5 must-do activities for families in Vendée

L'Île-d'Yeu
5 must-do activities  ...

The Vendée is an excellent family destination, and for good reason. The Vendée's beaches are renowned for their beauty, which is why it's called the "Côte de Lumière." It's dotted with comfortable seaside resorts. There are plenty of free activities, fun entertainment, and all kinds of water sports. You'll enjoy unique visits to its salt marshes, typical of Vendée culture. It also boasts major tourist attractions renowned worldwide, such as Puy du Fou! Let's explore the Vendée, discovering its most unmissable places to visit with the family.


  1. The best beaches in Vendée for families with children
  2. Enjoy the activities and services of the seaside resorts
  3. Discover life in the Salt Marshes
  4. Visit Vouvant, to do like the knights and princesses
  5. The major tourist sites of Vendée


Photos of the article © Vendée Guide


1) The best beaches in Vendée for families with children

The beaches of Vendée are ideal for family vacations, as they offer a wide range of services designed to make life easier. Parking is available nearby to avoid a long walk. They are usually equipped with amenities. They are supervised during the summer season. You'll find all sorts of shops: restaurants, equipment rentals to avoid carrying too much luggage, and schools to learn new sports. Activities are organized to keep children of all ages occupied. Here is a selection of the most family-friendly beaches:

  • The island of Yeu has two sides. One is natural and wild, with small coves and secluded coves. The other features long, fine sandy beaches, sheltered from the winds and currents. The northeast coast of the island is friendly and safe.
  • La Terrière Beach in La-Tranche-sur-Mer is ideal for learning how to shore fish!
  • Saint-Jean-de-Monts and its easily accessible beaches: They slope gently, making them safe for younger guests to swim in. Plage des Demoiselles offers all the amenities of the town center.
  • The Grande Plage des Sables-d'Olonne is very pleasant, with its shops, restaurants and water activities.


The beach of Saint-Jean-de-Mont
The beach of Saint-Jean-de-Mont
The sheltered beaches of the island of Yeu
The sheltered beaches of the island of Yeu

2) Take advantage of the activities and services of the seaside resorts

The seaside resorts of Vendée are very popular tourist areas. It must be said that they go to great lengths to attract many tourists, to their great delight! Playgrounds are set up there for children. Funfairs, amusement parks, and inflatable play structures are set up there during the summer months. Parties liven up the summer evenings. The nicest seaside resorts are:

  • Saint-Jean-de-Monts and its easily accessible beaches.
  • La-Tranche-sur-Mer for its activities for children: pirate island, skatepark, Maupas lake, etc.
  • Longeville-sur-Mer, to discover during a treasure hunt.


Our favorite? O'Fun Park, the largest amusement park in Vendée that opens the doors to a 100% fun world from April to September. Treetop adventure course, aquapark, water jump paintball, duel arena to challenge yourself with friends or fun zone with no less than 40 activities, you will love living an unforgettable day in Vendée. Go to O'Fun Park in Le Bernard and reserve your Saturday evenings to participate in the free concerts every week!


La Barre-de-Monts and its nautical activities
La Barre-de-Monts and its nautical activities

3) Discover life in the Salt Marshes

Vendée is a unique region, particularly for its marshes. To the south, the Marais Poitevin is a very bucolic natural space. To the north, the Marais Breton Vendéen is a foreshore, developed by salt marshes. It extends into a freshwater marshy area.


The foreshore is a stretch of sand or rock covered by the tide. Foreshores are exploited for oyster farming and salt production. They are also great for shellfish gathering. They have been equipped with canals, which allow the tide to flow deeper inland.


The Marais Breton Vendéen stretches across 45,000 hectares, spanning two departments. It's a unique wetland that attracts a diverse range of wildlife, including numerous birds. A few must-see sites are essential for understanding this natural and cultural heritage of the Vendée:

  • La Bourrine à Rosalie de Sallertaine is an emblematic site for discovering 19th century life in the salt marshes.
  • The Salt Marshes of Life of Saint-Hilaire-De-Riez for an immersive guided tour in the heart of the Vendée salt marshes.
  • The Salt Marshes of Noirmoutier to taste its potatoes, salt and oysters.



Noirmoutier and its salt marshes
Noirmoutier and its salt marshes

4) Visit Vouvant, to do like the knights and princesses

Vouvant is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It's a medieval site with a well-preserved heritage. Hear the legend of Mélusine, a building fairy, who supposedly built the village in a single night! It is associated with the lords of Lusignan, who are among the great families of France. Its setting is rural and ideal for walking.


Vouvant and the Mélusine Tower
Vouvant and the Mélusine Tower

Olydea Le Hameau de Vouvant

Olydea Le Hameau de Vouvant
Olydea Le Hameau de Vouvant

Stay at Olydea le Hameau de Vouvant near the Marais Poitevin. Nestled a few kilometers from Fontenay-le-Comte, on ...

530 m - Vouvant

Campsite of the Jamonière

Campsite of the Jamonière
Campsite of the Jamonière

WELCOME TO THE JAMONIERE CAMPING "FRIENDS OF THE FOREST" LOCATED IN MERVENT - SOUTH VENDÉE! A natural setting, ...

5,0 km - Mervent

Le Rabelais

Le Rabelais
Le Rabelais

Le Rabelais: three-star hotel with spa and swimming pool Want to enjoy a relaxing weekend or an exceptional break in ...

12,0 km - Fontenay-le-Comte

5) The major tourist sites of Vendée

The Vendée offers many activities for families. Its wide open spaces are very charming and have attracted many major tourist attractions. The most unmissable is the Puy du Fou and its breathtaking spectacle! But the Vendée also has a long history to tell you, particularly through its medieval castles. Here are our favorite sites:

  • Puy du Fou, the most magical of attractions!
  • The Marais Poitevin, an unusual natural space…
  • Tiffauges Castle, to go back in time to the Middle Ages.


Photo © Puy du Fou
Photo from © Puy du Fou

We still have plenty of other ideas...

The Vendée has so many sites to offer you that it is difficult to select only five... Here are many more ideas in our article: What to do with children in the Vendée?

We hope we have given you some great ideas for having fun with your family during your next vacation in Vendée.



Did you like our article? Find more on the Vendée Guide Blog!
You can also find us on the
Vendée Guide Facebook page and on our
Instagram account @guidedelavendee


Back to "Family Time"

You will also like

The tour of the island of Yeu by bike

The tour of the island of Yeu by bike
The tour of the island of Yeu by bike

L'Île-d'Yeu

The 10 most beautiful beaches in Vendée

The 10 most beautiful beaches in Vendée
The 10 most beautiful beaches in Vendée

L'Île-d'Yeu

Castles to visit in Vendée

Castles to visit in Vendée
Castles to visit in Vendée

L'Île-d'Yeu

The Vendée as a couple, a lovely break for two

The Vendée as a couple, a lovely break for two
The Vendée as a couple, a lovely break for two

23,7 km - Saint-Jean-de-Monts

The top of the most beautiful markets in Vendée

The top of the most beautiful markets in Vendée
The top of the most beautiful markets in Vendée

23,7 km - Saint-Jean-de-Monts

To discover around

Island of Yeu

Island of Yeu
Island of Yeu

Here we are again at sea, the island of Yeu whose area is approximately half that of Noirmoutier (23km2), it is a ...

L'Île-d'Yeu

The Old Castle

The Old Castle
The Old Castle

The Old Castle of the Ile d'Yeu is perched on a rocky promontory, on the Côte de Lumière. Its natural environment ...

2,0 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Fishing and Sea Rescue Museum

Fishing and Sea Rescue Museum
Fishing and Sea Rescue Museum

On the island of Yeu, settled the Museum of fishing and sea rescue. It presents many boat models, to learn more ...

2,0 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

LE GRAND PHARE

LE GRAND PHARE
LE GRAND PHARE

2,7 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Plage Centrale

Plage Centrale
Plage Centrale

20,4 km - Notre-Dame-de-Monts

Ride around

Vélocéane 2012 sur l'île d'Yeu

Vélocéane 2012 sur l'île d'Yeu
Vélocéane 2012 sur l'île d'Yeu

1,5 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Velo hybrid Mountain bike Bike / road

La Sente de la Meule - L'île d'Yeu

La Sente de la Meule - L'île d'Yeu
La Sente de la Meule - L'île d'Yeu

1,5 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Walking

La Sente des Marais - L'île d'Yeu

La Sente des Marais - L'île d'Yeu
La Sente des Marais - L'île d'Yeu

1,6 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Walking

Le GR80 - Tour de L'île d'Yeu à pied

Le GR80 - Tour de L'île d'Yeu à pied
Le GR80 - Tour de L'île d'Yeu à pied

1,8 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Walking

Tour de L'île d'Yeu à vélo

Tour de L'île d'Yeu à vélo
Tour de L'île d'Yeu à vélo

1,8 km - L'Île-d'Yeu

Velo hybrid

By continuing to navigate, you authorize the deposit of third-party cookies for audience measurement purposes. Some pages of the site offer videos whose platforms also deposit cookies.