Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie has 3.5 km of fine sandy beaches as well as a rocky coastline.
Coast and water sports
The Grande Plage of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is suitable for surfing. There is a water sports centre at Boisvinet Beach.
Saint Gilles Croix de Vie Nautisme offers sailing, surfing, kitesurfing, canoeing, windsurfing, land sailing, stand-up paddleboarding and a wake park.
Those who choose Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie as their destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.
Maritime culture
The fishing port offers the guided tour “En direct de la Criée”, during which visitors can watch a real fish auction.
The guided tour “Les Coulisses de la Criée” ends with a tasting of grilled sardines. The port of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie was the first French port to receive the “Site Remarquable du Goût” designation, awarded in 1998 for its sardine fishing.
Escale Pêche presents the permanent exhibition “Le voyage du poisson de l’océan à l’assiette”. The Atelier de la Sardine is housed in an old farmhouse and includes a museum, an art gallery and a shop.
Culture and history
The Église Sainte-Croix is a Romanesque-Byzantine church built according to the plans of the Nantes architect M. Menard.
The Atelier Henry Simon – Les Rimajures is a tourist and cultural exhibition and memorial site dedicated to the Vendée-born painter, ceramicist and decorator Henry Simon.
La Maison du Pêcheur is a typical 1920s house in the Maroc district of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie; it is located at 22 rue du Maroc and can be visited as part of guided tours with commentary.
Le Hope is a former fish trap fishing boat built in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1998 and can be seen in the marina.
Paths and waterways
The guided boat trip “Au fil de la Vie” starts in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie at the foot of the Concorde Bridge and provides information about the local flora and fauna, as well as the history of the port and fishing.
“Gaspard et le voleur de sardines” is a route through Vieux Saint-Gilles to the Grande Plage.
Le Chemin de la Sardine is a route along which fish painted blue on the ground lead visitors through the history of the town’s sardine fishing.
Au fil des pierres de lest is a route through Vieux Saint-Gilles that leads to local historical figures and cultural heritage sites.
Port
The Port la Vie marina is located in the centre of the maritime town and has 1,000 pontoon berths as well as 160 berths for visiting boats.
More destinations to explore: La Tranche-Sur-Mer, L'epine, Treize-Septiers, Foussais-Payré, Aubigny, Aizenay, Vix, Saint-Sigismond.
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