Saint-Jean-de-Monts has 8 km of fine sand, divided into 9 beaches, each with its own atmosphere and services. Some run alongside the esplanade, with bars and a big wheel nearby. Others are reached by a path through the dunes or under the pine trees. All of them face west and slope gently into fairly calm water. To help you choose your ideal beach, the team at our holiday campsite in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez takes you through the 9 beaches of Saint-Jean-de-Monts below.
Key points to remember
| Are you looking for… | This beach is for you |
|---|---|
| Activities, kids’ clubs and shops close by | Plage des Oiseaux |
| Live music in the bars and an evening atmosphere | Plage de la Baigneuse |
| A beautiful view and fishing spots | Plage de l’Estacade |
| Paddleboarding, surfing or sand yachting | Plage de la Base Nautique |
| A forest beach with shaded picnic spots | Plage de la Davière |
| The calm of a protected dune, away from the town centre | Plage du Golf or Parée du Jonc |
| Bring your dog along, all year round | Tonnelles, Parée du Jonc or Davière |
Plage des Oiseaux: 3 Tiralo beach wheelchairs and a 40 m Ferris wheel
Plage des Oiseaux is where most of the Saint-Jean-de-Monts action happens. In the morning, it belongs to walkers and sports enthusiasts. In the afternoon, kids’ clubs, volleyball tournaments and yoga classes take over.
Despite the crowds, the beach holds the Handiplage label, with a ramp, an access mat down to the sea and 3 Tiralo beach wheelchairs.
Visitors’ favourite
The Oiseaux de Mer sculpture, created by Jan and Joël Martel, has stood facing the ocean since the 1960s.
Practical information
- Very fine sand, gently sloping, no currents
- Supervised swimming from mid-June to mid-September (central lifeguard post)
- Free parking on the Esplanade de la Mer, with overflow parking possible near the Océabul swimming pool
- Accessible toilets, wifi and beach cabin hire on site
Plage de la Baigneuse: the lively seafront atmosphere
Right next to the esplanade, La Baigneuse beach draws a young, cosmopolitan crowd. Access is step-free, with no stairs to climb. The beach bars put on live music in the evenings, and musicians sometimes improvise on the sand.
For families, there is a kids’ club with trampolines and games during the summer.
This beach also holds the Blue Flag award, as noted by the Pays de Saint-Jean-de-Monts tourist office.
Visitors’ favourite
Late-afternoon swims, when the music from the bars drifts down to the shoreline.
Practical information
- Direct access from the Esplanade de la Mer, on foot or by bike
- Lifeguards on duty from mid-June to mid-September, with longer hours in July and August
- Beach huts and parasols for hire, accessible toilets and Wi-Fi
- Parking fills up quickly: try the car parks set further back
Plage des Demoiselles: a favourite with regulars
Of all the beaches in Saint-Jean-de-Monts, Les Demoiselles has the most regulars. Residents and families come back year after year, often to the very same spot.
At the end of the day, it’s a lovely place to linger, build a sandcastle and watch the sun go down.
There’s also a beach club and mobile vendors, with waffles and ice creams leading the way, who bring the season to life.
Visitors’ favourite
The small natural dune that children race down before dashing off to the water.
Practical information
- Access via avenue Valentin, free parking at the Esplanade de la Mer
- Supervised swimming in July and August, in the morning and afternoon
- Access ramp, Tiralo beach wheelchair and accessible toilets
- Secure bike parking at the end of the cycle path
Plage de l’Estacade: 400 m of timber stretching out over the ocean
The pier is the link between the town and the dunes. At 400 m long and built from azobé, a wood so dense it’s nicknamed ironwood, it has reached out over the ocean since 1967.
Its walkway draws two kinds of visitors: anglers spend the night there, while families head up for the view.
Visitors’ favourite
Scrape shellfish off the posts and go looking for crabs between the pillars at low tide.
Practical information
- Free parking along the esplanade and at the Pimprenelles car park
- Served by bus route 12
- Supervised swimming in July and August, in the morning and afternoon
- Wooden sun loungers, picnic tables and 2 play areas on the seafront
Plage de la Base Nautique: the spot for watersports
North of the pier, Base Nautique beach marks the transition from the esplanade to the dunes. This is where most of the wind and board sports take place: paddleboarding, surfing, catamaran sailing and sand yachting all share the sand and the water. Anglers launch their boats to fish for mackerel, bass and pollack. On land, a beach bar with a terrace and a beach volleyball court are ideal for relaxing.
Visitors’ favourite
A replica of Louis Blériot’s Aéroplage, an early 20th-century sand yacht, rebuilt to the original design by local enthusiasts.
Practical information
- Parking along Avenue de l’Estacade
- Lifeguard post in July and August, from 11:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 19:00
- Three Tiralo all-terrain wheelchairs and accessible toilets
- Watersports equipment hire on site, just a few metres from the water
Plage du Golf: the dunes without the crowds
This is the quietest of Saint-Jean-de-Monts’ beaches. Public and backed by dunes, it sees few visitors. Its Natura 2000 status prohibits mechanical cleaning, which protects the strandline and the local biodiversity. The neighbouring course has its own article: the Saint-Jean-de-Monts golf course. This unspoilt coastline also benefits shore foragers, who gather cockles and shrimp according to the tide coefficients.
Visitors’ favourite
The dune path shared with the golf course, which makes it easy to combine a round of golf with a swim.
Practical information
- Three ways in: from the golf club-house, via a passage between the residences, or along the dune path from the watersports centre
- A lifeguard keeps watch over the swimming area in July and August, from 14:30 to 19:00
- The dune path is difficult for pushchairs and wheelchairs
- Parking at the golf club for the first access point
La Davière beach: the wild beach families love
Getting to La Davière takes a little effort: the way in is along a path beneath the pines, and the walk is all part of the discovery. Wide and natural, the beach brings extended families and groups of friends together for pétanque and palet. When it comes to sports, kitesurfing has a dedicated area in summer, alongside windsurfing and sand yachting. Finally, bins for collecting tideline litter are also in place from autumn to spring.
Visitors’ favourite
Shaded picnic tables, set at the edge of the forest, just a few metres from the path that crosses the dune.
Practical information
- Parking is free but unsupervised, and it fills up quickly in peak season
- Lifeguards on duty in July and August, from 13:00 to 19:00
- Toilets open throughout these two summer months
- Dogs welcome all year round, on a lead
Parée du Jonc beach: deep sand, a high dune and tiralo
Away from the centre, higher dunes separate the beach at Parée du Jonc from the middle of the seaside resort, so peace and quiet are easier to find here. The sand is coarser than elsewhere, which brings a practical advantage: it doesn’t cling to your skin or your belongings, and a flick of the hand shakes it off. The town maintains the beach by hand, which protects the natural strandline left by the tide. And on a clear day, the Île d’Yeu appears on the horizon.
Visitors’ favourite
Shrimping along the rocks, then horse riders passing by at sunset.
Practical information
- Free parking for cars and motorhomes, unsupervised
- Supervised swimming every summer afternoon, from 13:00 to 19:00
- A Tiralo is available to help people with reduced mobility get into the water
- Served by the summer shuttle La Littorale and by the GR8 trail
Plage des Tonnelles: the wild beach you can reach without a car
At the end of the chemin des Tonnelles, this wide, wild beach rounds off our tour of the beaches of Saint-Jean-de-Monts. Classified as a Natura 2000 site, it looks out towards the Île d’Yeu and receives most of its visitors from April to September.
Finally, it’s easy to get there from our campsite near Saint-Jean-de-Monts.
Visitors’ favourite
Horse riders are allowed all year round, riding along the foreshore early in the morning or after 19:00 in midsummer.
Practical information
- Free parking with a barrier, unsupervised
- Lifeguards on duty in July and August, from 13:00 to 19:00
- Dogs welcome all year round, on a lead
- La Littorale shuttle in July and August, in addition to the cycle paths
A tip from the campsite team
The campsite isn’t right by the sea: we’re set in a pine forest, about 5 km from the beaches of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, which are linked by a direct cycle path, an extension of the Vélodyssée. For Saint-Jean-de-Monts, allow a slightly longer journey north – it’s best to set off early in July and August, as the seafront car parks fill up by late morning.
So, which Saint-Jean-de-Monts beach would you choose: the lively promenade or the peaceful dunes?
Your questions about the beaches of Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Which beaches in Saint-Jean-de-Monts are supervised?
Five swimming areas have a lifeguard station: Les Demoiselles, la Rotonde des Oiseaux, la Baigneuse, l’Estacade and la Parée du Jonc. Lookout posts also cover the Golf, la Davière and les Tonnelles beaches. La Rotonde des Oiseaux and la Baigneuse are supervised for the longest period, from mid-June to mid-September.
Are dogs allowed on the beaches of Saint-Jean-de-Monts?
Yes, but only on 3 beaches all year round, and they must be kept on a lead: les Tonnelles, la Parée du Jonc and la Davière. On all other beaches, animals are not allowed from 1 May to 30 September, with the exception of guide dogs and assistance dogs.
Where can you try sand yachting in Saint-Jean-de-Monts?
Sand yachting takes place on the foreshore at the Base Nautique and la Davière, where the wide beaches uncovered at low tide are ideal for the sport. The Base Nautique also keeps a replica of the Aéroplage built by the aviator Louis Blériot in the early 20th century.
Which beach is best for young children?
Plage des Oiseaux and Plage des Demoiselles are both well suited to young children, with beach clubs, toilets, lifeguard supervision and shops just a few steps away. The sand slopes gently into the sea, and there is no current. Families looking for somewhere quieter may prefer La Davière, which is supervised in the afternoons in summer.
Are the beaches wheelchair accessible?
Yes, several beaches are equipped for wheelchair users. Plage des Oiseaux holds the Handiplage label, with a ramp, a matting walkway to the sea and 3 Tiralos (beach wheelchairs). The Base Nautique also has 3 Tiralos, and both the Demoiselles and the Parée du Jonc offer adapted access and accessible toilets.
Who wrote this article?
Article written by the team at Camping Au Bois des Biches, a 4-star campsite in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, in the Vendée. Supervision hours, beach rules and shuttle services change each season, so please check with the town of Saint-Jean-de-Monts before you set off. Sources consulted:
- Town of Saint-Jean-de-Monts, rules on the use of beaches – www.saintjeandemonts.fr
- Town of Saint-Jean-de-Monts, the town’s beaches – www.saintjeandemonts.fr
- Pays de Saint-Jean-de-Monts tourist office, the resort’s beaches – paysdesaintjeandemonts.fr
