Climate
Due to the oceanic climate, the Vendée's autumns and winters are rather mild, humid and windy, and the summers are dry and sometimes cool. On the coast and the islands, temperatures are rarely extreme. The further away from the coast, the more sunshine decreases. There is an average of 2,100 hours of sunshine on the coast. Because of its maritime façade, the Vendée is a "windy" department. The dominant winds are those from the southwest, synonymous with bad weather and strong winds, while winds from the northeast quadrant can blow strongly but with rather dry weather, hot in summer and cold in winter.
Relief
4 natural regions divide the Vendée: the coastline and the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier, the bocage (from the north and east to the center of the department), the marshes (Breton in the north and Poitevin in the south) and the plain of the southern Vendée. No less than 15 main rivers cross the department (which takes its name from a river in the south), including the Sèvre Niortaise, the Sèvre Nantaise and the Lay, the longest river in the department.
Plains
Commonly called La Plaine, the Pays de Fontenay-le-Comte is located in the south-east of the department, next to the Marais Poitevin. Formerly the capital of the Lower Poitou, it is full of natural beauty. Not far from there is the region of l'Hermenault, offering a panorama of meadows and grassy paths. The reserve of Nalliers-Mouzeuil reminds us that the Marais Poitevin is nearby.
Forests and woods
The forest of Mervent extends over 5 000 ha. This forest is part of the green heritage of the Vendée. And in the middle of the valleys flow the rivers Vendée and Mère, which gave rise to the construction of two dams. Rocks, rivers, clearings and bodies of water: notice to the amateurs of climbing, mountain biking, fishing, walking (200 km of marked out paths) or sailing!
The state forest of Longeville-sur-Mer, smaller than the forest of the Pays de Monts, extends over 1 203 ha and is essentially composed of maritime pines.
The state forest of Pays de Monts, between Fromentine in the north and Sion-sur-l'Océan in the south, is 25 km long and 2.3 km wide. It was planted at the end of the 19th century under the Second Empire with the objective of fixing the dunes and making the marshes cultivable.
The Olonne forest is located between Les Sables-d'Olonne and Olonne-sur-Mer. It is bordered on the west by a long beach (Sauveterre) and on the east by the Olonne marsh. Planted with maritime pines, hornbeams, ashes, poplars and oaks on a set of dunes, it is a delight for walkers as well as for deer and wild boars.
The Bois de la Chaize, north-east of Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, is distinguished by its Mediterranean vegetation (holm oaks, arbutus, maritime pines and mimosas). Classified since 1936, it borders the beaches on more than 2 km and is suitable for walking.
The lakes
The Vendée has 18 lakes. The largest is the lake of Apremont located in the west between La Roche-sur-Yon and Challans. The lake of Mervent is a magnificent dam lake located in the heart of a 5,000 hectare forest.
The marshes
From Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez to Bouin via Challans, the Marais Breton, in the extreme northwest of the department, is formed by the communes of Sallertaine, Bois-de-Cené and Le Perrier. Yawl trips are organized in Le Perrier to discover the marsh. In Sallertaine, you can go on the salt road by canoe. The Marais Poitevin, the second largest wetland in France after the Camargue, covers 96,000 ha, with a majority of dry marshes used for fodder crops, and extends over 3 departments: the Vendée, the Deux-Sèvres and the Charente-Maritime. In the Vendée, the Marais Poitevin has two distinct aspects: the dry marsh and the wet marsh. While the first one concerns the area of the Bay of Aiguillon, the second one is located further east. It is the flooded part of the marsh, the Green Venice, with its countless tree-lined canals composed of thousands of duckweed forming a green carpet.
The Bocage
From north to east, it represents two thirds of the department and has for main cities Les Herbiers and Montaigu. Know that Bocage with a capital B designates the Bressuirais Bocage. With its vast meadows surrounded by hawthorn or broom hedges and its small streams, the Bocage is nevertheless very hilly. Ask the cyclists for their opinion! It is also here that the Puy du Fou and the Memorial of Vendée are located.
The coastline
With 240 km of coastline, the Vendée coastline is made up of large beaches and pine forests. There are many small and low fishermen's houses with their whitewashed walls and their colored shutters, mostly blue. With 140 km of beaches, the entire western side of the island faces the sea. Many of these beaches have been awarded the blue flag for their cleanliness and fine golden sand. Whether you want to swim, picnic in a cove or practice water sports (Brétignolles-sur-Mer or La Tranche-sur-Mer for kite-surfing, Notre-Dame-de-Monts for sand yachting), there is something for everyone. The Vendée also counts 7 naturist beaches.
The islands
With its 10 km length, its 4 km width and its 40 km coastline, the island of Yeu presents two totally different faces: on the one hand, the wild coastline, on the opposite side of the island from the mainland, undoubtedly the most beautiful maritime part of the Vendée, and on the other hand, its soft beaches, dunes, pine forests and Port-Joinville.
The island of Noirmoutier, with 20 km long and 4 communes (Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, L'Épine, La Guérinière and Barbâtre) is linked to the mainland by the passage of the Gois on the one hand (submersible causeway to be used at low tide) and a bridge on the other hand. The island has a mild climate and a singular luminosity, creating ideal conditions for the Mediterranean-type vegetation found there, including the mimosa, which has made the island's reputation. The salt marshes cover more than 700 hectares.
The ports
The Vendée is a port department with four major fishing ports: Les Sables-d'Olonne, L'Herbaudière in Noirmoutier, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Ile d'Yeu. The Vendée fishing industry is ranked5th in France.
