Endless beaches of soft sand and lapping waves, fringed by pine trees and undulating dunes – perfect!
Camping in the Vendee
131 campsites in France, Vendée for Beach
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On the edge of a pine forest and just a short walk across the dunes from a fine sandy beach, this could be an ideal spot for a seaside holiday. Les Cyprès is a very French campsite with good basic facilities and a pleasant modern pool complex. The 300 pitches are in an arc curving out towards the sea in both directions from reception; the 141 touring pitches of varying shapes and sizes occupy the southern end of the arc. All have access to electricity (10A) and water, though long leads are required in places and some are more suitable for tents because of the trees.
This family site is located close to the village of Barbâtre, on the west coast of the island of Noirmoutier. The site has direct access to a fine sandy beach. There are around 400 pitches, of which around 200 are available for touring units (the rest are occupied by an imaginative range of chalets, mobile homes and fully equipped tents, including teepees, many of which are for rent). Touring pitches are mostly equipped with 16A electricity. On-site amenities include two swimming pools and a paddling pool. A wide sunbathing area surrounds these. A children’s beach club is organised in peak season and evening entertainment is also on offer.
Camping Sandaya de la Bosse is located on the idyllic Île de Noirmoutier, off the coast of Vendée, France. On-site, you will find 249 touring pitches with electric hook-up points. Most pitches are on open and flat, sandy areas with little shade.
A site that lives up to its name, Camping Sandaya La Grande Côte, is extensive with 800 pitches, of which 293 are numbered touring pitches in rows spread over undulating dunes with sparse grass under pine, all with 10A electricity and over 287 chalets and mobile homes to rent.
Flower Camping Le Grand'R, also known as Camping Paradis Le Grand'R, is located in La Faute-sur-Mer, on the Atlantic coast of France. It's between Les Sables d'Olonne's seaside resorts and La Tranche-sur-Mer and 300 meters from a nature reserve. The campsite has predominantly accommodation units available to hire, and there are 25 touring pitches available, all of which have electric hook-up points.
Le Petit Rocher has a seaside location (150 m. from the beach) set in a pine forest, with an air of peace and tranquillity. Although the area is undulating, the 132 good sized touring pitches are flat and arranged in terraces throughout the wooded area. Electricity hook-ups are available (10A Euro plugs) and there are adequate water points. A grassy play area for children is thoughtfully situated in a hollow, but has limited equipment. Various accommodation types are available to rent.
This site is ideally situated within 700 metres of the beautiful, sandy beaches of the Vendée and close to Saint Jean-de-Monts (4 km) with its shops and restaurants, and the islands of Noirmoutier and Yeu. Although there are 284 pitches, only 18 are for touring units, and these are situated amongst the site’s own mobile homes (there are no tour operators here). The pitches are level, grassy and of average size, and are in the open with low hedges. All have 3/10A electricity and some have water and drainage. The site is neatly maintained and has a heated covered pool, outdoor pool, water slides, spa, sauna, children’s play area and internet point.
This eight-hectare site should appeal to families with children of all ages. It is very lively in high season but appears to be well managed, with a full programme of activities (it can therefore be noisy, sometimes late at night). The site is only 1 km. from the excellent beach. There are 450 flat, grass and sand pitches, 121 are for touring units with the remainder occupied by tour operators and mobile homes to rent. All touring pitches have 10A electricity (French sockets, long leads may be required) Some are separated by high hedges, others are more open with low bushes between them. There is a good aquatic area – the flume takes you past rocks before plunging into the pool.
Le Domaine de Bellevue is a family friendly site located in the northern Vendée, close to the town of Challans (famous for its market), and around 20 minutes from the broad, sandy beaches at Saint Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. There are 126 large (minimum 150 sq.m) pitches here, of which 40 are for tourers, 10 fully serviced with 16A electricity and dispersed around a large park, which has two generous fishing ponds (catch and release, and surrounded by a secured fence for the children) stocked with carp and other species. An entertainment programme runs during April, July and August and includes special activities for children. There is a range of mobile homes, chalets and bungalow-style tents for rent.
Camping Les Rouillères is found in the charming beachside town of La Tranche-sur-Mer, with its expansive Les Rouillères beach, right next to the campsite and accessible on foot. The on-site waterpark with a covered heated outdoor swimming pool and water slide, along with sports and recreational facilities, make this an excellent site for active campers. Activities and entertainment ensure fun for all the family.
Camping Les Flots de l'Océan is located in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, Vendée, France. The campsite is just 500 meters from the beach, making it the perfect base for a beach holiday. The nearest town, Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, is just a short drive away and offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and bars. On-site, there are 63 touring pitches with 10Amp electric hook-up points available. Pitches are delimited by hedges, with numerous trees providing average shade over the whole plot.
Originally a simple ‘camping à la ferme’, this site has been developed by a Dutch organisation into an extensive, very well equipped and well-maintained campsite. Located around two attractive fishing lakes, the 164 pitches, most available for touring, are spacious and attractively laid out with plenty of grass, hedges and trees, some young, some mature. All have electricity (6/10A), and a few are very large. There are 38 mobile homes to rent. An old barn has been converted into a large restaurant offering an extensive French menu, including a ‘menu du jour’. Also here are a small bar, a shop selling necessary provisions and the reception area.
Camping Le Petit Bois is a located in Saint-Jean-de-Monts, Vendée, France. It is situated just 500 meters from the beach and offers a variety of amenities and activities for campers to make their holiday relaxing and enjoyable. Camping Le Petit Bois is an ideal base for exploring the Vendée region, which is known for its beautiful beaches, picturesque villages, and stunning scenery. The site has ten touring pitches with electric hook-up points available (10-amp) and 29 accommodation units to rent. Pitches are separated by mature hedging, giving a sense of privacy to each. Choose wisely for shade during the summer as there are few mature trees covering the pitches.
Camping Resort La Yole is an attractive and well-run site, two kilometres from a sandy beach. It offers 362 pitches, of which 91 mobile homes are either privately owned or available to rent. There are 133 touring pitches, most with shade and separated by bushes and trees. An area at the rear of the site is a little more open. All the pitches are of at least 100 sq.m. and have electricity (10A), water and drainage. The pool complex includes an attractive outdoor pool, a paddling pool, slide and an indoor heated pool with jacuzzi. There has been a recent extension to the pool area. There are also gym facilities and entertainment is organised in high season. This is a clean and tidy site, ideal for families with children and you will receive a helpful and friendly welcome.
A pleasant, traditionally laid out site with just 199 pitches, separated by hedges, on flat or gently sloping ground, Bois Soleil has a large number of mobile homes and chalets, leaving just 32 pitches for tourers and tents. All have electricity (6A) and water points and most are grouped in a pleasant corner with views out over the marshes and bird reserve to distant villages. There is an excellent swimming pool complex with water slides plus an attractive indoor pool with hammam, while the nearby forest and marais provide fine opportunities for walkers and nature lovers.
Moncalm is owned by the Atlantique Pellerin Vacances group. Most pitches are occupied by mobile homes and chalets, mostly to rent. There are just three touring pitches. The site is 300 m. from the village centre. An impressive range of amenities include a large, heated, covered pool with terrace and solarium, water slide, sauna, spa, massage shower and an excellent children’s outdoor water park, sports ground and internet corner. An entertainment programme is organised in high season, including discos and competitions. Sandy beaches at La Tranche-sur-Mer are 7 km. (free shuttle in high season).
An attractive, modern site on a family farm surrounded by beautiful, peaceful countryside, this site is sure to please. With 165 pitches in an area of six hectares, there is plenty of space for everyone. There are 101 touring pitches, eight tents, eighteen mobile homes, and 20 alpine-style chalets, spread around several fields, some quite open, others with some shade from perimeter hedges. The grassy pitches are all of a generous size with 12/16A electricity (Europlug, long leads may be required). Two swimming pools, both covered, are surrounded by a pleasant terrace, with the bar and reception close by. Also on site is a lovely large fishing lake (fenced) with a pleasant walk all around. The bar and takeaway operate in July/August, ices and essential tinned food items are available from reception, and there is a motorhome service point. A club for children runs in July and August.
Domaine des Salins site in Saint Hilairede Riez is situated 800 metres from the beach in the Vendée close to St Jean de Monts and Saint Gilles Croix de Vie. Here you will find heated indoor and outdoor pools, and kids' club. Saint Hilaire de Riez is a pleasant seaside resort bordered by 14km of coast that has kept true to nature, extensive pine forests and long sandy beaches. Staying in Saint Hilaire de Riez, the Domaine des Salins is ideally close to the beach of Becs. The site has 148 pitches of which 30 are for tourers with a 10-amp hook-up point. The site is just 400 metres from local shops, on the edge of the forest and away from the main road. There are also several mobile homes and wooden chalets that are privately owned or available to rent
Located in woodland and on dunes along a two-kilometre stretch of sandy beach, just east of the attractive little town of Noirmoutier on the island of the same name, this could be a paradise for those who enjoy a simple campsite in a natural setting. On land belonging to France’s forestry commission, this site is operated by Huttopia, whose aim is to adapt to the environment rather than take it over. On site there are 488 touring pitches, all of which have electric hook up points (10A), and are situated among the pine trees and accessed along tracks. Those on the sand dunes have fantastic views across the Baie de Bourgneuf. They cost a few euros extra – if you are lucky enough to get one. Some pitches may experience noise from a nearby bar.
Developed over the years on what was once a working farm, this is a friendly, relaxed, three-hectare site, very different from the sophisticated sites that abound in this area. Of the 208 pitches, 70 are available for tourers, the rest being occupied by mobile homes and chalets, of which 49 are available for hire. Touring pitches are large and attractively laid out, separated by hedges, with mature trees to give shade, and with electricity and water close by. There is a pleasant solar-heated pool with paddling pool and jacuzzi, and an old barn is used as a games room and for occasional events in high season. English and Spanish are spoken.
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Vendée
It’s not only the fine beaches that make this holiday region so appealing – quaint fishing harbours, historic ports and charming towns all create a great holiday atmosphere.
This small but perfectly located region is all about the beach. All 200 km of it. That may sound a little over-simplified, but it is undoubtedly a magnet for lovers of sun, sea and sand. Visitors flock to the region to enjoy the exceptionally mild climate with an enviable sunshine record and famously balmy micro-climate (apparently, there are more sunshine hours here than on the French Rivera); it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular tourist areas of France. The Vendée has a wealth of sleepy fishing harbours, historic ports and charming towns that all create a great holiday experience. Popular resorts in the Vendée include Les Sablesd’Olonne, La Tranche-sur-Mer, and St Jean-de-Monts.
The Vendée was the centre of the counterrevolutionary movement between 1793 and 1799, and a ‘son et lumière’ held at Le Puy-du-Fou tells the whole story. Les Sables-d’Olonne is its main resort, renowned for its excellent sandy beach. The area between the Vendée and Charente, the Marais Poitevin, is one of the most unusual in France – a vast tract of marshland with a thousand or more tree-lined canals and slow-moving streams.
Vendée Blogs
Spotlight on the Vendee
Rob Fearn | 2 Apr 2021 | Read time: 7m 57s
There are four distinct regions to the Vendée département: the Bocage, a rolling, wooded area of low hills; the Plaine with its open countryside and rich arable land, golden with wheat and sunflowers in summer; and two marshy areas - the silent Marais Breton to the north, the lush, verdant slow-moving waters of the Marais Poitevin to the south
Read MoreCAMPING IN THE VENDEE
Camping in the Vendée
The Vendée is a hugely popular region for camping, partly because it’s an easy place to get to from the UK. Campsites in the Vendée are usually of high quality (competition encourages standards to be high) and many have been in business for decades, gradually improving services and facilities. Of course, as is often the rule of thumb, the closer the campsite to the beach, the smaller the pitches are likely to be. That is sometimes the price to pay for convenience. Moreover, campsites near the beach can be more expensive.
And campsites on the beach can be that much more lively in terms of evening entertainment and general hubbub. For this reason, some prefer to enjoy the day on the beach and then retreat to the more secluded campsites slightly inland. But each to their own!
PLACES OF INTEREST
Places of interest
L’Aiguillon-sur-Mer: Famous for its mussels and other shellfish; site of migrating birds between August and November.
Apremont: Pretty village with a Renaissance castle; Vendée’s largest lake with a sandy beach, watersports and boat hire.
Île-d’Yeu: One hour by boat from the coast, a major tourist destination with colourful shops, cafés and restaurants; art galleries and exhibitions; bicycles and cars for hire.
Jard-sur-Mer: Abbey of Lieu-Dieu (financed by Richard the Lionheart); seaside with attractive, colourful houses.
Le Puy-du-Fou: 15/16th-century castle; son-et-lumière production and historical theme park.
BEACHES OF THE VENDEE
Beaches of the Vendée
The Vendée is a great choice for children of all ages. The traditional accessory for every child visiting the Vendée is, without doubt, the bucket and spade - and with good reason. From St. Jean-de-Monts to La Tranche-sur-Mer the coast is virtually unbroken with fragrant pine forests leading down to gently shelving sandy beaches.
These are some of France’s finest beaches, with gently shelving golden sands that are reassuringly safe for toddlers as they paddle and splash in the water. Many beaches offer high season kids’ clubs with organised beach activities as well as watersports on offer like sailing, windsurfing, paddleboards and kayaks. It’s generally easy for teenagers and older children to enjoy a degree of independence in safety.
Île de Noirmoutier: The Le Gois causeway (and a modern bridge) connect this once detached island to the mainland. A handful of scattered villages and miles of often empty beach create a magical environment, very different from the mainstream resorts further south. The Plage des Dames, complete with a boardwalk, wooden pier, soft sand and backed by oak trees, mimosa, eucalyptus and fragrant pine trees is hard to beat.
Les Sables d’Olonne: This is a resort where the beaches are so good they named the town after them. It’s one of the major resorts of the Vendée and has a fine, curved seafront and sandy bay. The marina is always a popular haunt with plenty of flashy boats to gawp at, as well as the usual bustle of a working marina and, naturally, some really good restaurants where you can enjoy fantastically fresh seafood. The 15th century Château St Clair is also a popular excursion as is the zoo with its sanctuary for over forty endangered species.
St-Jean-de-Monts: Though quiet for much of the year, St Jean-de-Monts wakes up with a vengeance during the summer months. This is one of the best-known hotspots, with many excellent family campsites jostling for position along the Cote de Lumière. The vast 8 km long beach is a delight with fine sands and no currents to worry parents of young children. It’s frequented by kite surfers and sand yachts, as well as cyclists and horse riders enjoying the shady pines that fringe the shore.
St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie: As a change from some of the larger resorts, St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is an attractive fishing harbour spanning the river Vie. It is home to Beneteau, the world-leading sailing boat manufacturer and it is truly a town of boats, from the brightly painted fishing boats, the little ferries that ply back and forth to the Ile d’Yeu, to the host of small dinghies and sailing boats that bob up and down in the blue waters and whose white sails are sprinkled across the seascape. It’s no surprise the region is known for the Vendée Globe yacht race, one of the most gruelling nautical challenges in the world.
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez: Not far from its larger neighbour, St Gilles, this pleasant town of small whitewashed houses adorned with jauntily painted shutters is also home to the Atlantic Toboggan waterpark on Merlin-Plage. Here a mind-boggling range of pools awaits, with waterslides, flumes, whirlpools and more. The 250-metre thrills of the twisting Boa and the Kamikaz are inevitable highlights.
The Route du Sel: An excursion with a difference is to follow the Route de Sel (or the Salt Route) through the Marais, inland flat expanses of land reclaimed from the sea. Take to the completely calm waters of the waterways that criss-cross the Sallertaine’s ancient salt marshes and find yourself at eye-level to the surrounding marshland with its windmills and wildlife. A wonderful time to do this is early morning when you might start paddling as the atmospheric morning mists begin to burn off, revealing the magically tranquil landscape around you.
CUISINE OF THE REGION
Cuisine of the region
Not known as a viticultural world-beater, the Vendée does have vineyards around Brem-sur-Mer and Mareuil-sur-Lay, producing light, refreshing wines perfect at the end of a long day in the sun. Excellent duck comes from Challans where the duck market was a key part of the local economy. Locally produced meat and poultry include Charolais beef, salt-marsh lamb and foie gras.
The Brioche de Vendée, the soft, slightly sweet bread served at breakfast is a family favourite. Best of all though is the huge variety of seafood available from the simple but highly prized oyster to the elaborate fish dishes that tempt every passer-by. Seafood includes sole sablaise, cooked with lemon, barbecued sardines from Saint Gilles Croix-de-Vie, baked white tuna and mussels from the Baie de l’Aiguillon cooked in white wine.
Samphire: A herb that grows on the edges of the salt marshes.
Mogette: A signature dish of the region, Slow-cooked baby haricot beans, traditionally served with gammon.
Jambon de Vendee: Local raw-cured ham.