Saint-Jean-de-Monts Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Commune

Town centre of Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Coat of arms

Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Location in France

Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Location in Pays de la Loire

Country

Les Sables-d'Olonne

Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Océan Marais de Monts

Area

61.72 km² (23.83 sq mi)

Population

(Jan. 2021)

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Time zone

UTC+01:00 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+02:00 (CEST)

INSEE/Postal code

85234 /

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a lovely town in western France. It's part of the Vendée area, which is a "department" (like a county). This town is also in the Pays de la Loire "region" (a larger area).

Exploring Saint-Jean-de-Monts
- Where is Saint-Jean-de-Monts?
- Amazing Beaches and Paths
A Look Back in Time
Cool Places to Visit
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Saint-Jean-de-Monts

Where is Saint-Jean-de-Monts?

The Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

This town is located in the west of the Vendée department. You can find it between two other towns: Notre-Dame-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. A long line of pine trees runs from north to south along the coast. This line of trees actually splits the town into two parts. The main town center is to the east of these trees. The beautiful seafront area is to the west.

Amazing Beaches and Paths

Saint-Jean-de-Monts is famous for its long, sandy beach. It stretches for more than eight kilometers! When the tide is low, the beach becomes very wide. This makes it a perfect place for walking, fishing, and playing beach games.

The town has recently made its seafront even better. This big project took over five years to finish. Now, there are many new footpaths and cycle tracks. These paths are surrounded by lovely plants, flowers, and shrubs.

The land around Saint-Jean-de-Monts is mostly flat. This has helped create a huge network of cyclepaths. These paths cover about 500 square kilometers! They are known as the Sentiers Cyclables de la Vendée. You can cycle from the island of Noirmoutier in the north. The paths go all the way south past Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

A Look Back in Time

Since 1867, many people have come to the beach at Saint-Jean-de-Monts to enjoy the sea. The town has also inspired many artists since 1892. The original church, which is very old, is still in the center of the older part of the village.

Cool Places to Visit

The Pier: There's a pier on the beach that was built in 1964. It stretches out over the sea. It's a popular spot for people who like to fish or just enjoy a walk. Sadly, a big storm in February 2010 badly damaged the pier. It was completely taken down in the winter of 2011. A new pier is being built! Part of it was ready for summer 2012, and the whole pier was finished in 2013.
Bird Sculpture: You can see a sculpture of two birds in town. It reminds people of two famous artists, Auguste Lepère and Charles Milcendeau.
The Bather Sculpture: Another sculpture, called "La Baigneuse" (The Bather), was made by Henry MURAIL in 1999. You can find it at the end of "avenue de la mer," right in front of the sea.
National Forest: There's a large national forest covering 280 hectares. It's located in the middle of the Breton / Vendée marshes. This forest was planted a long time ago, during the time of Napoléon III.