear, a windbreaker and sun protection are recommended, as the route is exposed and offers little shade.

Nearby, the Bussoleries, Five Pineaux and Sion beaches offer the chance to extend the outing with a swim or some shore fishing at low tide. To the south, the Boisvinet seaside district and the port of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie provide a pleasant continuation along the estuary!

After the signing of the Versailles Treaty, Georges Clemenceau left his political life and retired in the Vendée in a fisherman's house looking onto the sea located in Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard. Remained intact since his death in 1929, Georges Clemenceau's summer residence is today a museum which is home to furnished rooms and souvenirs of the Statesman. An Impressionist garden also is to be discovered.

Built in 1804 by Napoleon I, the town of La Roche-sur-Yon abounds in typical early 19th-century Neoclassical buildings. The Napoleon Trail, signposted with information panels, takes visitors on a tour of sites such as Place Napoleon, a square where an equestrian statue of Napoleon I stands, Saint-Louis church, the town hall (Hôtel de Ville), the former law courts (Palais de Justice), the imperial secondary school, the theatre, the Prefecture and the national stud (Haras National).

Designated a tourist resort in 2015, Saint-Jean-de-Monts boasts nine consecutive beaches along the Vendée coast, forming an eight-kilometre stretch of fine sand. Their gentle slope and weak currents make them ideal for family swimming, subject to sea conditions and lifeguard instructions. At low tide, a vast expanse of foreshore is revealed, while Yeu Island can be seen on the horizon.

Close to the shops, Demoiselles, Oiseaux and Baigneuse Beaches have an urban feel. The Pier, Water Sports Centre and Golf Course areas offer more space, while Davière, Parée du Jonc and Tonnelles Beaches can be reached via forest paths. Much of the coastline belongs to the Natura 2000 network. Awarded the Handiplage accessibility label, Oiseaux Beach has facilities providing easier access to the sand and the water.

Officially established as a seaside resort in 1867, after a road was built linking the town centre to the ocean, Saint-Jean-de-Monts developed among the dunes, forest and Breton-Vendée Marsh. Planted from the 19th century onwards to stabilise the shifting sands, the Pays de Monts State Forest now offers peaceful walking and cycling routes. In the town centre, Saint John the Baptist Church retains an old bell tower that once served as a sea mark for sailors. Extended in 1390, the building was restored after the devastation of the French Revolution.

The symbol of the resort, the Pier extends approximately 400 metres into the Atlantic. Built in 1963–1964, inaugurated in 1967 and then rebuilt in 2013, it offers a superb view of the beach and a chance to watch anglers. The seafront promenade is ideal for long walks, while the coast offers sand yachting, surfing, paddleboarding, catamaran sailing and coastal water walking. Families can also enjoy beach clubs, playgrounds and trails laid out through the pine forest. The nearest railway station is in Challans, with an onward bus connection to the resort.

Nearby cycle paths lead to Notre-Dame-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. Farther north, the Gois Causeway and Noirmoutier Island provide an enjoyable extension to any exploration of the Vendée coastline.

Covering more than 45,000 hectares between Vendée and Loire-Atlantique, the Breton Marsh of Vendée borders Bourgneuf Bay and the Pays de Monts coast. This former marine bay, gradually filled with sediment, now reveals a mosaic of wet meadows, reed beds, lagoons, salt marshes and polders. Canals, ditches and tidal creeks connected to the sea allow water to circulate and be regulated.

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, monastic communities helped dig the canals and develop the saltworks. The salt trade shaped the area for centuries, before the rise of livestock farming on the wet meadows and oyster farming. The bourrines, low earthen dwellings thatched with reeds, also bear witness to the local marshland culture.

Part of the Natura 2000 network, the marsh belongs to a 55,826-hectare area recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Black-tailed godwits, black-winged stilts, northern lapwings, white storks and bluethroats frequent its waters and meadows, alongside European otters, eels and numerous dragonflies. This landscape can be explored freely on foot or by bicycle, provided visitors remain on public paths and keep their distance from livestock and nesting birds.

In La Barre-de-Monts, the Daviaud Ecomuseum, officially designated a Museum of France, presents bourrines, saltworks, domestic breeds and local expertise across its 5-hectare site.

Nearby, Sallertaine, the Rairé Mill, built in 1555, and the picturesque Bec Harbor, between Bouin and Beauvoir-sur-Mer, are delightful additions to the visit!

Opened to the public in 2006 in Lucs-sur-Boulogne, the Vendée History Museum is a Museum of France devoted to the history and communities of the department. Located in the Boulogne Valley, this contemporary 6,500 m² building displays approximately 3,000 objects from a departmental collection of nearly 20,000 items.

Designed by the Plan01 collective, the building is set into the hillside and blends into its surroundings beneath a remarkable green roof covering approximately 8,000 m², like a meadow extending the bocage landscape. Beyond the hall’s vast glass façades, the flexible galleries combine archaeological collections, fine art, ethnographic objects, reconstructions, and audiovisual displays. This understated architecture, extensively integrated into the landscape, is in itself one of the highlights of the visit.

The visitor trail traces more than 7,000 years of Vendée history: Prehistory, the Gallo-Roman era, the medieval millennium, the Renaissance, the Revolution, the Wars of the Vendée, the 19th century, and the contemporary era. Significant attention is devoted to the 1793 uprising, its leading figures, and the shaping of its remembrance. Temporary exhibitions, talks, screenings, and guided tours regularly complement the permanent galleries.

Families can enjoy a 265 m² children’s museum, whose tree-themed visitor trail opened in 2026. Accessible to children from the age of two, it offers games, observation activities, and hands-on exhibits focusing on tree species, life cycles, and biodiversity. Several tablet-based investigations and trails are also available for older children. Good to know: half a day allows ample time to explore the museum, which has a café, a shop, picnic areas, and facilities adapted for people with reduced mobility.

Close by, the Vendée Memorial, inaugurated in 1993, commemorates the residents of Lucs and the surrounding hamlets who were killed during Republican military operations in 1794. The Path of Memory leads to Petit-Luc Chapel, built in 1866, where 22 plaques bear the 564 names preserved by local commemorative tradition. Finally, the 19-hectare park bordering the Boulogne River offers an opportunity to extend the visit with a peaceful walk.

The Logis de la Chabotterie, a typical Vendée stone manor house in Saint-Sulpice-le-Verdon, has furnished rooms, a permanent exhibition on the subject of the War of the Vendée and General Charette and a beautiful walled formal garden featuring flowerbeds, old roses and aromatic plants.

The Chemin de Charette path through Chabotterie wood leads to a monument commemorating the place where General Charette was arrested in 1796.

A Baroque music festival, Musiques à la Chabotterie, takes place every year in July and August.

Situated off Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and extending over 23 km², the Yeu island has preserved its authenticity and its fishing traditions. Rocky coasts, cliffs, dunes, sandy beaches and hedged farmland make up the scenery. One place of interest not to be missed along the wild coast (côte sauvage): the Old Castle, a 14th-century fortified castle standing opposite the sea that is supposed to have inspired Hergé in his famous Tintin comic book The Black Island. Regular sea links with the Yeu island are offered from La Barre-de-Monts - Fromentine, and seasonal links from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.