Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Saint-Jean-de-Monts () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. Geography. The town is situated in the west of the "département", between Notre-Dame-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. It is split in two by a long plantation of pine trees, stretching from north to south along the coast. The "centre-ville" lies to the east of the cordon, while the seafront forms a center to the west. Saint-Jean-de-Monts is known for its sandy beach, more than eight kilometres long . Due to its often low tides, it offers a great area for walkers, fishermen, and beach games. The town is noteworthy for the recent restoration of its seafront, a town planning operation taking over five years to complete. The result now means a network of footpaths and cycle tracks are enhanced by plants, flowers and shrubs. The predominantly flat terrain has allowed for the development of a vast 500 km² network of cyclepaths, known as the "Sentiers Cyclables de la Vendée". These paths stretch from the island of Noirmoutier in the north, south past Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. History . Since 1867, bathers have been coming to the beach at Saint-Jean-de-Monts in large numbers, and since 1892 it has been the inspiration for many artists. The original church still lies in the center of the old village.