Take me there: Noirmoutier, Vendée
Why go?
Crossing Le Gois, the ancient causeway on the west coast of France that links the Vendée with Noirmoutier, feels a bit like leaving the 21st century behind. The island holds a special place in the hearts of the French, who associate it with carefree seaside holidays. Less self-consciously cool than the Île de Ré, it maintains the air of a well-kept secret – though it’s anything but that in August. Sandy beaches backed by pines, dazzling salt pans and whitewashed buildings with blue shutters lend a Mediterranean air, despite the bracing Atlantic location. The food, as you’d expect, is fabulous.
What to do
Most people come here to indulge in the simple seaside pastimes of rock pooling, digging for clams and bobbing around in dinghies. Plage des Dames is a glorious sweep of powder-soft sand with a promenade, wooden pier and pretty beach huts. Stroll through the Bois de la Chaize, a shady forest of oak, pine and eucalyptus trees. The terrain is flat so most people get around by bike, or you can catch the little tourist train that runs around the island.
Where to stay
L’ Île Ô Château is a smart family-run hotel with 23 bedrooms which have recently been kitted out with driftwood headboards, seagrass flooring and a black-and-white colour scheme. There’s a small pool and bike hire is available. Doubles are priced from £60 (ileochateau.com).
Where to eat
Le Velo Noir is a tiny side-street bistro which makes good use of the local seafood – oysters, sea bream ceviche and fried cuttlefish with olives – and the island’s famed potatoes which even pop up on the dessert menu in the unexpected form of a potato cake with salted caramel sauce (levelonoir.fr).
Insider tip
Claire Osterburg of Wake Up in France (wakeupinfrance.co.uk) which offers accommodation in the Vendée, recommends taking a trip round the island on O’Abandonado, a Portuguese tall ship (oabandonado.com). “It’s a little piece of sailing history, and you can even hoist the sails yourself.”
Give me a break
Home: bedding down in the aisle Go bat hunting before bedding down for the night in the aisle of a 13th-century church. Inspired by the success of its ‘champing’ breaks (camping in a church) the Churches Conservation Trust has put together a weekend of bat-themed action at the church of St John the Baptist in Cambridgeshire on 28 August. Packages from £45 (£25 for under-16s) including B&B in the church (visitchurches.org.uk).
Away: Eco holidays in Lanzarote The online accommodation site only-apartments.com has added a handful of funky eco homes in the Canary Island of Lanzarote to its collection of self-catering properties. Prices start from £22 per night for the one-bedroom Eco Finca de los Frailes – a lava-built house which is powered by solar energy and situated on an organic farm near the National Park of Timanfaya .
