Local Beaches
Golden sands, Atlantic waves and beautiful family beaches - all just minutes from Beau Rivage.
The Vendée is famous for its long stretches of sandy coastline, with everything from sheltered family beaches and rock pools to fantastic surf spots and wilder stretches of Atlantic shore.
Some of our favourite beaches are just 10 minutes from the villa, so whether it’s sandcastles and paddling, a morning surf, a long beach walk or simply finding the perfect spot for the day, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Here's just some of our favourite local beaches
Le Bouil
Longeville-sur-Mer
🚗 10 mins from Beau Rivage
🌊 Quieter beach days
🐚 Beachcombing & walks
Le Bouil is a lovely choice when you want something a little quieter. With its long stretch of sand and more natural feel, it’s perfect for walking, paddling, collecting shells or simply finding your own patch of sand away from the busier summer beaches.
DONNA & JAY’S TIP
Head to Moments Café, tucked into the dunes just off Le Bouil beach beside the sailing school. It’s a great spot for a cool drink, ice cream or lunch without straying far from the sand or come back for dinner and enjoy the terrace as the sun goes down.
Le Rocher
Longeville-sur-Mer
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🚗 10 mins from Beau Rivage
👨👩👧👦 Great for families
🚩 Lifeguarded in summer
Le Rocher is officially described by Longeville-sur-Mer as a family-friendly fine-sand beach, and it is supervised in July and August. It also has a large parking area, picnic tables, toilets and accessibility facilities.
DONNA & JAY’S TIP
Don’t leave without stopping for a crêpe at Restaurant Le Bel Endroit overlooking the beach. Our favourite? Beurre salé with vanilla ice cream — absolutely delicious! 🍦
Les Conches
Longeville sur Mer
🚗 10 mins from Beau Rivage
🏄 Great for surfing & bodyboarding
🚩 Lifeguarded in summer
Les Conches is one of the area's best-known beaches, with a huge stretch of golden sand backed by dunes and forest. It’s particularly popular with surfers and bodyboarders, but there’s plenty of room for families simply wanting to swim, play and spend the day beside the ocean.
DONNA & JAY’S TIP
If you’ve got a roof box, don’t get caught out by the height restriction at the main car park! Just park outside along the forest instead. There’s plenty of parking - you may just have a little further to walk with the beach bags.
La Terrière
Near La Tranche sur Mer
🚗 20 mins from Beau Rivage
🏄 Great for surfing
🚩 Lifeguarded in summer
Backed by dunes and with a wonderfully open, natural feel, La Terrière is perfect when you want a proper Atlantic beach day. It’s particularly popular for surfing and bodyboarding, with plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the sand and waves.
DONNA & JAY’S TIP
Make a day of it! There’s no need to pack up all your beach gear for lunch - just wander over to one of the beachfront snack bars or restaurants and relax in the dappled shade of the covered terraces before heading back to the sand.
Plage du Veillon
Talmont-Saint-Hilaire
🚗 30 mins from Beau Rivage
🦕 Dinosaur footprints
🚩 Lifeguarded in summer
One of our favourite beaches when we fancy going a little further afield. Le Veillon is absolutely beautiful, with fine sand, dunes and forest beside the spectacular Payré estuary. It’s great for families, swimming and water sports and definitely worth spending a whole day here.
DONNA & JAY’S TIP
Make a real day of this one! At low tide, head towards the rocky area west of the beach to look for the famous dinosaur footprints, some dating back around 200 million years. Then, on your way to or from the beach, stop at La Bélière Loisirs on Avenue de la Plage for mini-golf, pedal karts, inflatables and loads of activities for the children.
Surfing in the Vendée
Atlantic waves, sandy beaches & surf for every ability
The Vendée is one of France’s great surfing destinations, with miles of Atlantic coastline, sandy beaches and a fantastic variety of waves.
Whether you’re an experienced surfer or trying it for the very first time, there are surf spots to suit all abilities, including some excellent beaches and surf schools just minutes from Beau Rivage.
Fancy giving it a go? There are several excellent local surf schools offering lessons and equipment hire for children and adults. You’ll find our favourite places to surf, learn and hire equipment, along with lots of other local recommendations, in your
Beau Rivage Holiday Companion.
 Waiting for a Wave |  Surfing at Sunset |  Young surfers too will have fun |
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 Sandy beaches - ideal for kids learning to surf |  Great for the more experienced too!Photo credit - Guy Kawasaki |  Board hire locallyPhoto credit - Sten Rademaker |
 Female Surfer |  Surfboard Fins |  Great family funPhoto credit - João Victor Valeriote |
 Beginner classes available |
Water Sports & Activities
From gentle paddles to adrenaline-filled fun on the Atlantic
With the Atlantic Ocean right on our doorstep, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the water beyond swimming and surfing.
From paddleboarding and kayaking to pedalos and exhilarating inflatable rides, there’s something for almost every age and appetite for adventure.
Ready to get on the water? You’ll find water sports and equipment hire at several locations along our coastline, including nearby La Tranche-sur-Mer. Our Beau Rivage Holiday Companion has our personal recommendations, useful information and details of where to go.
