Comparing the Atlantic with the Mediterranean is a little like comparing a lily with a pink, a raspberry with a bilberry. There is no best one, only two different beauties. Personally, I do not know whether I prefer the Atlantic or the Mediterranean sea for my holidays. Considering I live in the Vendee, I’m enticed to find comparative data.

Economically: the Atlantic seems less expensive to me. Thanks to a less dense resident and tourist population, one spends less there, for housing, parking easily found, restaurants, leisure in general. All seems to be a little cheaper there. The relationship with the other tourists: if you look for quiet, pick the Atlantic. On the other hand, if one likes to tie occasional friendships on the beach or at the bar, the Mediterranean is probably better, because distances are reduced there. Landscapes and architecture. Ah the soft and picturesque harmony of Provence, with its olive-trees, its vineyards, its houses with their learnedly colored frontages.Once again, it all depends on you: do you like posing your glance in a soft contemplation, or do you prefer  walk in or biking  in  wide open spaces, less picturesque but with an undeniable charm? Sport. Do you prefer quietly swimming in a tepid sea, or practicing the sports of the wind, windsurf,  sailing and so on? in this case, the Atlantic is a must. Seafood. Less expensive, more varied, often fresher, the Atlantic seafood seems unbeatable. Cultural experiences. Do you prefer art, a field where the Mediterranean coast is surely richer, or  do you like theme parks such as the Puy-du-Fou or Futuroscope, to name only two Atlantic stalwarts? The ocean also seems to prevail as for zoological gardens and aquariums, I just quote Royan and La Rochelle. Climate. Do you like to roast yourselves on the beach, defying any medical recommendation? or do you prefer  a bright but moderate sunshine, with a brisk,  refreshing breeze? Changing may be the best strategy. Are you addicted to the Atlantic? test Provence once. Are you a fan of the Mediterranean? We await you in Vendee. Luca Tamburelli