Camping in Vendée

Why we love holidays in the Vendée

Golden sandy beaches, colourful fishing villages and mysterious islands just off-shore. It’s no wonder family holidays to Vendée are so popular with Eurocamp customers. The landscape can be wild and exhilarating here, with dramatic coastlines and ancient fortresses, but at its heart, this central French coastline is a big softie at heart, with billowing dunes and cosy villages - and the food is simply sensational with fresh seafood, regional wines, and aperitifs that will win you over completely.

Vendée, with its remarkable blend of coastal beauty and historical significance, has a fascinating story stretching back thousands of years, evidenced by medieval castles, ancient monasteries, and traditional salt marshes that continue operating today. Modern Vendée is a region featuring world-class surfing and cycling along 1,000 kilometres of safe routes as well as thrilling theme park experiences and explorations of luminous islands accessible by causeway or bridge.

Sailing catamarans on the shoreline of a Vendée beach

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The essence of Vendée

Beaches galore

Take a journey along the Atlantic coastline and experience the thrill of mile after mile of golden sandy beaches sloping into clear blue waters. From the pillowy dunes and soft sands to wide horizons and blazing sunsets, Vendée's coastline creates the perfect setting for seaside adventures and sandcastle building.

Charming coastal resorts

The region showcases delightful towns each with their own distinctive character. From the fishing town of St Gilles Croix-de-Vie with its popular markets and excellent restaurants to La Rochelle known as the "White City" for its gleaming limestone architecture, every coastal settlement offers authentic French charm.

Island living

There are magical offshore escapes waiting to be discovered. Île de Noirmoutier, reached by causeway at low tide or by an impressive bridge, is fringed with fine beaches, with its interior of peaceful countryside. L'île d'Oléron earns its reputation as the luminous island through spectacular pale sandy beaches and pristine natural environments.

Our favourite things to do in Vendée

Fun days out

Le Puy du Fou has to be seen to be believed. It’s a one-of-a-kind, and ‘very’ French theme park. Medieval village experiences bring French history to life through daily battle reenactments, magnificent firework displays, and immersive attractions that transport families back through the centuries. Atlantic Toboggan waterpark in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez delivers refreshing aquatic thrills, including the adrenaline-pumping Kamikaze and Boa toboggans.

Zoo des Sables d'Olonne provides fascinating wildlife encounters where children can spot over 270 animals ranging from jaguars to giraffes, whilst learning about conservation through the zoo's sanctuary that shelters more than 40 endangered species. Les Sables d'Olonne, we’d say, is the perfect seaside resort experience with its magnificent sandy beach, narrow cobbled streets packed with colourful restaurants.

A family in the sea learning to windsurf

Getting active

Cycling through Vendée offers the region's most popular outdoor activity, with an extensive network of 1,000 kilometres of safe cycle routes crossing the entire region, including a spectacular coastal route stretching over 160 kilometres from North to South Vendée. Surfing and water sports are thrilling, too. If your family hankers after Atlantic adventures along the coastline, head anywhere from St Gilles Croix de Vie to La Tranche sur Mer, where consistent waves create paradise conditions for beginners through to experts.

Kite surfing and sand yachting add exciting alternatives for adrenaline seekers. Golf enthusiasts can choose from five superb courses ranging from coastal delights like Golf des Olonnes and Golf de St Jean de Monts to inland splendours such as Golf des Fontelles and Golf de la Domangère.

Cultural hotspots

La Rochelle is one of our favourite French seaside cities. Built from gleaming limestone, the ancient harbour is surrounded by medieval towers and creates one of France's most picturesque maritime settings. Time your visit right and summer festivals and shows bring the waterfront alive with music and entertainment. Les Sables d'Olonne combines modern seaside resort amenities with rich maritime heritage as the Vendée's main yachting harbour and one of the Atlantic's most important commercial ports.

The Château de Talmont St Hilaire is a magnificent example of medieval military architecture, where guided tours reveal the fortress's strategic importance. Île de Noirmoutier preserves centuries of traditional island life alongside a 7th-century monastery, where you can explore historic salt marshes that continue to operate using ancient methods.

Our favourite things to see in Vendée

Historic sites

The Château de Talmont St Hilaire is one of France's most strategically important medieval fortresses, where its water-surrounded position once defended against Norman invasions whilst hosting French royalty and Crusader leaders including Richard the Lion Heart, with remarkably preserved walls and towers telling dramatic stories of medieval warfare and royal intrigue. Île de Noirmoutier's 7th-century monastery recalls early Christian settlements in the region.

La Rochelle's medieval towers guard one of France's most beautiful historic harbours, where the iconic Tour de la Chaîne, Tour Saint-Nicolas, and Tour de la Lanterne. These three stone sentinels protected the wealthy trading port from naval invasions and controlled harbour traffic for over 700 years. Throughout the coastal towns, numerous churches and historic buildings showcase the region's architectural heritage, from Romanesque coastal chapels to Gothic town churches that served fishing communities for centuries.

Cities and towns worth seeing

La Rochelle is a must. One of France's most beautiful harbours, it’s protected by medieval towers and alive with summer festivals, excellent restaurants, and maritime museums that celebrate the city's history as an independent trading republic. Les Sables d'Olonne is simply beautiful, and is the perfect blend of traditional seaside charm and modern resort.

Your family will love a day in St Gilles Croix-de-Vie, still an authentic-feeling French fishing village with a working harbour where traditional boats unload daily catches, bustling markets offer the freshest seafood, and excellent restaurants serve local specialities in atmospheric settings. Talmont-sur-Gironde crowns a dramatic cliff position where the Romanesque Sainte-Radegonde church overlooks the Gironde estuary, whilst narrow stone streets lined with traditional houses create one of France's most picturesque villages. There is history and beauty at every turn here.

Natural wonders

The Vendée coastline isn’t short of drama and beauty. Île de Noirmoutier is home to unique tidal phenomena where the Passage du Gois causeway becomes accessible only at low tide, creating a thrilling crossing experience to an island paradise of unspoilt beaches, traditional salt marshes, and peaceful countryside dotted with windmills and coastal villages.

L'île d'Oléron lives up to its reputation as the luminous island through spectacular play of light across endless pale-sand beaches, pine forests, and pristine nature reserves where cycling paths wind through protected ecosystems supporting diverse wildlife including the famous Oléron oysters. The Marais Poitevin inland creates a mysterious Green Venice of canals and waterways where traditional flat-bottomed boats glide silently through tunnels formed by overhanging trees, whilst the wetlands provide crucial habitat for migrating birds and rare aquatic plants.