Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in 3 days

On both banks of the Vie, which divided two towns until they merged in 1967, where boats land Label Rouge sardines in the late morning.

A 1920s fisherman's cottage on Rue du Maroc, restored in 1993, whose two rooms and small yard show everyday life in a seafaring family.

Fine sand south of the Vie estuary, with a seafront promenade for walking or cycling, a gentle slope into the water and lifeguards in summer.

One of the rare rocky stretches of this sandy coast, between Saint-Gilles and Sion-sur-l'Océan, where a path follows low cliffs, coves and tumbled rocks.

At Brétignolles-sur-Mer, one of the best-known surf spots on the Atlantic coast north of the Gironde, with waves breaking over a rock reef.

One of the five named areas of the Fiefs Vendéens appellation, recognised in 2011, making Chenin and Grolleau Gris whites, rosés and light reds.

A reservoir inland near Landevieille, surrounded by woods and meadows, with a waymarked path around the water, freshwater fishing and paddling between the inlets.

Opened in 1982 at La Barre-de-Monts, it tells the story of the Marais Breton through a working salt marsh, thatched earth cottages and wetland trails.