Les Sables d’Olonne and Vendée Globe, Perfect Together

By Cathie Arquilla
Senior Writer

Every four years, the French coastal town of Les Sables d’Olonne on the Atlantic coast of France enters the world stage as home to the epic single-skipper sailing race known as the Vendée Globe.

It’s a well-known sporting event and expo in France that attracts Europeans, Scandinavians, and Brits. For Americans who sail, it’s on their radar.

As an American travel writer for 20-plus years, you’d think I’d know about the Vendée Globe, the region of Vendée, France, or the wonderful beach town Les Sables d’Olonne…

I did not, but I do now after several days of soaking up Les Sables d’Olonne and going to The Vendée Globe village! And it’s a wonderful place to go on holiday.

Here’s the ropes:

This year’s 10th edition of the Vendée Globe has 40 entrants, six women and two para-athletes. Skippers left on November 10th, and the fastest boats are expected to complete the race in about three months. The distance is 24,300 nautical miles. It is the biggest single-handed, nonstop, unassisted round-the-world sailing race! To be clear, they are ALONE on the boat and can’t stop or get off.

The route is to sail south down the Atlantic Ocean to circumnavigate the glove via three capes: Good Hope, Leuwin, and Horn, and then return up the Atlantic to cross the finish line where they started –Les Sables d’Olonne. Skippers face bitter cold, huge waves, stormy and magical skies, sea creatures, and each other.

The prize is 200,000 euros, and the runner-up gets 100,000, not enough, if you ask me! Les Sables d’Olonne launches an all-out expo “village” for the event. Tents housing educational installations, shopping, corporate partnerships, food, drink, interactive experiences, and more are constructed along the marina.

Skippers line their state-of-the-art boats along the dock, and visitors can walk along the pier to take pictures or, if they’re lucky, see and speak to a skipper.

As I write this, the race is 29 days in. World records have been set. One skipper has dropped out due to a foot injury, and the expected favorites have been reshuffled several times due to winds (or lack thereof) and navigational choices.

Each skipper has a story. British skipper Sam Davies, now in 12th place, uses her seasoned racing career, which includes five circumnavigations and numerous transatlantic crossings, to raise funds for children with heart defects.

Defending Vendée Globe champ Yannick Bestaven, currently in 9th position, was the co-designer of the hydro-generator that equips the racing boats, all 60-foot IMOCAs.

Clarisse Crémer, now in 13th position, was considered the fastest woman in history after 87 days at sea during the last Vendée Globe. Her ambition upon completing the Globe? To do it again!

Violette Dorange will be launching her first around-the-world race at just 23 years old. Several of the skippers race to call attention to climate change by heading up and participating in environmental not-for-profits. All have a spirit of adventure and mastery of the seas.

You can track the race at https://www.vendeeglobe.org/en and on YouTube. Come late January, when skippers are expected to cross the finish line, all of France and skippers worldwide will be hydroplaning in enthusiasm like the IMOCs boats that make up the race.

While the Vendee Globe puts Les Sables d’Olonne in the international spotlight, the town itself is worth a transatlantic flight. Don’t wait for the Globe to visit.

If coastal France beacons, Les Sables d’Olonne (said as one mushed-up word by locals) is the ticket.

Dining in Les Sables d’Olonne

Try the frog legs at Brasserie L’Octopuss.

Lunch at Restaurant Fleur de Thym for artfully plated just-from-the-sea shellfish.

Dine with a capital “D” at Le Quai des Saveurs. The French call this a “gastronomy” meal; Americans say, tasting menu. Husband-and-wife team Maxime and Estelle Dourdin have created a culinary journey of locally sourced ingredients and beautifully plated dishes worthy of a Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant. Every course surprises your senses!

Taste local wine, specifically Domaine Des Granges Etoile Rosé at the restaurant Rosemonde. Florent Cousin, a sommelier turned chef can guide you in pairing hyper-local Vendée wine with any one of his yummy dishes.

Three districts to explore: Le Remblai, Town Centre, La Chaume 

Picture a wide swath of pristine beach, perfect for surfing, bathing, or just strolling. It is said to be one of Frances’s most beautiful beaches–this is Les Sables d’Olonne. The promenade along the shore, lined with homes from the Belle Époque to Art Deco period, is called Le Remblai.

This seaside neighborhood developed in the 19th century when tourism hatched and well-to-do Parisians could reach the city by train. They invested in grand second homes, dawned bloomers and parasols, ate tin fish from town, and probably read Proust!

Tucked between Le Remblai and the town center is the Île Penotte quarter. Here, whimsical street art made from every manner of stone and shell is lovingly designed and executed by Daniéle Arnoud-Aubin.

The artwork mixes with the architecture; drain pipes, doorways, and mailboxes become seascapes, plant life, and underwater worlds. It’s truly extraordinary and a must-see in Les Sables d’Olonne.

A church, a market, boutiques and bookstores – The Town Center

Who doesn’t love a traditional French market (or an Italian or Spanish one, for that matter)? In the Town Centre, Les Sables d’Olonne hosts a 19th-century iron-and-glass market hall (Baltard-style) that is beyond charming and worth returning to daily!  Yet, you might not want to because the city offers six more markets to explore.

Dip into the Town Centre’s boutiques, galleries, cafés, and bookstores on your way to Notre-Dame de Bon-Port. Far from a sleepy little church in this city once known for its cod-fishing and sardine packing, Notre-Dame de Bon-Port is grand Gothic meets Renaissance.

The less tony, more quaint fishing village: La Chaume

Narrow brick streets, stone and stucco houses, and brightly pained shutters make up the maritime district that is La Chaume. Walkabout and you’ll run across mouth-watering boulangeries and eye-popping murals (Place Saite-Anne for street art).

Continue to St. Nicolas Priory, now an artist and event venue, situated at the end of the port where boats set sail. It’s a magnificent setting for sculpture, and while I was there, the artist Christophe Charbonnel had an extraordinary exhibition of mythological characters.

Bike your way around.

It’s easy to walk Les Sables d’Olonne. You can pretty much visit all three quarters and the marina on foot in a day, but you’ll be well over 10,000 steps. Why not rent a fun pink bike instead!? Petites Reines bikes are electrically assisted app rental bikes hosting 16 stations–operating year-round, seven days a week.

Just outside of town, Les Salines.

If time allows, do get out of town to see the coastal areas beyond Les Sables d’Olonne. Nature is abundant–covey rocky beaches with spouting holes, marshlands, lakes, and wooded areas beckon. Bike routes can lead you there, too!

The salt marshes–watery fields divided by grassy sandy walkways create dream landscapes. Visit them to learn about salt harvesting from marsh farmers. Buy some salt at one of the little hut stores. It’s a terrific half-day outing just outside of town.

The minute I left Les Sables d’Olonne, I wanted to go back. I’m thinking of renting for several weeks in the summer. I’ve showcased sports, culture, and culinary reasons to visit, but it’s also a fabulous place to relax with a good book at a charming cafe or on the beach with waves as your soundtrack, doing gloriously nothing at all.

Read another story about Brittany France on GoNOMAD.com