L'île de la Dive

An island in the ancient gulf of the Pictons, La Dive at Saint Michel en l'Herm towers over the cereal-growing plain from a height of fifteen metres. Beaches of the South Vendée and Retro-littoral.

La Dive is the last island in the former Golfe des Pictons, now the Marais Poitevin, to be attached to the mainland.
A historic crossing point, perched 15 metres above an ocean of grain that borders the Atlantic Ocean, it offers a marvellous view of the Bay of Aiguillon, the cliffs of Pointe Saint Clément, La Rochelle and the bridge over the Ile de Ré from the lookout table... Don't forget your binoculars! The tranquillity of the area is a haven for little owls and barn owls...
The rocky spur to the west of the Dive is an ancient cliff carved out of the Oxfordian limestone by the sea. It now overlooks the horizontal surface of the polders. It is a plateau approximately 1 km long and 250 metres wide.
It has also preserved the remains of a former priory with its 12th-century Gothic chapel dedicated to St Hilaire (private).