Camping de Sion

The small seaside town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has a spectacular stretch of sand reaching both its adjacent resorts of Saint Gilles Croix de Vie and Saint-Jean-de-Monts. The beaches of Les Marines, Merlin-Plage, Sion-sur-l'Océan and the Plage des Demoiselles are all lifeguarded and popular with families. Cycle and walking routes run through the forest behind the beaches of Saint-Hilaire; if you hire a bike from the Camping de Sion team, you can also pedal to Saint Gilles's marina and many seafood restaurants (sardines are the speciality here), or around the salt marshes surrounding the site. The mud huts of the Bourrine du Bois-Juquaud eco museum, in Saint-Hilaire, are also within easy pedalling distance. Three adrenalised days out are close by for families: the Atlantic Toboggan waterpark (one kilometre), the Feeling Forest tree climbing adventure park (two kilometres) and the three amusement parks of L'Île aux Jeux, 12 kilometres away at Challon.