The Vendee has a ‘microclimate’, said to be similar to that of the Côte d'Azur, that ensures that well over 2,000 hours of sunshine  (locals will say over 2,500 hours!) beam  down on the Vendée's 140km of sandy beaches. La Rochelle in the Charente Maritime (less than 60 miles from the Cottage) enjoys 2331 hours of sunshine a year on average.  It is blessed in being just far enough away from the Pyrenees and yet far enough south with low lying geography that combines to give it an area with the highest number of average annual sunshine hours in France except the Mediterranean. Google it and see!

The weather now in

Department 85 The Vendée