THE VENDÉE ❘ SAINT JEAN DE MONTS


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SAINT JEAN DE MONTS


“THE BEACHES HERE ARE IDEAL FOR SWIMMING, WITH GENTLY SLOPING SANDS AND WAVES THAT WON’T KNOCK YOU OFF YOUR FEET”


T


here are few Vendéen vistas as magical as the oceanic panorama of the Estacade of Saint Jean de Monts. Whether you’ve come to watch the sunrise or sunset, cast a fishing line off the side, or spot the distant offshore lighthouse of the l’Île d’Yeu, a stroll along the 400m-long pier is the perfect introduction to Saint Jean de Monts. The northernmost of the Vendée’s flagship resorts, Saint Jean de Monts is the closest to Nantes (just over an hour’s drive), the gateway to the Atlantic islands of Noirmoutier and the Île d’Yeu, and a buzzing market town with daily markets from April through September. But it’s the beautiful beaches – almost 12 miles of soft sands and wave-lapped shores – that make Saint Jean de Monts the people pleaser that it is.


FROM BEACH TO MARSHES With 22 beaches, stretching from the Plage de la Grande Côte in the north to


116 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Feb/Mar 2023


the Plage des Demoiselles in the south, it’s easy to find a patch of sand to yourself even in the peak of summer. There’s ample free parking (yes, even in during July and August!), lifeguard stations along all the main beaches, and seasonal kids’ clubs and activities on the main Plage de la Baigneuse and Plage des Demoiselles. Look out for festivals and events throughout the spring and summer – the À Tout Vent kite festival in Notre-Dame-de-Monts (July) is a perennial favourite, and the mesmerising kaleidoscope of kites is a nod to the region’s windswept coastline. Those powerful Atlantic winds make the Saint Jean de Monts area a hotspot for kitesurfing and sand yachting, and its huge Water Sports Centre offers lessons in everything from stand-up paddleboarding to windsurfing and catamaran sailing. An added bonus is that many water sports can be enjoyed year-round; in fact, the best weather for kitesurfing is often in spring and


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