Greeting the Atlantic Ocean with miles of sandy shoreline and vast stretches of oyster beds, Charente is one of the most visited areas of France. Port towns such as La Rochelle combine historic centres with fine restaurants and modern shops. Off the coast are enchanting islands, the most popular of which are the Ile de Ré and Ile d’Oleron, which are best explored in early summer before the crowds arrive.
Points of interest: La Rochelle | Angoulême | Rochefort-sur-Mer | Royan | Château de La Rochefoucauld | Ile de Ré | Marais Poitevin | Ile d’Oléron | Cognac | Abadía de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe | Cité Médiévale de Chauvigny
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Perched on a peaceful stretch of the River Anglin, the village of Angles-sur-l’Anglin is a must-visit. Commanding the surrounding wooded countryside, the ruined Château Guichard towers above the pretty rooftops of the village and offers splendid views over the rocky valley. The village is also famous for its 14,000 year old Magdalenian sculptures of the Roc Aux Sorciers or “Witches’ Rock”.
Charente
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne [📸 grangebleuet.com]
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
Laid out in an amphitheatre arrangement and dominating the River Dronne below, the charming village of Aubeterre immediately appeals to visitors. Its ancient galleried balconies and turreted houses are stacked up the hillside. Its principle curiosity is the cavernous Église Monolithe, an underground church on a cathedral sized scale - one of only a handful in France.
Charente-Maritime
Ars-en-Ré
Ars-en-Ré
Located at the eastern end of the island of Ré, an arrondissement of La Rochelle, the seaside town of Ars-en-Ré is a popular tourist trap during the summer months although it retains its peaceful and laidback atmosphere. Once an important seaport for the salt trade, its salt marsh industry has been somewhat scaled back and just 60 individuals exploit this salt production today. As well as its ‘most beautiful village’ badge, the town also boasts the ‘Villages of Stones and Water’ label.
La Flotte-en-Ré [📸 les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org]
La Flotte-en-Ré
The largest of the settlements on the island of Ré, La Flotte is a bustling harbour town with distant views of the Vendée beaches. Its typical whitewashed houses with emerald green shutters line the harbour and seafront and look out past swaying hollyhocks over gently bobbing fishing boats. The town centre has a good selection of cafés, restaurants, galleries and boutiques.
Mornac sits above the Seudre River on the Arvert Peninsula. A maze of narrow streets and alleys wind around the village and are lined with Charentais-style houses. Having relied heavily on the oyster and salt production industries for years, tourism now brings in a substantial income. To get stunning views over the village and salt marshes be sure to visit the Roman style church of Saint-Pierre, a fortified church dating from the 11th century and whose spire was lost in the Second World War.
Situated about 120km upstream from Bordeaux in the marshy plain of the Gironde estuary is the tiny village of Talmont-sur-Gironde. Occupied for centuries it became fortified in the Middle Ages and in the 18th century was developed into a fishing and trading port. The tiny houses with white façades and blue shutters are clustered together on a small promontory just 250m wide!
Séquoia Parc, is just 7 km from the beach (Marennes-Plage). This is a high-quality family campsite in the heart of the Charente-Maritime region, set on the grounds of La Josephtrie, a castle with beautifully restored outbuildings and a courtyard area with a bar and restaurant. Sequoia Park is more a resort than a camping site; mobile homes outnumber pitches 3 to 1; however, both enjoy all the facilities of this fantastic site. On-site, there are 148 touring pitches available, which are divided by established hedging, and all have a good degree of shade; there are four different pitches available, with level 1 just offering a pitch whilst level 4 offers private sanitary facilities. The pitches are between 120 and 140m² with 6/10A electricity connections. The site itself is in a rural location surrounded by forest with no public transport links.
L’Orée du Bois has about 400 pitches of about 100 sq.m. in a very spacious, pinewood setting. There are 110 for touring units, mainly scattered amongst the permanent chalets and tents. They include 40 large pitches with individual sanitary facilities (in blocks of four with shower, toilet, washbasin and dishwashing sink). Pitches are on flat, fairly sandy ground, separated by trees, shrubs and hedges and all have electrical connections (6A, some Europlugs). The forest pines offer some shade. This is a family site with an excellent aqua park amongst the amenities as well as a splendid children’s playground.
On the outskirts of Ars-en-Ré, Camping des Dunes offers a quiet rural holiday. This campsite is popular with families of all ages. There are 58 mobile homes for hire and 21 pitches of varying sizes for touring units (all with 10A electricity). With bicycle hire available on site, you can take advantage of the numerous cycle paths on the island that include routes through a nature reserve.
This campsite can be found at the western end of the Ile de Ré, very close to the imposing Phare des Baleines and just 100 m. from a sandy beach. Pitches are of average size, and most are equipped with 10A electricity. A good selection of mobile homes is available to rent. Leisure facilities here include an attractive pool with a wide sunbathing terrace and a multisport terrain. The bar/restaurant is the focal point for the site, and a range of activities and entertainment take place there throughout the high season, including a daily children’s club.
Owners, couple Greg and Nadege, will be pleased to welcome you to their site on the edge of the Sèvre Nortaise and the Marais Poitevin, which is ideal for short or long stays. With canoe and bicycle hire on site you have no excuse for not exploring the local area. La Venise Verte provides an excellent site with many facilities, including a restaurant and bar serving food all day. There is also a shop to purchase daily essentials. When not exploring the local area and taking advantage of what the river has to offer the site has an outdoor swimming pool perfect for relaxing and soaking up the summer sun. There are 120 flat pitches here with 94 used for touring units, the remainder occupied by 26 mobile homes. The pitches are of a good size, most with 10A electricity, water and drainage, and with some shade.
Camping la Roche Posay is set in eight hectares and has direct access to the Creuse river on which fishing and canoes are popular. There are over 200 pitches, of which 85 are used for mobile homes to rent. Access around the site is good for larger units. The pitches are all large and 10A electricity is available. This is a good, well run site by the helpful owners John and Angela who are British. There is a sense of spaciousness where you can relax in a convivial atmosphere. Many different types of trees offer a mix of shade and the site is pleasantly landscaped.
Camping du Lac de Saint-Cyr is in a quiet and picturesque location in the department of Vienne. The site is located between the main towns of Poitiers (twenty kilometres) and Châtellerault. As the name implies, the campsite is located on Lake Saint-Cyr an ideal starting point for a family holiday. Spend your holiday on one of the spacious 153 touring pitches, which are separated by hedges. Onsite you can find n outdoor swimming pool with waterfalls, massage jets, a paddling pool and a bubble sofa.
Sites et Paysages La Dordogne Vert is a well-run family-orientated campsite in Saint-Aulaye, Dordogne. Since the change of ownership in 2017, there have been many renovations on site resulting in an accommodating and competent team looking after holidaymakers.
