The Vendée coastal isles

D1 Arrival in Noirmoutier en l'Île

Arrival in Noirmoutier en l'Île in the late afternoon.

The island of Noirmoutier is nicknamed the "island of mimosas" for its mild climate which allows mimosas to grow and bloom in winter. The dominant landscapes are salt marshes, dunes and holm oak forests.
Welcome and installation in the rooms.

Dinner in a restaurant and night in a 3* hotel or similar.

D2 Ride centred on Noirmoutier

19 km stage. Around 2hrs.
You get the impression you're at Earth's end when you emerge from La Chaise wood and see the small coves that border the ocean. Plenty of places to bathe here, then once through the little villages in the north of the island you come to the broad beach of Luzérande. The return leg across the maze of salt marshes has undeniable charm.

Dinner where you will and night in a 3* hotel or similar.

D3 From Noirmoutier to Bouin

36,2 km stage if you go through Le Passage du Gois (tidal causeway) or 50 km by the bridge. From 3hrs00 to 4hrs00.

First day on the roaming! At the southern end of the island of Noirmoutier, you will take the famous Gois passage, a 4 km itinerary only accessible at low tide. On the other side of the shore, you will ride through the heart of the Vendée bocage where the land and water form mirror-like patches. A sublime journey between land and sea. 

Around 4.30 pm a taxi will be waiting for you at your new accommodation to accompany the driver to Noirmoutier to bring your car back to Bouin.

Dinner where you will and night in a 3 star hotel with its own pool.

D4 Bike ride round Bouin

42km stage. Around 4hrs.
Cycling is perhaps the ideal way of exploring the marshes of the Vendée.
You weave your way through water meadows, step across the saltwater channels and suddenly there is a multitude of migratory or resident birds, mud waders being prominent among the latter. Dykes on the ocean's edge link pretty ports together, and there are oysters, shellfish and loads of fresh air on the menu!

Dinner where you will and night in a 3 star hotel with its own pool.

D5 Bike ride on the western side of the Ile d'Yeu (say "ealed-yuh"!)

In the morning you will park your car in a secure car park near the pier, then a shuttle will take you to the boat. The crossing to the island of Yeu takes 30 minutes.
Your accommodation will be waiting for you a few steps from the port. After settling in, you are ready to discover the island.
Ride in the western part of the Ile d'Yeu: 18,2 kms (3hrs).
You'll soon leave the bustle of the port behind you and come to the scenic track which follows the wild coastline. A succession of beaches set in a craggy coast. And a trip back in time with dolmens, menhirs and old castles.

Dinner where you will at Port-Joinville followed by night at a 2 star hotel (or guest house).

D6 Ride on the eastern side of the Ile d'Yeu

24 km stage. Around 3hrs.
The first part of the route is typified by beaches and gentle coastal scenery. At the tip of the island, called "les corbeaux" (the crows), it's the wild and austere atmosphere of the island of Yeu that dominates. The route back through the interior of the island, which passes between the neat white houses of the village of St Sauveur, is sheer escapism.

Dinner where you will at Port-Joinville followed by night at a 2 star hotel (or guest house).

D7 Crossing from Ile d'Yeu to Fromentine

After breakfast, you will take the boat back to the mainland.

On arrival, the shuttle bus will take you to your vehicle.

This is the end of your trip and the start of a new adventure!