Saint-Jean-de-Monts travel guide

Visit Saint-Jean-de-Monts (Pays de la Loire, France)

Saint-Jean-de-Monts is one of the more popular of the coastal resorts along the Vendee coast in western France, predominantly because of the long sandy beaches along the coast here. This section of coast is known as the 'Cote de Lumière'.

It is situated between Noirmoutier to the north-west and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez to the south-east, and the island you can see out to sea on a clear day is the Ile d'Yeu.

Explore Saint-Jean-de-Monts

France This Way review: Saint-Jean-de-Monts is more lively than the small resorts in the region such as Notre-Dame-de-Monts but much quieter and less developed (and less parking challenges) than Les Sables d'Olonne: ideal if you want somewhere in between the two!

The main focus of any visit to Saint-Jean-de-Monts is going to be the beach. This is an extensive eight kilometres long stretch of well maintained sand (it has received the Blue Flag award for cleanliness) that is ideal for almost any beach activity you can think of...and several you haven't yet thought of! Sand-yachting is particularly popular.

The beach slopes very gently into the sea so it is shallow for a large distance with minimal waves, and there are lifeguards in several places, which explains why Saint-Jean-de-Monts is so popular with families with small children. There is a long pedestrian pier on the beach in the centre of the town.

Note: there are actually several beaches in Sant-Jean-de-Monts, to add a bit of variety to your visit. The most important are the Grand Plage in the centre of the town and the Plage des Demoiselles to the south. Some of the beaches allow dogs, which are not permitted on the principal beaches.

A substantial length of the beaches is also backed by forests, planted in the 19th century, as was the case along a substantial part of the French Atlantic coast, to prevent erosion. These forests now provide numerous opportunities for shady walks.

The whole seafront area in Saint-Jean-de-Monts has been improved over recent years, especially around the seafront area, with a focus on improving access for jogging, walking and cycling along the seafront - so if you haven't visited for quite a while it might be time to return!

Just behind the beach you can enjoy a stroll along the promenade, or visit one of the many shops and restaurants. Of course you will also find a casino, almost obligatory in any French seaside resort!

Other activities

Although sea-facing activities occupy most visitors to Saint-Jean-de-Monts be sure to allow time to explore the environment of the area.

Just a short distance inland from the town an extensive area of marshes and flat fields provides an interesting contrast to the town, or you can take a walk through the large forest. In places it is possible to hire a boat to better explore the marshes.

The town of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is not far to the south-west of here and has a vibrant centre, and day trips to the islands of Noirmoutier and Ile d'Yeu are very popular.

See more of the popular Vendée resorts and beaches

See more seaside resorts in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Vendee guide and the Pays de la Loire guide.