St Cyr des Gats has a Cafe / Bar, Restaurant, Boulangerie, Post Office, Church and Hairdressers. A small Supermarket (Spar), Cash point, Butchers, Chemist and Patisserie can be found in La Calliere, 6 kms away.
Situated within an hour of La Rochelle, you can sample the renowned fresh fish and seafood in the many restaurants located by the beach front. The nearest town to the Moulin is Fontenay Le Comte, the ancient capital of the Vendee, with it's weekend market. Spend your hard earned cash in the delightful shops and boutiques.
A short drive will take you to the medieval village of Vouvant, (designated one of the prettiest in France) and Mervant Forest with it's walks, cycle tracks, large leisure lake and various other attractions.
Famous for numerous gently sloping beaches which are ideal for water sports or just sunbathing. The region is also noted for the 'Venise Vert' (Green Venice) canal system, and walking around the Mervent area. For the connoisseur the Vendée is surrounded on three sides by the Loire, Cognac and Bordeaux. Inland the landscape is dominated by vineyards and sunflower fields with small villages every few miles. Ideal for a quiet holiday in the sun, the Vendée is said to equal anywhere in France for hours of sunshine each year. The climate means the season extends from Easter to late October - the average monthly temperature in September is 70 degrees.
Venise Vert is the canal system the Vendée is famous for. There are numerous places (Maillezais is one of the best, 20 min drive from St Cyr Des Gats) where small rowing boats can be hired (with or without guides). Maps are provided and you can navigate round canal systems to set routes. The canals range from 20m wide to narrow stretches barely wide enough for the boat. All the canals are completely covered with a very distinctive weed giving them the appearance of flat green land, hence the 'Venise Vert' name. At Maillezais there is also a restaurant, souvenir shop and crazy golf course.
Puy de Fou is well worth a visit, by day there is a theme park which includes medieval jousting, villages with traditional crafts and actors dressed in the period of the day. The highlight is a twice daily display of falconry. The display is held in an amphitheatre with hawks, falcons and eagles swooping over the crowd and collecting food from the falconers who are dressed in traditional costume. This includes every bird of prey you have ever imagined including some enormous vultures. Great fun and highly professional! During the summer Puy de Fou is renowned for holding France's foremost Son et Lumière spectacle. This is a re-enactment of the dress history in full costume by night and includes battle scenes, village life and laser special effects set around a castle and lake. It includes a cast of hundreds of locals and is carried out on Friday and Saturday. Every show is sold out in the height of summer, but tickets can be booked in advance. There is also an English translation available on cassette. If you wish to go to the evening event and get the translation this can be booked in advance by credit card.
Île de Ré is a quiet island off La Rochelle, a new road bridge makes it accessible by car. It is picturesque and has numerous beaches, cafés, towns and parks. The cost for the toll bridge is approximately £10 but is free if you cycle or walk out to the island. There is also a very good value golf course on the island.
Beaches in the Vendée are excellent, clean and sandy. The nearest are approximately 40km away and take a little under an hour to reach. There are three resorts next to each other on the coast, la Tranche-sur-Mer, l'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, and la Faute-sur-Mer .
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