The island of Yeu ? This is the real jewel of the Vendée! The most spectacular historical vestige of the island is certainly the Vieux-Château, which stands proudly above the ocean. The island is so small and so beautiful that, no matter which way you go, your appetite for discovery will take you all over it, by bike or on foot. A delightful and invigorating getaway!
A multiple island
The island presents two radically different aspects. The wild coastline occupies the maritime facade facing the ocean, it is undoubtedly the most beautiful maritime part of the Vendée. Facing south-west, it is entirely rocky, with steep cliffs at the foot of which small charming creeks can be hidden. The other side, facing north-east towards the continent, offers a much less tormented aspect with its soft beaches, its dunes, its pine forests, and Port-Joinville, the main town of the area. In 23 km², 10 km long and 4 km wide, a small marvel of an island long devoted to fishing, also oriented towards tourism since 1960. Moreover, the habitat of theisland of Yeu is of Poitevin origin with the raw whiteness of its whitewashed facades, the roofs covered with half-round tiles and the absence of floors and ornaments. A charming architecture. And you can also have rich contacts with the Islais, as they call themselves. Our plea, in the interest of preserving the island: adopt the bicycle! And, of course, always respect the fauna and flora of the island
The Old Castle, a must-see
The Vieux-Château is undoubtedly one of the emblematic places of the island of Yeu! On an exceptional site perched on a particularly steep rocky islet, a fortified castle was built in the 14th century, under the aegis of Olivier de Clisson, benefiting from the best moats in the world, since they are formed by the sea and the cliff. It is necessary to cross the impressive drawbridge and to discover, starting from the interior court, the vestiges of the partly ruined castle. It was dismantled on the orders of Louis XIV after having suffered attacks due to the confrontations between the French, English and Spanish. Refuge for the island population during the numerous incursions that marked its history, the guided tour of this medieval fortress allows to evoke the military architecture from the 14th to the 17th century and the conditions of life on an island under the old regime. Around its central courtyard are grouped the buildings and amenities necessary for the daily life of its defenders (bakery, kitchen, forge, dwelling ...). The tower on the left as you enter, with its splendid rooms leading to a turret worthy of a Hitchcock film, is worth a visit. The tour will take you from the courtyard of the castle to its towers and the covered way. During the guided tour, you will learn how the defense of such a building was organized and how the inhabitants lived under the Ancien Régime. Impressive in its wild beauty, this Old Castle will remain engraved in your memory. It was classified as a historical monument in 1890. Not to be missed!
The port of La Meule, a picturesque spot
The first natural jewel of the island, a real cove embedded between two cliffs covered with moorland, the port of La Meule is also a place not to be missed on the island. This small port of "caseyeurs" (fishing boats that use traps) testifies to the richness of the seabed in shellfish around the Vendée island. On the heights of this small picturesque port, one can observe an adorable chapel with white walls and a blue door. The Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle chapel, built in the 11th century, was dedicated to the Virgin, protector of sailors. Sailors still come on pilgrimage to the chapel on Easter Monday and August 15. It would be the work of monks builders established in the island in the early eleventh century who also built the church of Saint-Sauveur. The church of Saint-Sauveur is a Romanesque church, made of grey granite, which dominates Saint-Sauveur, the former capital of the island. Built in the century of the year 1000, on the foundations of a previous sanctuary, it was originally a priory, then a parish church. Its bell tower is surmounted by a truncated pyramidal tower 17 m high - in the 18th century, it was once a high tapered spire. This tower, which served as a landmark for navigators, was struck by lightning in November 1953. The present neo-Gothic nave was built in 1857 on the ruins of the old Romanesque nave, which was totally dilapidated. An interesting visit in perspective
Disembarkation in Port-Joinville and visit of the Citadel
It is in Port-Joinville that you will disembark the boat that will bring you from the continent. Both a marina and a fishing port, it was for a long time the first tuna port on the Atlantic coast! And the island of Yeu still dedicates an active place to fishing, unloading daily on its quays sea bass, monkfish, hake, sole, yellow hake... Not far from there, the Citadel was built from 1858 to 1866 on the site of a high menhir, hence its name of Fort de Pierre Levée. Built to protect the island, this citadel quickly became a political prison for all those who could not be eliminated but who preferred to be far from the continent. The visit is also interesting for the small forest of holm oaks that surrounds it and the memory of those who were imprisoned there: Austro-Hungarians during the First World War, Communists including Jacques Duclos in 1939, Marshal Pétain from 1945 to 1951, Basques and many others.
Assaulting the Grand Phare!
A few kilometers away, the Grand Phare was built in the 19th century, a few years before the Citadelle. In 1829, following the sinking of a Royal Navy scow, the public authorities decided to build a 29-meter high oil lighthouse on the site of a megalithic complex called Petite Foule. The luminous intensity produced by the combustion of oil was insufficient for good visibility, so in 1895 it was equipped with an electric rotating light with a range of up to 30 miles. Destroyed in 1944, it was replaced in 1951 by a new lighthouse. 41 meters high, it dominates the high sea by 56 meters and offers a wonderful view to the visitors who will climb its 198 steps!
Swimming and relaxing
Here, scuba diving enthusiasts know that they will make the most beautiful dives of the Atlantic. On the tip of La Tranche, in the south of the island, you will find the Anse des Soux and its marine cave. As for the Anse des Fontaines and the Anse des Vieilles, they are more suitable for swimming and relaxing. From here, you have the most extensive view of the Côte sauvage. You will then find the magnificent Anse des Soux and its cave, then the tiny anchorage - the last descendant of an ancient port that was very well known during Antiquity - and the Plage des Vieilles, which in the summer does not bear its name well. Notice to those who like to laze around and take a long swim!
The Pointe du Châtelet and the beach of Sabias is another of the many sites of the island to see absolutely. Facing east and south, it is located south of the Pointe du But. The Pointe du Châtelet is the peninsula of the wild coast, with a charming beach: the beach of Sabias. An alignment of fishermen's huts characterizes the arrival on this beach, which is a really ideal place to enjoy the sun in summer!
Useful information
When is it time to go? In summer, you can enjoy the beach and swimming. In the spring and fall, you can enjoy the island's charms at calm and pleasant times, with fewer crowds than in the summer.
How to get there. By boat, a link between Fromentine and Port-Joinville allows access to Yeu Island all year round. In season, additional connections from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (from April to September) and Barbâtre on the island of Noirmoutier (in July and August) are offered to visitors.
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