Located a few miles from the beaches of La Baule and Pornic, this Vendée island is accessible via a free bridge, but also by the passage du Gois, a unique feature. The passage is a road 4 km long, completely covered at high tide - it is only open a few hours each day.
The island is 24 km long, and has 4 coastal municipalities.
It enjoys a unique microclimate, most popularly illustrated by the bloom of mimosas in February, and the early potato harvest in late March.
With its picturesque streets and 83 km of excellent cycle paths, including three "themed" trails, Noirmoutier is a paradise for cycling - the best way to enjoy the villages and discover their secrets in all seasons.
A favourite holiday destination since the 1900s, this is also a lively community that lives to the rhythm of sea trades.
Here nature offers oysters and bouchot mussels, sea bass, sole and lobsters. Salicorne is harvested and sea salt is produced in the salt marshes. The famous Bonnotte (the Noirmoutier potato) is best in early May.
In the summer the beaches of white sand are the delight of holidaymakers, also satisfying culture, nature and sports lovers.
The 12th century castle overlooks the town of Noirmoutier, and the communities of Barbâtre, Guérinière and L'Epine offer leisure activities, tourist sites, exhibitions and shows, a theatre festival, nautical festivals, sailing regattas, boating in all its forms. Discover a perfectly preserved natural environment on the hiking trails, with visits to local producers and cultural or artistic trails. Of course there's lots to do for children too!
The villages of Noirmoutier each have their own personalities, and provide a striking contrast to the wide open natural spaces - the mosaic of salt marshes, the fields of the agricultural plain, the colourful ports and the unique architecture, half-rural, half-seaside.
For travelling to to the Ile d’Yeu from Fromentine or Noirmoutier, find all the information you'll need for the embarkation point for the Ile d’Yeu here.
