Saint-Jean-de-Monts


Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

Geography

The town is situated in the west of the département, between Notre-Dame-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. It is split in two by a long plantation of pine trees, stretching from north to south along the coast. The centre-ville lies to the east of the cordon, while the seafront forms a center to the west.
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is known for its sandy beach, more than eight kilometres long. Due to its often low tides, it offers a great area for walkers, fishermen, and beach games.
The town is noteworthy for the recent restoration of its seafront, a town planning operation taking over five years to complete. The result now means a network of footpaths and cycle tracks are enhanced by plants, flowers and shrubs.
The predominantly flat terrain has allowed for the development of a vast 500 km² network of cyclepaths, known as the Sentiers Cyclables de la Vendée. These paths stretch from the island of Noirmoutier in the north, south past Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

History

Since 1867, bathers have been coming to the beach at Saint-Jean-de-Monts in large numbers, and since 1892 it has been the inspiration for many artists. The original church still lies in the center of the old village.

Demographics

Places of interest