www.visitlessablesdolonne.co.uk. Sand, sun, surf and baguettes in a ‘Miami meets Torremolinos and attacks a French fishing port’ scenario. Great beaches backed by high-rise apartments ensure a hectic family-orientated two-and-a-half month summer season. There is an unlikely cultural diversion in the fine modern art collection on show in the Musée de I’Abbaye Sainte-Croix. Of wider appeal, the Musée Automobile de Vendée, route de Talmont (8 km E), features working models from the 1880s to 1960s.