With over 250 miles of beaches, the coastline of the Western Loire offers the ideal seaside holiday: an excellent sunshine record, clean, sandy Blue Flag resorts, an unspoiled, natural landscape. But there is an extra dimension: fun!

As well as swimming and sunbathing, the Pays de la Loire�s sea and sand provide a huge playground for sports that we Brits haven�t even thought of yet!

� Sand yachting: like sailing on sand. Learn in minutes, have fun for hours. � Speedsailing: think skateboarding with a sail - or windsurfing on the beach. � Power kiting, landboarding, kiteboarding: all the above - with a kite. � PLUS: the world�s most natural spa treatments.

LIFE�S A BEACH Want endless sand or a tiny cove, sheltered by cliffs? A backdrop of scented pine forest or rugged rocks? A practical modern resort or the charm of a fishing village? The Pays de la Loire has 42 Blue Flag beaches � one-fifth of France�s total � and two marinas. Nowhere is grander than La Baule with its three-mile crescent of beach; nowhere has more charm than Le Croisic, where fishing is still a way of life. Further south is Les Sables d�Olonne, one of the world�s great yachting centres, the start and finish point of the Vend�e Globe Round-the-World Race. Overlooking the sands are boardwalks and cycle trails, dunes and golf courses.

IT�S A BREEZE When the tide goes out, it leaves behind miles of firm sand � perfect for sand-yachting. With its Blue Flag beaches, St Jean de Monts is one of many attractive seaside resorts along the Vend�e coast. For this easy-to-learn sport, spend a weekend here on an introductory course in spring and autumn. Clubs take youngsters as young as seven and teach them how to use the sail to pick up the breeze. Get the hang of it in 10 minutes; go solo in two hours. Then you are off! Only inches above the sand, you are safe even when you are going at 30mph �but it feels so much faster!

GREAT DEALS Duration: 3 days/2 nights in St-Jean-de-Monts in a 2-star hotel When: February-June, September-November Details: Vend�e Tourism, www.vendee-tourisme.com, 0033 2 51 47 88 20

AAAH� SAY SPA� Thalassotherapy: a real tonic It�s such a long word that the French shorten it to �thalasso�, the French way to relax and to recharge your batteries. Using clean, mineral-rich seawater straight from the Atlantic, thalasso centres offer stylish spa treatments, ranging from seawater showers and underwater massages to seaweed wraps and the latest treatment techniques.

Add in the guaranteed fresh seaside air at La Baule, Pornichet, Pornic, Saint-Jean-de-Monts and Les Sable-d�Olonne and you know that you�ll leave your stress behind and return home refreshed and relaxed. http://www.westernloire.com/en/guide/listeOffreMoteur.asp?IdSSTheme=0401&Kw=thalasso

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