Eating Out

'Restaurants'
"There are over 60 restaurants in St-Jean. A good 3 course meal costs between 15 and 25 Euros. Quality of food is good to exquisite. ‘AVENUE DE LA FORET’ offers a good variety of French and Italian restaurants. Our recommendations: L’ESPADON, Le COLOSIUM, La TOSCA in ‘AVENUE DE LA FORET’. For a special treat head for Le ROBINSON - top French cuisine for the discerning but at a premium (just off the town square). "

Local Area and Activities

'Apremont'
"Apremont (20 miles)an enchanting little village and a must-visit location in the Vendee. This village is one of the 20 best villages in France. It boasts a Renaissance Chateau, a water dam, a lake and its sandy beach and much more. Admire the panoramic view 125m at the top of the water-tower. Not to be missed. "

'La Rochelle'
"La Rochelle (80 miles south of St-Jean). It is an old port town and most old buildings are well preserved. The centre of town is a beautiful marina surrounded by small cobbled roads full of cafes, restaurants, shops etc. La Rochelle is France's 2nd largest boat building port and the historic Vieux Port remains largely unchanged. A daily fish market can be found in the old town until 12.00 mid day. The port is very attractive and waterside cafes and restaurants offer a relaxing break. Next to the Maritime Museum is Europe's largest aquarium which is open 365 days a year and has a large selection of fish from highly coloured tropical types to eels and sharks."

'Mont St Michel'
"When you embark or disembark at the ports of St Malo, Caen or Cherbourg, take the opportunity to visit this little French treasure. It is only a few miles detour from St Malo and a very good start/end to a holiday. It’s also a World Heritage Site. "

'Nantes'
"Nantes (45 miles). Being just an hour away, it’s worth spending a day visiting the old city centre, the Cathedral, the old bridge etc. It is the most historical and beautiful city in the Western Atlantic Loire. "

'Noirmoutier Island'
"It's an island 30 miles north of St-Jean. It's also the biggest nearby attraction. A free toll-bridge links the island to the mainland. On the way back, take the much nicer ‘le passage de GOIS’; a submerged road usable at low tide. The capital of the island is also called Noirmoutier where the castle and the church are worth an inside ‘inspection’. Take the bikes with you! and cycle around the island. There is a dedicated bicycle route throughout the island. On a very clear day, you can see the estuary of the River Loire and the town of St-Nazaire 20 miles away. "

'Planete Sauvage'
"Perfect for a day out. Only 35 miles away. The biggest zoo in the region. Aboard your vehicle, live a fabulous adventure with 150 wild species from the 5 continents. Through 16 parks, you get close to giraffes, elephants, bears, wolves, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lions, tigers, antelopes and watussi. "

'Puy du Fou'
"Puy de Fou is a theme park. By day, there is medieval jousting, villages with traditional crafts and actors dressed in the period of the day. The highlight is a twice daily display of falconry. Every show is sold out in the height of summer, but tickets can be booked in advance by internet. Do a search in Google typing ‘puy de fou France’ and click on 'search'. (Disney theme park is a modern copy of Puy de Fou!). "

'Saumur'
"2½ hour drive away but certainly worth it if you like to visit a beautiful old town with the famous Chateau Saumur right on the edge of the River Loire overlooking the whole town. The Office of Tourism of Saumur can advise you what to visit and which chateaux (dozens literally) to visit and buy wine from. "

'St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie'
"St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (8 miles) is a coastal town with a fishing port, a marina, square etc. Take the coastal route (via Scion) to get there. The sceneries are oustanding. Combine it with a picnic on the way there in the beautiful forest and take a dip at one of the numerous small beaches. "

Markets and Shopping

'Markets'
"Challans (7 miles). Only 10 minutes drive. Big market days are on Tuesdays and Fridays. In July and August, Tuesday's market are what they call ‘How Things Used To Be’. Napoleanic soldiers roaming the road, servants, police on old bikes, a wonderful spectacle worth a visit. The carnival starts at 9am and closes by 2pm. So get there early. At midday, queue for some barbecued sardines (free). "