If my experience at a recent exhibition at St Pancras train station is anything to go by, the Vendée isn’t a region well known by many British holidaymakers.

Which is a shame, because the Vendée is one of the most fantastic family holiday destinations in France. There are beautiful wild beaches as well as very civilised towns with excellent shopping and restaurants. The region also boasts more 3* and 4* holiday parcs than any other part of France – there are two fantastic siblu parcs, Le Bois Masson and Le Bois Dormant.

So, this is the siblu guide to things to see and do in the Vendée. I’ve covered cycling, the best towns at the magnificent Puy du Fou, but please don’t hesitate to add your comments.

The region is nestled between Brittany and Charente Maritime, and is known for its 140kms of big sandy beaches, sunshine and surf.

The beaches in the Vendée are truly stunning and will ruin you for any others, as you’ll forever be comparing them and finding others are ‘just not quite up to the Vendée standard’.

Cycle friendly Vendee
There has been lots of recent work to make the Vendée a cycle-friendly destination, so now there are 475 miles of cycle paths along the coast, with many picturesque routes.

I can recommend the ride around the woods and seaside at St Jean de Monts (you can swap your bikes for a flat boat at one point). If hiring a bike is too much hard work, then hire a Rosalie, a canopy covered pedal car with steering wheel and break lever. It sounds silly, but you see lots in the main town of St Jean de Monts.

Continuing the theme, the Velo Rail is a wheeled platform that runs on disused rail tracks – it’s a unique way to see the region.

Favourite towns
St Jean-de-Monts, the nearest town to Le Bois Masson and Le Bois Dormant, has a beautiful sandy beach, which the locals consider one of the most stunning in France. There is also a market everyday in the town centre, at which you can buy the most wonderful fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, and even a butcher who smokes his own quail. Close to Le Bois Masson is a vineyard outlet where you can get award winning Muscadet at very low prices.

Les Sables d’Olonne is the smartest resort on the coast. The long beach, bustling seafront and chic shops have earned Les Sables d’Olonne the nickname ‘mini Nice’. The beach is the main centre of activity but you should also take some time to visit the food markets. The central market hall is open seven mornings a week in summer and there’s a fish market on the quay that serves up the day’s catch from 3.30pm.

Plush Ile de Noirmutier, which is linked to the coast by a three-mile tidal causeway that is only passable at low tide, offers excellent individual shops, vibrant restaurants, wonderful ancient houses and a 12th century abbey. It’s like visiting a tropical island, but it does get too busy on a Sunday. Your children can also enjoy a taste of the past with the old-fashioned bathing huts or they can relax on the unspoilt beaches (Bois de La Chaize is the prettiest), clamber around the ruins of the 7th century monastery or get wet at the Oceanile waterpark.

The small warm island of L’Ile d’Yeu simply exudes charm from its whitewashed villages and welcoming beaches. Bikes are the best way to explore and if you resist the temptation to stop, swim, dive or take photos you could cover the whole island in an afternoon! If you want to admire some of the man- made sights, there is the Grand Phare lighthouse or the ruins of Vieux Chateau fortress.

St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is famed for its fresh sardines. The vintage ‘sardines millésimées’ are supposed to be laid down like fine wine! For children with short attention spans, there is a tiny museum called the Maison du Pêcheur, which used to be a fisherman’s cottage.

Apremont, which is 30mins drive from Les Bois, is a pretty village with a medieval castle, a large lake and a sandy beach. You can hire pedalos, flat-bottomed boats and canoes to paddle leisurely around the lake. Once you’ve worked up an appetite you can justify trying out the bar and restaurant which have stunning views over the lake.

Theme parcs
The outstanding attraction of the region is Puy du Fou, a medieval theme park where you can relive 2,000 years of French history.

It is made up of ‘villages’ that represent a different era, and there is a 600 seat Roman stadium which hosts Gladiator and Viking shows. Throughout the day there are performances of falconry, jousting, magic and music.

In the evenings, the park explodes into life when a thousand local volunteer actors stage a historical sound and music extravaganza. Make sure you book your tickets in advance, as every show gets sold out in the summer.

Puy du Fou is essentially a series of noisy, smoky, live spectaculars dedicated to violence through the ages. In one afternoon, you can take in a Roman circus, a Viking longboat and a 19th century town.

It’s a fantastic day out for children, young and old, and you’ll find it hard to tear them away from the shows.

Tags | cycling in the Vendee, family holidays in France, French beaches, Ile de Noirmutier, Le Bois Dormant, Le Bois Masson, Puy du Fou, Sables d'Olonne, St Jean-de-Monts, velo rail, Vendee