St.Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Vendee

This attractive seaside resort and fishing harbour on the Atlantic coast was originally two towns, St.Gilles-sur-Vie (south) and Croix-de-Vie (north) which had developed on either side of the river Vie, they were joined in 1967 to form St.Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. Little did Benjamin Beneteau know back in 1884 when he first started manufacturing fishing boats in st.Gilles, that one day his firm would be the world’s leader in the manufacture of sailing boats. Today there are 5 factories in the Vendée producing his boats.

At any season of the year the town has a lot to offer, the busy fishing port is full of colourful boats, and from there it is also possible to catch a ferry to the L'ile d'Yeu or charter a boat to go fishing. With such diversity as the long sandy beach of the Grand Plage, with its beautiful promenade full of shops cafes and restaurants and the rocky coves and small beaches which border the Corniche Vendéene just north of the town, St Gilles Coix de Vie is truly a jewel on the Vendée’s Atlantic coast. The harbour side is a lively place with good restaurants, bars and cafes and there are endless pleasant walks, not only along the harbour front but also back along the river or around from the harbour via the point de la Garenne to the grand Plage, then returning via le Sabliar on either side of the canal.

As you would expect from a seaside resort all the water and beach sports are practised here from windsurfing, kite surfing, long and short board surfing, sailing, sand yachts, beach casting and fishing from boats, harbour walls and rocks and much much more. There is an easy pace to life here, with time to enjoy a quiet coffee and watch the world go by, or to take a stroll and watch the sun set, or to pick up fresh vegetables and fish from the daily markets. With the constant ebbing and flooding of the tide the scenery changes, and it is not hard to see why this is a favourite destination for holiday makers.

St.Gilles-Croix-de-Vie has a rich culture for Entertainment and this is evident in the 3 days of jazz festival (saint-jazz-sur-Vie) which takes place every May with both street shows and concerts. There are fêtes every evening on the Quai Rivière from Mid-June to Mid-September, and regular art exhibitions. Street artist perform in the streets July in the "deferlante" 2011 program starts 11th July

Photo Gallery of St.Gilles-croix-de-Vie

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St Gilles Croix de Vie