When it comes to ticking all the boxes, nowhere can match the Pays de la Loire, the five departments whose focus is the mighty Loire in Western France.

Looking for sun and sea? Unspoiled countryside and clean rivers? Great wines and fine, affordable meals? Grand chateaux and history? Sand-yachting on wide beaches or cycling on quiet lanes? Some of Frances most photographed cities? For couples, families with young children or teenagers, the Pays de la Loire promises and delivers!

The Atlantic Coast : Oh, we do love to be beside the seaside ! The Loire-Atlantique and the Vendée are known for their sunshine and long, sandy beaches. Be active with every watersport under the sun or soothe away your cares the natural way - with thalassotherapy spa treatments, using sea water to relax muscles.

Old Man River : The mighty Loire Dotted with chateaux and historic towns. Frances longest river is a highway and a royal road, a recreation area and, in places, still wild and untamed. Go for a dinner cruise or paddle a canoe; drive along the banks or take a bike ride on dedicated cycle paths. From Saumur to St Nazaire, explore 150 attractive and flat miles.

Cities: where French and English history are entwined Nowhere is more moving than Fontevraud Abbey, with the tombs of Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. Nowhere is more fun than Le Mans, especially during the June 24-Hour motor races. Explore cobbled lanes, lined with half-timbered houses in Saumur and Angers; see what inspired Jules Verne to write Around the World in 80 Days in Nantes.

Wine trails & cuisine : Frances answer to the Good Life The French call it the Art de Vivre ; we call it The Good Life. As wine pundit Jonathan Ray wrote in The Telegraph recently : I love the Loire Valley and I love the wines. they are fascinatingly varied and versatile, from the bone dry and luscious sweet whites, to light and elegant reds and rosés, and delightfully effervescent sparklers. Taste them in vineyards and informal auberges. Partner them with local dishes featuring fresh, healthy local produce : Frances finest oysters and seafood, beef and salads, cheeses and orchard fruits.

A River Runs through It: a tribute to the tributaries Many of the great châteaux and vineyards are not on the Loire, but on one of the smaller rivers that flow into the Loire: the Mayenne, Sarthe, Erdre and the little Loir. Forget barging on a canal, these are free-flowing, clean rivers, best explored on what the French call a houseboat. This is actually a purpose-built, floating home, with beds, showers, loos, kitchens all the comforts of home. And along the banks are manor houses, parks and glorious gardens.  

DIARY DATES ALL YEAR 600th Anniversary of the Good King René April 18-19 Le Mans: 24-Hour race (motor cycles) June 6 August 16 Estuaire: art and sculpture May 15-17 Le Mans: French GP (motorcycles) June 13-14 Le Mans: 77th 24-Hour race (cars) www.lemans.org/accueil/index_gb.html

GETTING THERE Plane : London Stansted to Nantes-Atlantique Airport ; Southampton to Angers-Loire Airport TGV : train 2 hours from Paris Ferry : via Channel ports

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