The Vendee region can be found in Western France a little to the south of the Loire Valley. It is an area that has grown in popularity with foreign buyers of French property, particularly as the rise in budget airlines now servicing the nearby international airport in Nantes has made the Vendee easy to reach.
Vendee's main attractions are its wonderful landscape and warm climate. Bordering the Atlantic Ocean its climate is a moderated version of what is found in Central France. Summers are warm, but not stiflingly hot, while winters are mild thanks mostly to the warm Atlantic winds that blow in from the west. This combination makes it an ideal retreat for every season, whether you're looking to escape the heat or the cold.
The Vendee boasts a spectacular coastline that runs for some 250kms from the midpoint of Bourgneuf Bay down to the lowlands north of La Rochelle. Known as the Cote de Lumiere (Coast of Light) the shoreline takes in coastal forests, 140kms of sandy beaches and idyllic seaside towns like St Jean de Monts and Croix de Vie. Further to the south is Les Sables D'Olonne - a town with a rich maritime history and host to the round-the-world Vendee Globe solo sailing event.
Inland, rolling hills together with rivers, lakes and valleys await. The town of La Roche sur Yon is especially popular with Vendee property buyers as are the many small villages and the plethora of hamlets that dot this beautiful part of rural France. If you're looking for a French property renovation or conversion project, you'll be spoilt for choice in the Vendee.
A typical 3-bed Vendee property situated within one of the region's small inland villages currently costs around 160,000 euros. For a 3-bed villa in France along the Vendee coastline expect to pay a premium - especially near the larger seaside towns.
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