Holidays in La Tranche-sur-Mer and surrounding areas: the unmissable ones!

The Vendée is a destination very popular with tourists, especially in summer when the sun warms tanned skin. This year, head to La Tranche-sur-Mer, a lively and dynamic seaside resort rightly nicknamed “Little California”. Between marshes, sandy beaches and forests, it's hard to get bored on these almost 15 km of activities. Pack your bags, we’re taking you on vacation to La Tranche-sur-Mer to discover the region’s must-see attractions!

The top 10 activities to do in La-Tranche-sur-Mer

1. Go to the beaches of Tranche-sur-Mer
2. Walking in the Longeville national forest
3. Discover surfing in La Tranche-sur-Mer
4. Test board sports: windsurf, catamaran, optimist, wingfoil, kitesurf, SUP, wakeboard…
5. Take a bike ride on the 40km of cycle paths in the village
6. Splash around to discover the joys of fishing on foot
7. Go visit the Parc des Floralies
8. Take advantage of the activities offered by the Tourist Office
9. Spend some time with family at the games library
10. Explore the markets in La Tranche-sur-Mer

The beaches of Tranche-sur-Mer

When a city name ends with “sea”, we quickly imagine the rolls of salt water that tread the pretty golden sand beaches. You have won! La Tranche-sur-Mer is breathtakingly beautiful with its long stretches of seaside, bordered by marshes and forests. The Blue Flag Label awarded to them proves the environmental quality of the beaches, which are supervised in summer. Swimming, surfing, sand yachting or relaxing, there is something for everyone. Vast central beach, family-friendly Sainte Anne beach, Phare beach with its grandiose dunes or magnificent and wild Terrière beach, choose the atmosphere you prefer.

Walk in the Longeville national forest

The particularity of Tranche-sur-Mer is that it is protected from the sand by the national forest of Longeville, an incredible wooded area whose south is part of the Marais Poitevin Regional Natural Park. Slightly north of the seaside resort, it can be reached by bike or on foot for the more adventurous. Another option is to go there by car, many parking lots are available and free, allowing you to go to the beaches. Hiking enthusiasts can reach Jards-sur-Mer and Faute-sur-Mer, or prefer to take the marked trails in the forest. Ideally located, it connects with the GR8 and the coastal path, and includes a section of the Vélodyssée for cyclists. Picnic areas and sports trails, everything is done to spend a beautiful day in the forest.

Surfing in La Tranche-sur-Mer

This Vendée seaside resort is famous for its surf spots with its beautiful sandy beaches, but above all its iodized waves. Amateur or experienced, just get into the water on the recommended beaches, such as Phare, Corps de Garde or La Terrière. Many surf schools offer equipment rental or supervised lessons to learn how to stand up on a board. It's not always easy to balance, but what a pleasure when you manage to surf a wave before diving into the salt water. Open all year round, the surf sites help young and old alike to have fun on a surfboard, whatever their level. The “Vogue & Vague” brand is also attributed to them, highlighting a professional nautical offer for families.

Test board sports: windsurf, catamaran, optimist, wingfoil, kitesurf, SUP, wakeboard…

Take advantage of being at the sea to try new activities, adrenaline and thrills are waiting for you with the 8 board sports schools located at the resort. The only risk is that of taking pleasure, whether with:

• Windsurfing, a variation of windsurfing for racing across the water at full speed,
• The catamaran, a two-hull boat ideal for going on excursions with several people,
• The optimist, a small boat very easy to maneuver,
• Wingfoil, a sport of balancing on a board pulled by a hang glider-shaped wing,
• Kitesurfing, an acrobatic sport for doing tricks with a board above the water thanks to the reach of a kite,
• Stand Up Paddle, a calm but energetic activity to row on a board,
• Wakeboarding, an adaptation of water skiing with a board.

Have fun all summer long at Tranche-sur-Mer, the beaches are sunny and the water activities are fun to practice alone or with others.

Travel by bicycle on the 40km of cycle paths in the village

You can forget the car once you arrive, Tranche-sur-Mer advocates eco-tourism and obtains the “Territoire Vélo” label, a first for Vendée. Explore the city by riding on the 40 km of secure cycle paths, which take you to the markets, along the beaches or into the heart of the marshes. Everything is done by bicycle in this seaside resort where gentle mobility is valued. The 4 circuits allow you to travel in complete peace of mind, just like the Vélorue which is the new concept in La Tranche-sur-Mer. Pedal without stress, cars no longer have priority. What a pleasure to discover the beautiful landscapes of the Vendée with your hair in the wind and in complete freedom.

Go fishing on foot

With friends or family, fishing on foot is an activity that delights young and old. Grab your buckets and your landing nets, it's time to go in search of crustaceans. The best fishing spots on foot are on Grouin beach, and between Porte des Îles and Sainte Anne beach. Before leaving, remember to find out about the tide times and the safety instructions to follow. Discover the ocean differently on all fours, hands in the sand, looking for scallops and razor clams. Don't waste time, the activity only lasts during low tide, unless you want to extend it with a good swim after fishing.

Visit the Parc des Floralies

No need to wait for summer to enjoy this pleasant 8 hectare park, it is open all year round and what's more, it is free. Ready for a family day? There's plenty to keep children busy and they won't know where to turn between the animals and the activities. Discover the fauna and flora of the Vendée through various activities such as pony rides, the educational beehive or the aromatic plant garden. A restaurant area and picnic areas are available for a lunch break, before going back to admire the donkeys, donkeys and goats. Photo exhibitions are regularly set up at the Parc des Floralies, and activities organized throughout the summer. There's more than just the beach to have fun at La Tranche-sur-Mer!

Take advantage of the activities offered by the Tourist Office

La Tranche-sur-Mer develops its family appeal through fun activities, adapted to children and parents.

• Connected walks are digital treasure hunts for exploring the city on an adventure. Download the Baludik application and let yourself be guided for 1 hour to the 4 corners of the station.
• The treasure hunt allows us to come together around a common mission, for a precious moment of laughter and sharing. Put on your disguise, collect your equipment and let's go for 1 hour of hunting.
• The escape game is intended for teenagers and adults in teams, who have 3 hours of racing to discover the culprit of each mission. Borrow the kit from the Tourist Office, the routes can be done on foot or by bike.

The advantage is that each activity offers several missions to vary the pleasures during your stay.

A family moment at the games library

With family or friends, the Tranche-sur-Mer game library offers games for all ages and for all desires. On site or to take away, you will find educational toys for babies, dinette, small cars, more than a thousand board games and treasure hunts to play independently. You will have understood, it is easy to spend the day having fun with several people at the games island, the toy library of La Tranche-sur-Mer. Find out about the program of activities organized all year round, the themes vary between storytime and pajama evenings, musical awakening mornings for little ones or even game evenings where everyone can participate.

Explore the markets in La Tranche-sur-Mer

No vacation is complete without visiting at least one market. Friendly and lively, they allow you to meet the artisans and producers of the region. The delicate perfumes mix with the thousand colors of the diverse and varied stalls which present their specialties to you. Bouchot mussels, mogettes, Vendée brioche or Île de Ré potatoes are essential to taste in the different markets:

• In the city center on Tuesday and Saturday mornings,
• At La Grière on Wednesday mornings during the summer season,
• At La Terrière with a small local market on Sunday mornings in summer.

Take the opportunity to bring back a souvenir from Vendée with the fleur de sel, the troussepinette or seaside-themed decorations.

Time passes too quickly during the holidays, it's already time to return after an emotional stay. Thanks to this article, we are sure that you had a great time and who knows, maybe you will come back on vacation next year for new must-sees in La Tranche-sur-Mer?

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