Cross the River Loire, head south and you will quickly sense a change of scenery. You’ll discover a much flatter countryside with long sweeps of beautiful sandy beach edged with dunes and pine woods, and a very mild climate. This is the Vendee, boasting sunshine averages only marginally less than the Riviera.
One of the most fascinating areas of this region is La Venise Verte - a maze of dykes and canals used instead of roads to transport produce and locals from one area to another by punt. Today, tourists can visit this hidden waterway and can either hire a boat or guide for an hour or so, to discover some of the history of this unique area.

Things to do in the Vendee
Venise Verte, Apremont, Fontenay-Le-Comte, Ile de Re, La Rochelle, Noirmoutier and some of the Loire Chateaux.
A great family day out is to the Puy de Fou. There are various shows throughout the day, falconry, a gladiator display in the Roman Amphitheatre, a realistic Viking raid with laser displays, and much more. Once night falls, there is an outstanding son et luminere on most Friday and Saturday evenings from mid-June until the end of September.

Food
There is a wide range of excellent traditional French cooking at very reasonable prices throughout the Vendee. Muscadet and Gros Plant wines are produced near the Loire, and the range of Bordeaux reds and whites are produced further south.

Highlights
Some Loire Chateaux can easily be visited from our sites in the Vendee, and throughout this region wine can be tasted and bought from local producers. A day’s outing to Futuroscope at Poitiers is also popular with families.

Getting to the Vendee
The Vendee is ideally located for many ferry ports and airports. Caen is a popular option either by ferry or Fastcraft. Nantes is the closest airport to most of our sites, but there are others within easy reach as well. Hiring a car from the airport is easy, so remember to organise this before you leave.