La
Rochelle is France's 2nd largest boat building port and the historic Vieux Port
remains largely unchanged. A daily fish market can be found in the old town until 12:00
midday. The port is very attractive and waterside cafés and restaurants offer a relaxing
break. The seafood platters are their speciality and are excellent especially for large
groups, where a single huge dish of shellfish is produced. The new marina holds Europe's
largest aquarium which is open 365 days a year and has a large selection of fish from
highly coloured tropical types to eels and sharks. Well worth a visit at approximately £4
per person.
Futuroscope is situated near
Poitiers, it combines latest cinematic developments with the entertainment and fun of a
theme park. there are a dozen or so main attractions comprising some of the largest cinema
screens in the world (seven storeys high), 3-d special effects, flight simulators, cinema
seats on hydraulic pedestals, all around cinema with picture that extends underneath you,
360degree cinema screens, huge curved screens etc. These all show spectacular 20 minute
films on various topics. There are also educational areas showing the history of cinema,
and numerous restaurants and cafés. There are a number of smaller attractions also which
include pedalos, fun mirrors, slides etc. Be warned though queues in peak holiday periods
are massive, best to do this outside main French holiday periods. Costs approximately £15
per adult.
Mervent is only a short bike ride
from L'Hermenault, it has a dam and a large reservoir. The area has been developed with
tourism in mind. There are large wooded areas ideal for walking and particularly mountain
biking. There are places where pedalos and wind surfers can be hired, and wind surfing
lessons are offered at reasonable rates. There are also restaurants, a small zoo and a
very extensive fun park known as 'Pierre Brune', which has dozens of rides from castles,
crazy bikes, and slides to hamster wheels and see-saws. This is good value at
approximately £3.
Venise Vert is the canal system the
Vendée is famous for. There are numerous places (Maillezais is one of the best, 20 min
drive from L'Hermenault) where small rowing boats can be hired (with or without guides).
Maps are provided and you can navigate round canal systems to set routes. The canals range
from 20m wide to narrow stretches barely wide enough for the boat. All the canals are
completely covered with a very distinctive weed giving them the appearance of flat green
land, hence the 'Venise Vert' name. At Maillezais there is also a restaurant, souvenir
shop and crazy golf course. A fun day out, though beware, boat hire is more expensive than
you would expect.
Puy de Fou is well worth a visit, by
day there is a theme park which includes mediaeval jousting, villages with traditional
crafts and actors dressed in the period of the day. The highlight is a twice daily display
of falconry. The display is held in an amphitheatre with hawks, falcons and eagles
swooping over the crowd and collecting food from the falconers who are dressed in
traditional costume. This includes every bird of prey you have ever imagined including
some enormous vultures. Great fun and highly professional ! By night during the summer Puy
de Fou is renowned for holding France's foremost Son et Lumière spectacle. This is a
re-enactment of the dress history in full costume by night and includes battle scenes,
village life and laser special effects set around a castle and lake. It includes a cast of
hundreds of locals and is carried out on Friday and Saturday nights. Every show is sold
out in the height of summer, but tickets can be booked in advance. There is also an
English translation available on cassette. If you wish to go to the evening event and get
the translation this can be booked in advance by credit card.
Île de Ré is a quiet island off La
Rochelle, a new road bridge makes it accessible by car. It is picturesque and has numerous
beaches, cafés, towns and parks. The cost for the toll bridge is approximately £10 but
is free if you cycle or walk out to the island. There is also a very good value golf
course on the island.
Cognac is approximately 1½ hours
drive south and well worth a visit for the connoisseur. In the centre of the town the best
tour is that of the Otard distilleries, where cognac has been made for hundreds of years.
A sample session follows the tour, but drivers beware, new laws on drink driving are more
strict than UK.
Saumur is more for the wine buff, it
is similar distance north and this town on the Loire also offers numerous caves (cellars)
along with various historic buildings.
St Emilion is ½ hour drive south of
Cognac, this historic wine producing region is for the red wine enthusiasts and boasts
excellent tours of vineyards and historic sites.
Beaches in the Vendée are
excellent, clean and sandy. The nearest are approximately 40km away and take a little
under an hour to reach. There are three resorts next to each other on the coast, la
Tranche-sur-Mer, l'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, and la Faute-sur-Mer . All are excellent for
families, for the larger more touristy type of resort les Sables-d'Olonne offers full
facilities expected of a more commercialised resort. This very popular resort is 70km away
and takes approximately 1½ to reach.
Vouvant is a quiet historic town
with a church overlooking a valley and river. There is a very good crêperie and pedalos
can be hired out by the hour. This is ideal for the kids as it is only 15 minutes away.
The following sites are recommended for
additional information on the area.
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