Shine on, Charente Maritime
Known for its sunny microclimate and white sandy beaches, there’s a whole lot more to discover in this exceptional department
Long a favourite with the French, who have flocked to buy holiday homes here since the early 1900s, the Charente-Maritime has only quite recently been discovered by "foreigners". They come for the sun but they stay for the rich range of things to see, do, taste and try. Here are our top 10 reasons to make the Charente-Maritime your home from home!
1 Spa days
The pretty town of Jonzac sits on a thermal spring and hosts one of the newest thermal spas in south west France. The Chaîne Thermale du Soleil offers ‘cures’ for all types of ailments from heart problems to arthritis and it’s common for people to be referred by their doctor for an 18 day treatment! Les Curistes, as the patients are known, give Jonzac a thriving market for rental properties for 11 months of the year as all these people need to stay somewhere!
If you fancy giving it a go there are mini-cures available. 6 days to sort out your back problems costs from €395
If you’re hale and hearty but still drawn to water try Les Antilles instead. This water park offers slides and pools, relaxation areas, sauna and steam rooms and spa treatments. An access-all-areas day pass costs €21
2 Island life
Off the coast of the Charente-Maritime sits a chain of 4 islands, each with its own character and each worth a visit.
Ile de Ré is the most glossy and glamorous. Accessed by a toll bridge (between €3 and €16 depending on your vehicle and the season), expect the picturesque ports to be buzzing throughout the summer. Check out La Flotte - a tiny easy-going harbour town with waterside bars and restaurants, then zip along to St Martin de Ré for elegant boutiques and smart cafes. Take a seat, order a coffee and watch the beautiful people promenade. If you are feeling even the tiniest bit energetic hire a bike from one of the many outlets and take to the cycle paths to explore more of the island.
Ile d’Oleron is wilder and more rustic, famed for its sea salt production which can be seen at Le Port des Salines. Take a boat trip from Rochefort and sail around Fort Boyard, the location for filming the TV game show, The Crystal Maze.
Ile d’Aix sits at the mouth of the Charente river and has a strong Napoleonic history. Napoleon ordered the construction of the semi-underground Fort Liédot which operated as a military prison until the 1960s and which you can visit today.
The 4th island is Ile Madame - a small, uninhabited island where you’ll find the charismatic ‘carrelet’ fishing nets on stilts which make wonderful subjects for keen photographers. Check the tide times - it’s easy to get caught out!
3 Bird-spotter heaven
The massive Gironde river winds its way from Bordeaux along the border of the Charente-Maritime to the Atlantic. Along its banks are salt flats and reed marshes, little fishing towns and some of the best bird spotting opportunities to be found in France.
One feature you’ll notice on a drive along the estuary is a series of high level platforms set in the fields and marshes. Straggly nests sit on top and in spring you’ll often see stork couples who come back to the same nest every year to rear their young.
Other species to look out for include Great White Egrets, Cattle Egrets, kingfishers, herons, hobbies, kites, ospreys, harriers, honey buzzards, peregrines, spoonbills, hoopoes, golden orioles and many waders.
4 Bunker mentality
Dotted along the coast you’ll see the massive structures of WWII German bunkers and gun emplacements which were built by the German engineering organisation, TODT, and which formed part of the Atlantic Wall. Some bunkers can still be entered, some have slid into the sea or are gradually being buried by the sand. It’s easy to get lost in thoughts of how it must have been when they were in use.
In Berneuil, near Saintes, you’ll also find a German military cemetery with thousands of graves of navy and army personnel as well as prisoners of war.
This all stands as a reminder of how this country has not always enjoyed such peaceful times.
5 Raise a glass
Pineau & Cognac grapes are grown over a large area in the Charente-Maritime. The weather and the soil seem to suit them well. Before dinner you might find yourself being offered a Cognac Schweppes (Cognac & tonic) and then at the end of the meal a Café Charentais (like an Irish coffee but with cognac).
Pineau is another ‘aperitif’ option. This sweet fortified wine is usually a blend of grape juice and Cognac eau de vie. Like wines, it comes in white, rosé and red versions. Personally, I can’t really tell the difference - I like them all.
6 History abounds
During the 100 years war the Battle of Saintes was fought in 1351. Wales fought for France and there is even a monument in Mortagne to a Welsh soldier "Owen ou Yvain de Galles". The town is worth a visit for its extraordinary Roman architecture, also.
From Saintes head to Mortagne to take a look at the Hermitage Saint Martial. This tiny and completely unspoilt site consists of two or three rooms and a chapel carved into the rock. It was first mention in Saint Martial's life story in 1020.
From here it’s a quick hop to St Fort sur Gironde to see the Tour de Beaumont.
This a magical place is where tourists love to go for the fantastic views. A conical tower, built in the middle ages which served as a signal for sailors heading to the ports of Maubert or Mortagne. A fire was lit inside - so it was almost like a lighthouse.
7 A taste of France
You can’t be this close to the sea without seafood being big on the menu. Mussels, oysters, shrimp - all fresh as you like and affordable!
Toffee is famous from the Charente Maritime, made with local butter salted from the salt flats and called 'caramel au beurre salé.
Snails or "les cagouilles" are much loved and eaten here - there is a snail farm in Lorignac (www.charentes-escargots.business.site/) and the local roundabout is decorated with 6ft high snails! They breed small grey snails and feed them on clover. The snails are then cooked in a fish broth with white wine, tomato, garlic and bread crumbs. You can even buy snail sausages.
8 La Rochelle
You can’t really do La Rochelle justice in a day trip, let along a paragraph. All I can say is go there! It’s got a beautiful port, great waterside bars and restaurants, a huge aquarium, a cathedral and wonderful parks.
9 Accessibility
The great thing about the Charente Maritime is accessibility. Bordeaux is just 40 mins by train from Jonzac, the A10 connects us to the autoroute network across France and into Spain. Skiing is 3 hours. Fly into Bordeaux or La Rochelle airports and you can be at your holiday home in an hour. Gite businesses do very well indeed, as do yoga and events companies as it’s easy to zip in for a weekend. Traffic jams are non existent.
10 Did we mention the weather and the beaches?
Of course, these are the things that keep people coming back to the area. Most beaches, dunes and Atlantic coast forests are protected areas, many have no buildings at all. So bringing a picnic is a must!
Many beaches can only be reached by a 5 - 10 minute walk or cycle through the pine forest and they are never crowded. Our favourite is relatively unknown. Check out La Bouverie beach, La Tremblade on Google maps. This takes you to the car park - then you walk to the beach. But this is just between us, OK?
Take your pick from our selection in the Charente-Maritime.
