Tourism appeared with the fashion for sea bathing and the arrival of the railway in with the so-called "pleasure trains". The seaside villas are multiplying around the Remblai seaside promenade , it is the Belle Epoque Sablaise.
In with paid holidays and even more in the s, we will witness the development of tourism. In the 17th century, it reached its peak with cod fishing on the banks of Newfoundland. More than 80 boats go cod fishing each year. Shipyards are experiencing a boom. This maritime tradition still continues today, Les Sables-d'Olonne is a city with 3 fishing, commercial and pleasure ports.
The folklore group "le Nouch" through its dances and its songs tells this particular story, the district of La Chaume with its fishermen's houses, its quays, the piers, the lighthouses, the Saint-Nicolas priory testifies to this past turned towards the sea. Served by the TGV all year round, Les Sables-d'Olonne promotes weekend tourism: the desire to recharge your batteries at the thalassotherapy centre, to stroll in the open air on the large beach, to visit a exhibition at the museum of the Sainte Croix Abbey, to attend a show, to treat yourself to a meal in one of the seafood restaurants in the city?
Everything is possible: hotels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, residences are waiting for customers to help them enjoy Les Sables-d'Olonne from another angle. The beach is the irresistible asset in high season for relaxation, well-being, games with a gentle slope, safe for children. A stone's throw from the beach, an exceptional environment composed of marshes, forest, wild coasts allows those who wish to walk or hike on foot, by bike or on horseback!
In terms of leisure, water sports, sailing and also a wide range of activities are offered to visitors: golf, karting, yoga, horse riding, canoeing, parachute jumping, diving Winter and spring light and autumn to discover on the beach side, on the port side or on the ledges and wild coasts nearby!
