STIMULATE YOUR SENSES !
Between the Ocean, the forest and the land, Notre Dame de Monts has got thousands of treasures to be revealed before your eyes. Here, the fauna and the flora continually fight over the opportunity to delight and to surprise each visitor. Whatever your tastes and moods might be let yourself go: have no doubt, this family seaside village will always charms you.
In Notre Dame de Monts, the 4.50 kilometers of fine silver sand are dedicated to your leisure. Sand-yachting, kite flying, gym courses on the beach or simply relaxing on your beach towel, your only difficulty is that you have too great a choice. The dune and the forest add to the postcard picture. Close your eyes. You are on holiday.
Supervised beaches : The Beaches of the Braie, the Murier and the Régates are in natural protected zone, facing west. Access to the beaches by car on natural sandy roads or cycling through the forest.
Un – supervised beaches: The Parée Grolier, The Bois Soret, the Renaudière and the Pont d’Yeu. Situated in a natural zone, facing west, they make all the swimmers and sunbathers happy, in a natural and peaceful environment.
A BEACH FOR EVERYONE!
The central beach is an all-abilities one, thanks to all-ability 
amphibious equipment and adapted toilets. Don’t hesitate to call the instructors and lifeguards for help, at the fist aid post.
First-aid posts on the beach:
Plage centrale, poste CRS : 02 51 58 83 87
Plage des Régates, poste CRS : 02 51 59 01 91
Plage de la Braie, poste SNSM : 02 51 59 61 40
The beaches of Notre Dame de Monts are supervised from 11 am to 12.30 and from 2.30 pm to 7 every day from the end of june to the beginning of September.
Equipments : The supervised beaches are equipped with showers and public toilets. You can rent beach huts at the central beach.
The tides : The hours of low and high tides change everyday. Ask for the timetable at the Tourist Office.
Seashell fishing : You can fish praws and « pignons » on all our beaches. Only pick up the quantity you want to cook.
Line fishing and angling : Shore-casting is authorized only when the first aid posts are closed.
All ability beaches : The « tiralo » and « hippocampe » are two all-ability amphibious armchairs which allow bathing for all. They are available at the opening hours of the first-aid post on the central beach.
Animals: Dogs are not allowed on the central beach from june 15th to September 15th from 11 am to 12.30 and from 2.30 pm to 7. They are allowed, kept on a lead in all the others beaches.
Gym: From July to August, gymnastic courses are proposed for adults on the Central Beach.
In the land of wind, sand-yachting is the king of sports. Our huge ribbon of fine sand lends itself to summer activities. And especially to sand-yachting, one can describe this experience as a permanent game between the wind, the sail, the beach and yourself. If you are longing for good vibrations and for spending an unforgettable time, welcome to the water-sports centre. Here, they will always come up to your expectations. The centre and its professional team offer you, all year long, a wide range of water sports activities: sand-yachting, sailing, sea-kayaking and canoeing in the marshes…
With 80% of its territory protected, divided between the forest, the dune and the marshes, Notre Dame de Monts offers you a real breath of fresh air.
The forest of the Pays de Monts and the dune accommodate one of the most varied fauna and flora. The House of the Dune and the Forest, through exhibitions and guided walks, helps you to discover and to become familiar with our environment.
Pine trees, Oaks and Cypresses are some of the many species you can find in the forest of the Pays de Monts. That is the reason why, to help you to identify them, we have imagined an open place for all, facing the House of the Dune and the Forest) : the Arboretum of the Parée Farfadet. (farfadet = sprite)
GPS TRAIL (available only in French)
To help you to discover Notre Dame de Monts, in a peaceful and funny way, 3 GPS trails at your disposal, all year long:
- “Traces du Siècle” (Traces of the Century): a walk dedicated to the seaside patrimony and to the history of the village.
- “Mare et vous” (The ponds and you): a walk in the forest, from one pond to another.
- “Rencontre avec les arbres” (Meeting with the trees): Do you know how to recognize the different species of the forest of the Pays de Monts?
Information and reservation at the Tourist Office and at the House of the Dune and the Forest.
THE MARSHES, A LAND CONQUERED BY MAN
The marshes are an environment which does not let itself be tamed easily. Run your eyes over the landscape from the top of the water-tower, Kulmino, or canoe over its canals, the marshes will have, at each season and at each time of the day, a new face to show you.
Its canals, of salt or fresh water, abound in reeds and saltworts. Here, the coypus and the frogs are the kings and queens of the marshes. Watch and listen carefully, they incessantly come to the fore! If you are patient enough, you will probably have the chance to meet a white stilt, a shelduck or an avocet!
Go and visit Kulmino, the water-tower of Notre Dame de Monts and let yourself be carried aloft, thanks to its lift, at 70 meters high. In the programme, a unique guided reading of the landscape through a commentary and view-point indicators. Can you see: the dunes of Saint Jean de Monts, the Bay of Bourgneuf, the marshes, the Ocean, the Vendean Islands and the forest?
All through your stay, the products of the North-West of the Vendée will enchant you. Products from the sea and from the land will delight your taste buds, in the shade of a parasol or on the terrace of a restaurant. What a pleasure, on Sunday mornings, to browse amongst the stalls of the large market!!
“Préfou” (garlic bread), “Flan maraîchin” (local custard tart), “mogettes” (beans) and “Troussepinette” (aperitif made with the branches of the thorn bush) make up the gastronomic reputation of the Vendée. You will have the opportunity to enjoy them during the mornings “Aux Saveurs du Terroir”, which take place every Tuesday morning, from June to September, on the Town-Hall Place. A dozen representatives of local producers and shop-keepers of the town will be happy to help you discover the products of our region. These gastronomic Tuesdays will end with the “Visites Gourmandes”: every Tuesday afternoon, producers of the North-West of the Vendée welcome you in their small farms and make you discover their “savoir-faire”. So, have a good tasting session!
What a feast!!
Day and night, Notre Dame de Monts breathes its energy: iodized along its beaches… Musical along its streets… There is a certain something in the air which makes you feel like partying. We hope we have thought of everything, so, let yourself be guided by the call of the artists in the streets, be carried along by the percussion of a brass band and be charmed by our kite flyers. Have a wonderful time!!!
On behalf of the stamp “La Déferlante”, Notre Dame de Monts’program offers you a guarantee for quality burlesque shows, comical and joyful: Carmen Maria Vega, The Beautiful Image Brass Band, The “Batteurs de pavés”, Caravan Palace,....
Raise your head, look carefully and enter in the magic of the kites. From the.... to the.... of July 2010, the “A tout vent” Festival will fill you with wonder. During 4 days, famous kite flyers will make you dream, following the rhythm of the wind thanks to their eccentric machines. More than an event, this Festival is a moment when time stands still and where everybody looks in the same direction.
Get close to the arts and craft industry. View their creations during the artists markets. Every Tuesday night, from 8.30 pm to midnight, craftsmen come and make you share their passion for the material and invite you to experience the quality of their work.
The Garden of the Wind
With funny sails on top, the windmill of the Garden of the Wind is the emblem of Notre Dame de Monts. Stroll along its alleys and appreciate the “Strait of the Mists” and the “Vane of the Fragrances”. This peaceful garden invites you to idleness. Make the most of it!!
Events 2010
Let yourself be lead by the nose! The exhibition “Né pour sentir” (Born to smell) is an invitation to discover our sense of smell.
This exhibition invites children and grown-ups to smell more than 90 odours, in an interactive, funny and educational way while walking from one unit to another. Each olfactory point is like a travel to the country of fragrances, however fair or foul they may be.
Giant tulips and apples, sweet-smelling fluffy toys, a map of the spices of the world suggest scents linked to food, to nature or to perfume, how familiar they may or may not be.
From a more scientific point of view, this exhibition lets you understand the part of the brain in the perception of the odours. From 2 to 99, the notion we have of the smells is a subjective and individual experience where emotion and memories are stored in our mind.
THE SPIRIT OF THE FAMILY
Spending holidays with your family, in Notre Dame de Monts, means the happiness of sharing precious moments and enjoying family reunions. Family and holidays are two key-words for us.
Our village is the award-winner of the Famille Plus label (logo), a stamp of quality which rewards its commitment in welcoming children and their families. You will find this logo in each restaurant, accommodation and leisure sites in which the choice has been made to do more for the children: games, highchairs, baby changing tables, adapted prices will no doubt please you as parents or grand-parents. Our wish is to offer holidays that come up to families expectation.
THE SPIRIT OF A VILLAGE
The Tourist Office staff is at your disposal to give you information to help you to organize your stay in Notre Dame de Monts. Our services will allow you to book your GPS tours, your crossings to the Island of Yeu or your entrance ticket for the Grand Parc of the Puy du Fou.
To finish with, we will be happy to welcome you in our new office and we will be looking forward to making you discover our region, through the local people’s eyes.
See you very soon then!
