Prepare to get in a spin in the Vendée and bike through a network 1,000 km of safe cycle routes across the region. Watch out for a particularly spectacular route that stretches from North to South Vendée and clocks up over 160 km of coastline.

Surfing crashes into a league of its own in the Vendée. From St Gilles Croix de Vie all the way to La Tranche sur Mer, the Atlantic waves offer a surfing paradise for beginners through to experts.

The Vendée offers five superb golf courses ranging from the coastal delights of the Golf des Olonnes and Golf de St Jean de Monts, to the inland splendours of Gold des Fontelles and Golf de la Domangère. Green fees are also very reasonable here.

If you’re a dab hand at watersports or you fancy trying something new, you’ll find a host of windsurfing and sailing schools across the Vendée’s Atlantic cost. Take up their expert advice and make the most of activities you might not have heard of, like kite-surfing and sand yachting.