St Michel en l'Herm - the village

St Michel is a lovely village. It offers everything you need for a relaxed, enjoyable holiday. Within five minutes walk of our house is a butcher, a baker, a pharmacist, hardware shop and a small supermarket. There is a much bigger 'SuperU' supermarket just five minutes drive away.  
Also within easy walking distance is a very good restaurant - called 'La Rose Tremiérè' - and a bar.
At the end of our road is a park for the children which has a play area as well as basketball hoops and a small football pitch.
There is a small market held each week on a Thursday morning.
The surrounding countryside is flat but pretty which makes it a very popular area for cycling and walks.

Vendee - the area

The Vendee Atlantic coast is a very popular holiday destination and, with a near Mediterranean climate providing an average 200 days and 2,500 hours of sunshine every year, it is hardly surprising.
The local beaches offer good quality bathing and gently-sloping beaches providing pleasure and safety for the whole family. From the shallow 'inland' beach at l'Aiguillon-sur-Mer which is great for toddlers to the family beach at La Faute-sur-Mer as well as the wide beaches, dunes and forests stretching from La Tranche sur Mer up to Longeville-sur-Mer.
But you will find that the area is far more than just a beach holiday. You will be spoilt for choice with the many restaurants, bistros and cafes that are available. The area is renowned for its seafood (oysters and mussels in particular) although you will find menus available to cater for every taste and budget.
For the more active, there is surfing, sailing and sand-yachting. There are golf courses within short driving distances at La Rochelle, Port Bourgenay, Olonne sur Mer and Nesmy.
There is plenty to interest nature lovers. There is a multitude of plant and animal life with nature reserves encouraging the preservation of the unique landscape. It is a very popular area for bird watching and is a favourite staging-post for migrating birds.
Then there are the attractive local market towns of Luçon and Fontenay-le-Comte with good shopping, plenty of history, interesting architecture and quaint side streets.