5 essential activities to do with the family in Vendée

The Vendée is an excellent family destination and for good reason. The beaches of the Vendée are renowned for their beauty, which is why it is called the "Côte de Lumière". It is dotted with comfortable seaside resorts. There are many free activities, fun entertainment and all kinds of water sports can be practiced here. You will make unusual visits to its salt marshes, typical of Vendée culture. In addition, it has major tourist sites renowned throughout the world, such as the Puy du Fou! Let's go for a discovery of the Vendée, through its most essential places to do absolutely with the family.

Photos of the article © Guide de la Vendée

sponsored content

1) The best beaches in the Vendée for families with children

The Vendée beaches are very suitable for family holidays, as they offer all kinds of services, designed to make their lives easier. Car parks are installed nearby, to avoid too long a walk. They are most often equipped with amenities. They are supervised during the summer season. You will find all kinds of shops there: catering, equipment rental to avoid carrying too many things, schools to learn about new sports. Entertainment is organized there to keep children of all ages busy. Here is a selection of the most family-friendly beaches:

The Ile d'Yeu has two facets. One is natural and wild, with small coves and secluded coves. The other has long sandy beaches, sheltered from 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 to shell-fish!
Saint-Jean-de-Monts and its easily accessible beaches: They are gently sloping and the youngest can swim there in complete safety. The Plage des Demoiselles has all the services of the town centre.
The Grande Plage of Les Sables-d'Olonne is very pleasant, for its shops, restaurants and nautical activities.

The 10 most beautiful beaches in the Vendée.

Saint-Jean-de-Monts beach

The sheltered beaches of the Ile d'Yeu

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

The seaside resorts of the Vendée are very popular tourist areas. It must be said that they give themselves the means to attract many tourists, to their delight! There are playgrounds for children. Fairgrounds, amusement parks, and inflatable game 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...
Longeville-sur-Mer, to discover during a treasure hunt.

The other seaside resorts of the Vendée.

La Barre-de-Monts and its nautical activities

3) Discover life in the Salt Marshes

The Vendée is an original region, especially 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, landscaped by salt marshes. It is extended by a marshy area of fresh water.

The foreshore is an expanse of sand or rock, which the tide covers. The foreshores are exploited for oyster production, but also salt. But they are also fishing spots on foot. They have been fitted with canals, which allow the tide to enter a little deeper inland.

The Marais Breton Vendéen extends over 45,000 hectares, over two departments. It is an unusual wetland that attracts specific fauna, including many birds. Some sites are essential to understand 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.
Les Marais Salants de la Vie de Saint-Hilaire-De-Riez for an immersive guided tour in the heart of the Vendée saltworks.
The Marais Salants de Noirmoutier to taste its potatoes, salt and oysters.

What to visit in Vendée?

Discover the northern coast and the Marais Breton Vendéen.

Noirmoutier and its salt marshes

sponsored content

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

Vouvant is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is a medieval site with a well-preserved heritage. Let yourself be told the legend of Mélusine, a fairy builder, who would have built the village in a single night! He is associated with the lords of Lusignan, who are among the great families of France. Its environment is rural and conducive to walking.

Visit Vouvant and its legend of Mélusine.

Vouvant and the Mélusine tower

5) The major tourist sites of the Vendée

The Vendée offers many activities to do with the family. Its large natural spaces have a lot of charm and have attracted major tourist sites. The most unmissable is the Puy du Fou and its breathtaking spectacle! But the Vendée also has a long history to tell you, especially through its medieval castles. Here are our favorite sites:

Puy du Fou, the most magical attraction site!
The Marais Poitevin, an unusual natural space…
The Château de Tiffauges, to go back in time to the Middle Ages.

The major tourist sites of Vendée

We still have plenty of other ideas...

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

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

sponsored content

Did you like our article? Find more on the Vendée Guide Blog! Find us also on the Facebook page of the Guide de la Vendée and on our Instagram account @guidedelavendee

Back to "Family Time"