Published by Lyn on 11 September 2011
The Vendée in the Pays-de-la-Loire has released a booklet of cycling routes across the department, writes Lynette Eyb.
Note: we have a more recent page here with the Vendée regional bike route fully mapped.
The booklet, Les Sentiers Cyclables, features 22 cycle routes across the department for cyclists of all abilities. Each bike route is rated for difficulty, with each route profile carrying distance and terrain information. The booklet is in French, but the maps are clear and easy to follow, and the accompanying information is presented clearly, making it easy for non-French-speakers to figure out.
Le Marais Poitevin. Photo: Webzooloo
Cycle routes cover some 900km of the Vendée, with those featured in the booklet broken down into three sections:
Le circuit du littoral (the Coastal circuit): 190km of bike routes that cross dunes, forests and marsh/wetlands;
Le circuit du Marais Poitevin: 140km of cycle paths starting in the Bay de l’Aiguillon and crossing the canals of the wetlands; covers routes up to the Abbey of Maillezais and the huge forest of Mervent-Vouvant. This bike circuit also calls at Luçon;
Le circuit du Bocage: 553km long and passing some of the area's key historical attractions, including the Puy du Fou theme park and Château de Tiffauges.
Copies of the booklet can be ordered by writing to the local tourist board, Comité Départemental du Tourisme de Vendée, at 45 Bd des Etats-Unis. BP123 85006 La Roche sur Yon Cedex, by calling +33 (0)2 51 47 88 20 or info@vendee-tourisme.com
More on cycling the Vendée and Pays-de-la-Loire
See our links to bike hire shops in Pays-de-la-Loire.
For maps, Michelin have a Loire regional map, as well as a Loire-Atlantique/Vendée map. IGN also has a Vendée map as well as a Pays de la Loire map.
Nearby routes:
