Côte de Lumière, seaside resort

The Côte de Lumière is the northern stretch of the Vendée Atlantic coastline, running from Noirmoutier-en-l'Île and Beauvoir-sur-Mer down through Saint-Jean-de-Monts, Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Les Sables-d'Olonne to Talmont-Saint-Hilaire and the Île d'Yeu. It is mostly sandy shore, with rocky sections of old bedrock in the north and limestone in the south. The sand is light tan, ridged and darker where the tide has withdrawn, backed in places by low ochre earth banks.

The name Côte de Lumière comes from the sunny microclimate of the Vendée coast. In 2005 the Pôle Touristique International Vendée Côte de Lumière was created, grouping 29 communes from Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez to La Tranche-sur-Mer, including Les Sables-d'Olonne, to organise and promote tourism, support water sports and improve accommodation.

The coast takes its name from the bright sunlight that shines here and makes the waters gleam throughout the day. The fishing villages along the shore still show how people work with the sea, from mending boats in the harbor to selling fresh catch at local markets.

The Côte de Lumière runs along the Vendée Atlantic coast from Noirmoutier and the Bay of Bourgneuf south to La Faute-sur-Mer, with Les Sables-d'Olonne roughly midway. The northern stretches are sandy, with rocky outcrops of the old massif in the north and limestone further south. Since 2005 the Pôle Touristique International Vendée Côte de Lumière has grouped 29 coastal and hinterland communes from Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez to La Tranche-sur-Mer for tourism promotion.

The Passage du Gois, a tidal causeway, links Noirmoutier to the mainland at Beauvoir-sur-Mer; it is submerged for several hours at high tide and passable only between tides. Raised refuge posts stand along its length for anyone caught by the rising water.