THE VENDÉE ❘ LES SABLES D’OLONNE


“RECOGNISED AMONG ‘THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAYS IN THE WORLD’, LES SABLES D’OLONNE WEARS ITS MARITIME HERITAGE ON ITS SLEEVE”


FOCUS ON...


LES SABLES D’OLONNE M


ore than 300,000 people gather in the maritime city of Les Sables d’Olonne to celebrate its


most famous event, the Vendée Globe, which has started and fi nished in the city since its inauguration in 1989. The greatest round-the-world sailing race in existence sees competitors sail solo and unassisted, circumnavigating the globe over a period of around four months on the ocean waves. While the Vendée Globe takes place every four years (the next departure is November 10, 2024), epic adventures, both on- and off-water, have become a cornerstone of life in Les Sables d’Olonne. Since 2019, the city has hosted the IronMan 70.3 (the fi fth edition takes place in July 2023). Other events take place here regularly, such as the Mini Transat sailing race, the Vendée Va’a Polynesian Canoe Races, the Solo Maître CoQ sailing race and the Golden Globe Race, a throwback to the British- born 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, in which hardy sailors traverse the globe in vintage vessels without the aid of GPS or modern navigation technology. Whatever time of year you visit Les Sables d’Olonne, chances are there will be a national or international sporting event taking place.


122 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Feb/Mar 2023


CITY BY THE SEA


A port of call since Roman times and now recognised among ‘the most beautiful bays in the world’, it’s little surprise that Les Sables d’Olonne wears its maritime heritage on its sleeve. The second largest city in the Vendée is a sprawling seafront metropolis anchored by its central canal and four ports (fi ve if you count the Port à sec, where pleasure boats are stacked three-high on steel racks), all bound together by 15 miles of Atlantic coastline.


The sandy Grande Plage extends along the city’s southern shore, and it’s one of the best urban beaches in the Vendée, affording ample opportunities for surfi ng, sailing, paddleboarding, and just about any water sport you can imagine. Rent a bike or trottinette (city parking fi lls up quickly, especially along the beachfront) to admire the grand 19th- and 20th-century villas along Le Remblai, the two-mile-long seafront promenade, which extends all the way to the Plage de Tanchet, a popular surfi ng spot. Nearby, the four-star Côte Ouest spa-hotel pairs magnifi cent ocean views with world-class gastronomy – snag a table for the à volonté Sunday lunch seafood buffet. Back in the Centre-Ville, leave yourself time to fl âner among the


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