Vendée - Loire-Atlantique

On this sheltered stretch of the Atlantic coast France’s longest river, the Loire, runs down to the sea between Vendée and the rest of Loire-Atlantique. Wide open spaces and long beaches run from Saint-Nazaire to Les Sables-d’Olonne, starting point for the world-famous Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race. The spectacle of sailboats, catamarans, kite-surfing and sand yachts is all around you, as are the riches of the sea: thalassotherapy, watersports, invigorating trips to seaside resorts, the time-honoured tradition of gleaning fish and seafood from the beach, oysters, sardines, bouchot mussels, mackerel... On land and sea, on the Guérande Peninsula, the Île de Noirmoutier or the wild Île d’Yeu, the fresh sea breeze will give you a new lease of life.