The Aiguillon Bay nature reserve. Author: Jmdigne. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
This is a one-week circular route for moderate cyclists, departing from and returning to Nantes to ride along the Atlantic coast and wetlands of the Vendée, a French department in the west of the country, in the Pays de la Loire region, following the area's cycle touring routes: La Vélodyssée and the Vendée Vélo Tour.
Along the route, we will discover its remarkable oyster farms, the island of Noirmoutier, its salt marshes, its artisans, its landscapes and its famous Poitevin marsh, a marshy area of around 100,000 hectares known as the Green Venice.
Since 2022, the Poitevin marsh has been part of the network of Great Sites of France.
The Breton marshes, the Bay of Bourgneuf, the island of Noirmoutier and the Monts forest, and the Poitevin marsh are protected wetlands according to the RAMSAR Convention, as well as being listed as SCI (Site of Community Importance) and SPA (Special Protection Area) in the Natura 2000 network. Likewise, this route runs through the dunes of Sauzaie and the Jaunay marshes, the dunes, forests and marshes of Olonne, the Talmont marshes and coastal areas between Sables-d'Olonne and Jard-sur-Mer, and the Poitevin marsh, all of them spaces classified as SCI and/or SPA.
Day 1.- Transportation to Nantes. Lodging.
Day 2.- Transportation to Bourgneuf-en-Retz. Ride from Bourgneuf-en-Retz to Fromentine (50 km), by La VélodysséeLa Vélodyssée. Visits to the oyster farms of Les Brochets, the oyster beds of France Naissain, the salt marshes of Breuil, or Le Daviaud of La Barre-de-Monts. Lodging.
Day 3.- Ride from Fromentine to Saint-Jean-de-Monts (63 km), by La Vélodyssée. Visits to the island of Noirmoutier, its castle, and the Gois pass. Lodging.
Day 4.- Ride from Saint-Jean-de-Monts to Les Sables d'Olonne (50 km), by La Vélodyssée. Visits to Biotopia, the Shell Museum, the shell mosaics of L'île Penotte neighborhood, or the Arago market. Lodging.
Day 5.- Ride from Sables d'Olonne to L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer (60 km), by La Vélodyssée. Visits to the aquarium, the mosaic artisan Sandrine Cam, the oyster farms and the salt flats of la Guittière, the Lieu Dieu Abbey, or the House of Georges Clemenceau. Lodging.
Day 6.- Ride from L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer to Maillezais (66 km), by La Vélodyssée and the Vendée Vélo Tour. Visits to the Bay of Aiguillon Nature Reserve, a boat ride on the Poitevin marsh, or the Maillezais abbey. Lodging.
Day 7.- Ride from Maillezais to Niort (59 km), by the Vendée Vélo Tour. Visits to the Parc from the rooster to the donkey, the Ornithological Park Birds from the Poitevin marsh, or the Donjon of Niort. Transport. Lodging.
Day 8.- Rest day and visits in Nantes. Lodging.
Day 9.- Transport back home.
The bridge that connects the mainland with the island of Noirmoutier. Author: Gilles Guillamot. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. 
Curious shell mosaics in the L'île Penotte neighborhood of Sables d'Olonne. Author: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. 
Fantastic pedaling through the marshes 
Guided tours
Self-guided tours
Customized routesLa guerra de la Vendée. Una cruzada en la revolución, by Alberto Bárcena Pérez.
For reservation you should either call previously by phone to Josetxu (+34 644299532) or send us an email to info@bicicletos.org, to verify that there are still free places. We will send you a booking form and instructions for payment at that time.
Prices
(Final price may vary depending on the availability of accommodation and the update of rates of the different providers.)
Different route types are explained in General conditions.