Vendee-Holiday - Local Activities

MARKET DAYS

Listed Below, you find the days at which Town the markets are held.

Foire = a larger event, sometimes held once a month.
Unless otherwise stated, all markets are held in the morning, finishing around 12.30pm.

MONDAY

Aizenay, 1st & 3rd Mondays of month; Jard-sur-Mer; Longeville-sur-Mer  (Foire 1st Monday of month); Merlin-Plage (July & Aug), nr St-Hilaire-de-Riez; La Roche-sur-Yon (bigger on 2nd Monday of month); Les Sables-d'Olonne central market  (July & Aug only); Touvois (Loire-Atlantique), 2nd & 4th Mondays of month.

TUESDAY

Challans  (plus Foire on 2nd Tuesday of month); La Roche-sur-Yon; Les Sables-d'Olonne , central market; Les Sables-d'Olonne, Arago (inc outdoor stalls); St-Gilles-sur-Vie (south of river); Sion-sur-l'Océan, nr St-Gilles; La Tranche-sur-Mer, Place de la Liberté.

WEDNESDAY

Croix-de-Vie (north side of river Vie, at St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie); Les Sables-d'Olonne , central market; St-Jean-de-Monts; Soullans, last Wednesday of month, Foire;

THURSDAY

Beauvoir-sur-Mer; Brétignolles-sur-Mer;  La Roche-sur-Yon; Les Sables-d'Olonne  (central market); St-Gilles-sur-Vie (south of river); St-Hilaire-de-Riez; St Michel-en-l'Herm.

FRIDAY

 L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer; Brem-sur-Mer (July & August); Challans (indoor);  Les Sables-d'Olonne  (central market); Ste-Hermine; Sion, nr St-Gilles; Soullans.

SATURDAY

 La Barre-de-Monts; Bouin; Bourgneuf-en-Retz (Loire-Atlantique); Challans (indoor); Chantonnay; Chavagnes-en-Paillers; Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), 8am-5pm; Coëx; Coulon (Deux-Sevres); Croix-de-Vie (north of river); Les Essarts; La Faute-sur-Mer; Fontenay-le-Comte ; Les Herbiers; Luçon; Merlin-Plage (July & August), nr St-Hilaire-de-Riez (afternoon); Montaigu; Le Poiré-sur-Vie; Port-Joinville, Ile d'Yeu; La Roche-sur-Yon (largest of the week); Les Sables-d'Olonne  (central market); St-Jean-de-Monts; Talmont-St-Hilaire; La Tranche-sur-Mer, Place de la Liberté

SUNDAY

Beauvoir-sur-Mer; Brétignolles-sur-Mer; La Faute-sur-Mer; La Guérinière, Noirmoutier; Maillé (July & August); Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile; Notre-Dame-de-Monts; Notre-Dame-de-Riez (15 June-15 Sept); Olonne-sur-Mer; Les Sables-d'Olonne  (central market); St-Florent-des-Bois, 1st Sunday of month, "Marché de la Nature" (farmers' market); St-Gilles-sur-Vie (south of river); St-Hilaire-de-Riez; St-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu (Loire-Atlantique); Soullans.

There is  no guarantee given as to their accuracy or of the size of the Markets. Please check with the local information office before travelling

SURFING

 Surfing is big in the Vendée, especially in the south, the area around La Tranche and Longeville.  

And here are some shops for surfers (and also skateboarders) to look for the latest equipment:

-Point Break in St Gilles Croix de Vie
-Bahia surf shop in Les Sables-d'Olonne
-Extreme in Les Sables-d'Olonne
-Le Palmier in La Tranche-sur-Mer
-Nova Fun in La Tranche-sur-Mer
-L'Embarcadero in La Roche-sur-Yon

WALKING

Every village seems to have its board with map of waymarked routes. If you plan a considerable amount of walking in an area, it is a good idea to look for an Ordnance Survey-style map - the "blue" series of IGN maps fills the bill.
Begin by asking at the tourist office for "sentiers de randonnée" (footpaths) - sometimes these will be illustrated on free maps, sometimes in a more substantial book for which a charge is made. It's invidious to single out particular areas, but there are quite a lot of routes around Le Poiré-sur-Vie (near Aizenay); also some very enjoyable ones around St-Etienne-du-Bois (near Palluau); others along the cliffs towards the Pointe du Payré at Jard; routes through the forests of Mervent and Longeville-sur-Mer; and some pretty ones in sunken lanes around Apremont.

GOLF

With its five 18-hole courses the Vendée is, understandably, described as "très golfique". A "Vendée Golf Pass" - gives you one round on each course. (Vendée Golf Pass information from tel: 02 51 54 57 57; fax 02 51 55 45 77.)
The golf courses usually have good restaurants, open to all.

Golf des Fontenelles, on D6 near Coëx, 85220 L'Aiguillon-sur-Vie (tel: 02 51 54 13 94/fax: 02 51 55 45 77)
Golf de St-Jean-de-Monts, 85160 St-Jean-de-Monts (tel: 02 51 58 82 73; fax: 02 51 59 90 98)
Golf des Olonnes, Pierre-Levée, 85340 Olonne-sur-Mer (tel: 02 51 33 16 16; fax: 02 51 33 10 45)
Golf de la Domangère, 85310 Nesmy, nr La Roche-sur-Yon (tel: 02 51 07 60 15/ fax: 02 51 07 64 09)
Golf de Port-Bourgenay, 85440 Talmont-St-Hilaire (tel: 02 51 23 35 45; fax: 02 51 23 35 48)

   Forgotten to bring your clubs? You can hire them on the spot at the above courses.

GOKARTING

There are several go-karting centres, foir adults and children, in and around the Vendée. Try Challans, St Reverend, Olonne-sur-Mer, La Roche-sur-Yon, and just north of the Vendée at Corcoué-sur-Logne.