Camping holiday resources around Les Sables d'Olonne  on the Atlantic coast of the Vendee, western France

Les Sables lies near to Talmont St Hilaire mid way between St Jean de Monts and La Tranche, one of the most southerly towns in the Vendee. It is one of the larger towns in the region but still retains a certain charm of it's own, and there are stacks of camping sites in the near vicinity.

Les Sables is arguably one of the easiest resorts on the western coast to get to - they are all easy but if you are travelling the longest route from Calais then all you have to do is to get onto the A 16 autoroute and follow signs for the larger towns and cities like Rouen, Le Mans, Angers, Cholet and finally Les Sables. You effectively won't need a map until you are near to your destination for which you should have been supplied with directions.

From Le Havre and Caen it's easier still, and quicker too, so just follow signs for Le Mans, Angers, Cholet and Les Sables. Better still is the trip from St Malo which has to be the ferry port of choice for anyone taking holidays on the western coast of France. From there you just head straight down the page to Rennes, Nantes and La Roche sur Yon before entering Les Sables d'Olonne. A tip here for those navigating Nantes from the north; you need to get onto the Nantes peripherique (ring road) for which you will pick up a sign 4 km before the turn off. Follow signs for Bordeaux and this will take you round the peripherique where you need to exit at junction 48 and follow Bordeaux/La Roche signs. Once in La Roche you will pick up signs for Les Sables. QED.

Apparently Les Sables was the first yachting harbour in the Vendee, hosting several nautical events every year including the prestigious Vendée Globe race, and it is also one of the most important commercial ports on the Atlantic coast. It has a cracking beach as well but this very lively resort has loads more to offer in the surrounding areas for those who don't want to laze on the beach all day - I wish!

There are 20km or about 12.5 miles fairly of wild and untamed coastline within easy reach of the town. The main beach is the 3km or 2 miles long Grande Plage des Sables d'Olonne which is sandy and south facing. It is well sheltered and supervised, is ideal for families and is a safe place to relax and swim,
and the facilities there include dinghy sailing and sailboarding.

Another good beach option for families is the Plage du Tanchet at the southern end of the townOther beaches such as the Plage Les Granges and Plage de Sauveterre, both of which are in Olonne sur Mer, are less crowded but unsupervised. For nudists/naturists there is a naturist beach also at Olonne sur Mer, at the end of Plage les Granges. Watersports options include sea-kayaking, paragliding, sailing, diving, deep-sea fishing and jet-skiing - something to suit all tastes then.

There seems to be plenty of scope in Les Sables d'Olonne for both tent camping and mobile home holidays