Hotels in Les Sables-d'Olonne

Les Sables-d'Olonne: Atlantic Port and Vendée Globe Capital

Les Sables-d'Olonne sits on the Atlantic coast of the Vendée department in western France, roughly 100 km south of Nantes. The city's 3 km sandy beach — the Grande Plage — runs along a sheltered bay, making it one of the busiest seaside resorts on the French Atlantic seaboard. The historic Channel district, a narrow fishing quarter between the harbour and the ocean, dates to the 17th century and still lands fresh catch daily at the criée (fish market).

The city is the permanent start and finish of the Vendée Globe, the non-stop solo round-the-world sailing race held every four years (most recently November 2024). Each edition draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Port Olona marina. Outside race years, the waterfront hosts the Musée de l'Abbaye Sainte-Croix, a fine arts museum housed in a 17th-century abbey, and the zoo des Sables, one of the largest in western France.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: TGV connections link La Roche-sur-Yon (30 km inland) to Paris Montparnasse in under 90 minutes; local trains and buses cover the final stretch to Les Sables.
• Best season: July and August see peak beach crowds; May–June offers warm weather with shorter queues at the fish market and harbour.
• Accommodation: Hotels concentrate along the Grande Plage promenade and around Port Olona; book well ahead during Vendée Globe years.