The Vendée may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a cycling holiday in France. But anyone who thinks you should only be in the Alps or Pyrenees for beautiful cycling routes has clearly never been on a road bike on the Atlantic coast. Located in western France, between Nantes and La Rochelle, the region offers a surprising mix of coastal roads, forests, open plains and rolling inland. What's hot: the area has very good bike lanes with length of 1800 kilometres and of this, 1160 km is along the French coast. Thus, the Vendée has one of the largest if not the largest France's cycling network. With that in mind, it is not surprising that the Vendée was allowed to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France several times. This is France as you would hope it would be: quiet, bike-friendly and full of charming villages and vast landscapes.
Cycling in Vendée is ideal for those who like to pace themselves on quiet roads, combined with the occasional short climb or if you want to cool off by the sea breeze. The Vendée region has been investing in cycling for years. They were themselves sponsors of a cycling team for a while. As a result, the road network is perfectly maintained and there are hundreds of kilometres of well-signposted cycling routes, including the famous Vélodyssée - a long-distance cycling route along the Atlantic coast. But there are also plenty of challenging and varied routes for the sporty road cyclist.
Here you don't ride mountain passes of 2,000 metres high, but rather longer rides where you smoothly roll through the rolling countryside. That makes it perfect for training weeks or an active holiday. Plus, many roads are car-free and the locals are used to cyclists. Add the delicious food, relaxed atmosphere and salty ocean air, and you can see why more and more cyclists are heading to this region.
The Vendée is not known for its mountains, but there are plenty of climbs to sharpen your calves. Think of the Côte de Pouzauges, the slope to Mont des Alouettes, or the climb to Mervent, overlooking the reservoir of the same name. Climbs of 1 to 2 kilometres with percentages from 6 to 10% are no exception here - perfect for building rhythm or training your punch.
France has a number of islands and some peninsulas. When it comes to peninsulas, the Île de Nourmoitier is a very famous one. It is not very big, but it is very well known, if only because of the Passage du Gois, which caused a lot of comotion in the 1999 Tour de France. The island of Noirmoutier in France is a little seaside paradise for sea and nature lovers thanks to its exceptional microclimate. The passage du Gois, which we mentioned earlier, is a road that is flooded at high tide but can be driven over at low tide. One-third of the island is covered by marshes and salt pans. Along the coastline you will find dunes like in the Netherlands where you will find the typical conifers.
Cycling in the Marais Poitevin: discover the green heart of Vendée
The Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park, in the south of the Vendée, is one of France's most extraordinary natural areas. This unique landscape, once completely flooded, has been transformed by centuries of human effort into a maze of waterways, meadows and swamp forests. The area is called the Green Venice named. Thanks to its rich biodiversity and wonderfully peaceful surroundings, the Marais Poitevin is a paradise for cycling enthusiasts who love to get out into nature. Perfect for slow tourism.
If you want to go Cycling in the Vendée then this is definitely the place to go: here you will drive on quiet towpaths along the canals, through picturesque villages and along leafy country roads. The park is officially recognised as Parc Naturel Régional and has prestigious titles such as "Grand Site de France" and "European Destination of Excellence". So it is in the same league as, among others, Puy de Dome, which is also a grand site de France. This makes it not only a jewel for nature lovers, but also one of the best places to cycling in the Marais Poitevin.
Although you can't cycle here, a visit to Puy de Fou is part of your (cycling) holiday in the Vendée. The amusement park is beautiful, but the area around it perhaps even more so. The scenic landscape around the Puy du Fou welcomes you with a delicate interplay of sunken paths, rolling hills, forests and lakes - a natural décor that lies like a theatre behind the villages. These mysterious 'backdrops' create intimate vistas and a special atmosphere that makes the region so enchanting. Along winding paths and beautiful so-called watercourses are beautiful little lakes, where you can also go fishing for a while. Should that be something for you. You can also just sit beside them and enjoy nature. For those looking for peace and quiet as well as mysticism in the nature surrounding the Puy du Fou, wish for the charm of this scenic landscape in any season.
From Les Sables-d'Olonne, you make a wonderful loop along the Atlantic coast. You follow the road towards Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and then drive back inland via Brem-sur-Mer. On the way, you pass salt pans, small fishing ports and surf beaches. The wind can be treacherous here, but the tarmac is tight and the sea views are worth every pedal stroke.
Inland Vendée is hilly, with tough climbs here and there. From Les Herbiers, you drive along quiet roads to Mont des Alouettes, with its old mills at the top. Not long, but steep. This route is perfect for those who want to climb without tapping 1000 altimeters right away.
La Roche-sur-Yon is the capital of the Vendée region and a great base. From here you can drive a loop through the so-called bocage-landscape: a mix of fields, hedges and forests. The roads there are narrow, winding and perfect for those who love variety. Along the way, you pass through villages where time seems to stand still.
A little further south is a beautiful route that starts and ends in Fontenay-le-Comte. This ride passes by the Marais Poitevin - a marshy nature reserve also known as the 'Green Venice'. Peace, nature and endless straights: ideal for those looking to rack up miles.
For real fanatics, the route largely follows the route of the one-day professional race Tour de Vendée. This race, part of the Coupe de France, lets you discover the interior of the region with quite a few altimeters, short punchy climbs and technical descents.
