Charente Maritime - Click Here

Map of 50 Charente Maritime

The Area

This area covers the coastline from La Rochelle down south to Rochefort and Royan and inland to Saintes.

La Rochelle is a delightful ancient seaside town, most famous for its old harbour and its three outstanding medieval towers, with a wealth of history starting as a small fishing village back in the 10th century. It has thrived as a base for the wine and salt industries and the visitor can spend many hours wandering through the old streets with their bars, restaurants and fascinating architecture.

Further south is the old ex-naval town of Rochefort with its military buildings, including the amazingly long former rope factory, which now houses a superb exhibition on the life of sailors and fishermen. Inland is the Roman town of Saintes. The local villages of the area are mainly built in the local Charentaise style with old churches and attractive bars/restaurants.

In the south is the more modern seaside resort of Royan where the annual marbles contest is staged. Most of the original town was lost in the war, as a result, much of the architecture, including the church of Notre-Dame, is contemporary - as is the town's character.

The coast offers some excellent sandy beaches and a choice of marinas. Access to the area by air is either via Nantes to the north or Bordeaux to the south. There are good road connections to the ferry ports of St. Malo, Cherbourg and Caen. There are also excellent trains to Paris.

Activities

The region is endowed with some of the Atlantic's finest beaches, where watersports are popular and equipment is easy to hire. Boat rides down the Charente offer a delightful change and a visit to a cognac distillery is a must.

There are also numerous historic and cultural sights to be seen including markets and fairs dating back to the 17th century. Other activities include golf, walking, tennis, fishing trips, casinos and cycling with many marked cycle tracks and bike rental available at several points.