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Leisure activities

The choice of activities is vast: from bird-watching to wind-sailing and from horse-riding to golfing. Below are some suggestions you may want to try. The distance you’ll have to travel for each activity is indicated in brackets .

WBeaches

Fromentine/La Barre-de-Monts (6 miles). Lovely sandy beach on the mainland side of the bridge that leads to Noirmoutier (see pictures below).

Notre-Dame-de-Monts (8 miles). Silky sand fills this wide, gently-shelving beach. Sand-yachting enthusiasts are often seen racing at low tide just to the north. To the south is the phenomenon known as the Pont d'Yeu, a sandy bank that dries out at extra-low tides and becomes paradise for shellfish-gatherers.

St-Jean-de-Monts (10 miles). St Jean boasts 5 miles of sandy beaches that are popular with families. Tall poles are stuck into the sand during the high season, topped with colourful emblems like a fish or a house to help children remember where to locate their families.

Les Sables d’Olonne (25 miles). Offers family bathing at the Grande Plage. Surfers enjoy the bigger waves at Le Tanchet (Le Chateau d’Olonne) and L’Aubraie.

WWalking, Cycling

Six bikes are available at Villa St Gervais for cycling trips along the country lanes or on the coastal cycling paths. The woods, forests and dunes off the Atlantic coast are perfect for hiking or cycling. There are a number of cycling paths running North to South. On the island of Noirmoutier, there are 6 walks to discover the island on foot (available from Tourism Office, Place du Chateau, Noirmoutier).

WHorse-riding

The following horse riding centers are all located within 15 miles of Villa St Gervais.

1. Centre Equestre des Presnes. Les Presnes, 85230 Saint Gervais. Telephone: 02 51 49 05 01
2. Welcome Ranch, 85230 Saint Gervais. Telephone: 06 07 64 48 35
3. Equi’Libre Les Animaux de la Ferme. Les Quatre Moulins, 85300 Sallertaine. Telephone: 02 51 35 52 03
4. Centre Equestre Poney-Club. Les Douèmes, 85300 Challans. Telephone: 02 51 93 33 37
5. Centre Equestre Herbaudière. Rue Puits Namer, 85740 Noirmoutier-en-L’Ile. Telephone: 02 51 39 59 38.

Bird-watching

Placed between the sea and the continent, the marais Breton Vendéen offers a rich biological diversity. With 45,000 hectares of wet meadows, polders and canals, this ancient gulf is a jewel of nature where a large variety of migrating birds can be found.

Bird Protection League: Natural Reserve of the Mullembourg Marshlands. Guided tours, nature walks, discovery of the birds, plants, shells. Open 9.00 to 19.00. Maison de la Réserve, 85330 Noirmoutier. Telephone: 02 51 35 81 16.

ACanoeing

PINTA La Route du Sel (4 miles): Visit the marshlands on canoe, find out about the birds, history and ecology of the marshlands. Half day or full day visits. 85300 Sallertaine. Telephone: 02 51 93 03 40.

CGolfing

The Golf Course of St Jean de Monts (10 miles)

Type: Links style parkland. Metres 5937m Par 72. Styled on the traditional Scottish links golf, this course provides plenty of variety and with its sandy subsoil, can be played all year round. The early holes at St Jean de Monts golf course wind through a natural pine forest and the latter part takes you close to the beach with views over the ocean and the Island of Yeu. Address: Avenue des Pays de la Loire, 85160 St Jean-de-Monts. Telephone: 02 51 58 82 73.