Stroll in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez and along the Vendée Corniche

Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez is one of the largest seaside resorts on the Côte de Lumière. It is the longest frontage on the Atlantic, with many beaches and a very pleasant ledge for the ride. It is also very touristy and offers many leisure activities. Behind the sand dunes, stretches the Marais Breton Vendéen and its beautiful natural spaces. Direction Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, for a sporty, fun and exotic stay!

Photos of the article © Guide de la Vendée

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Visit of the seaside resort of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez

Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez is part of this string of seaside resorts that line the Vendée coast. It is located between Saint-Jean-de-Monts and Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. It is a long municipality which is divided into four areas: its fairly urbanized city center; the beaches of its coast; a portion of the Pays de Monts national forest; its gateway to the Marais Breton Vendéen.

In its city center, here are the monuments and places of leisure:  

• The neo-gothic Saint-Hilaire church
• The chapel of Sion
• The Maritime Museum la Livarde on the maritime past of the Sion district.
• The typical Belle Epoque villas in the Sion district and along the Corniche.
• The Terre Fort district is home to a large green space, where you can practice sports: football, tennis, skate. Children will enjoy the playground and the pirate ship.

Not far from the beaches, you will find leisure and game parks:  

• The Atlantique Toboggan is a water recreation area with giant slides.
• Beau Land Park is an amusement park and rides.
• The Jungle Park brings together all kinds of activities: rides, inflatable structures, jungle train, minigolf, trampoline...

You can enjoy the Pays de Monts Forest at the following tourist sites:  

• The Feeling Forest, a tree climbing park, with zip line and climbing wall.
• Dino's Park is a dinosaur-era theme park, including a show and a 4D cinema.

Near the marsh:  

• The Salt Marshes of Life are an educational space to discover the functioning of the salt marsh, the work of the salt worker and his biotope.
• The Musée de la Bourrine du Bois Juquaud takes you on a journey through time. Back in the ^19th century in the Vendée marshes...
• The Jardin des Rigonneries takes you on a poetic walk, along the colorful alleys with the delicate scents of roses and the sweet scents of geraniums... A playground is provided for children.

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Walk on the Vendée Corniche

The “ Sentier du Littoral ” borders the coast of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. This is the old Chemin des Douaniers. It is an easy and pedestrian hike, over 13 km, of which here are the stages:  

• At the start, you walk along the beaches of the town, on the dune cordon or nearby. The route is lined with information panels on the white and gray dunes, their fauna and flora.
• Then you arrive on the Promenade de la Mer, along the steep ledge. The view of the ocean and the waves crashing on the rocks is impressive. On the town side, the seaside villas are charming.
• By making a small detour, go to Trou du Diable. It is a geological curiosity that gives you the opportunity to get closer to the ocean and enjoy the panorama.
• The trail continues to Villa Grosse Terre at the end of the ledge and at the edge of the town.

The other hikes in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez:  

• The GR8 runs along the entire coast of the Vendée. The section between Saint-Jean-de-Monts and Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie takes you along part of the beaches of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez on the coastal path, then branches off into the Forêt des Pays de Monts, before joining the ledge. Here is the route of this portion of the GR8.
• The tourist office offers two hiking loops to discover the dunes and the marshes; the dune cordon of the mattes (fr).
  

For cyclists:

• The cycling loop n ° 21 crosses Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.
• The " Vélodyssée   »Represents 150 km of cycle routes along the Vendée coast. Here, the route of the cycle path that joins La-Barre-de-Monts in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, ocean side

The town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has a beautiful frontage on the Atlantic, with nearly 10 km of fine sand. Here is an overview of its main beaches and their characteristics:  

• The 60 terminals Beach continues with the Demoiselles Beach. It is a famous surf spot. You can learn or improve yourself in this sliding sport at the Saint-Hilaire nautical base. You can also rent sand yachts and all kinds of boats and boards: optimist, catamaran or canoe, windsurfing and windfoil, stand up paddle ...
• The Plage des Salins offers a space reserved for kitesurfing.
• The Becs, Mouettes and Pège beaches are family beaches, with all the amenities: free parking, toilets, access and launching for the disabled.
• Sion Beach also hosts a nautical base , with a beach club for children.
• On the Plage de Riez, there is an area for kites and it's a beautiful sight to watch.
• On the beaches of Cinq Pineaux and Busselories, water reservoirs form at low tide, where children can wade.

Find in this section all the beaches of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.

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We hope to have made you want to visit the seaside resort of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez and to walk on the Vendée coastal path. We just have to wish you happy holidays in Vendée.

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