Why visit the Charente!

There are so many Reasons-the long sunny days with cloudless blue skies, the peaceful unspoilt countryside with it's fields of sunflowers, beautiful honey-colored stone houses with terracotta roofs nestling in tranquil hamlets, the rivers, the food, the wine. The list is endless.

The Charente is a department of the Poitou-Charentes Region, which also includes Deux Sevres, Charente Maritime, and the Vienna. The area benefits from a micro climate which gives us long hot summers with temperatures around 40 ° C. and makes us the second sunniest region of ​​France after the Riviera. These extend to long warm autumns when it is still possible to enjoy a lunch outside in the sun even in November. Winters are short and sharp, but again blue skies predominate and soon spring arrives and doors and windows are thrown open again.  

This warm, dry climate means that the area is ideal for arable farming, and throughout the Charente you will find fields of sunflowers stretching off to the horizon, whilst around Cognac there are large areas of vineyards, essential for the production of the Charentes most famous export. As well as farmland there are many woods and forests where horse-riding and walking are a pleasure, and the many rivers and lakes will suit boating, inland beaches, fishing, and sports enthusiasts. There is also an abundance of cycle routes surrounding camp laurent. 

Although largely an unspoilt area, you are never very far from a busy (by French standards) cosmopolitan towns, with many shops, excellent restaurants and those pavement cafes where we all love to wile away an hour or two watching the world go by.

The historic city of Angouleme is the capital of the Charente department and as well as the above shops etc, here you will find architecture from all eras, from Roman through to 20th Century, and the city holds many festivals throughout the year. The most famous of these is probably the "Circuit des Remparts", a race through the old part of the city for classic cars of all types, held in September. For Those of you have you like the sea, the Atlantic coast is within 1 ½ hr drive . Here there are many small resorts as well as the city of La Rochelle, where you can sample the fabulous seafood for which this area is famous, stroll round the "old town" shop, visit the indoor market, or just sit on the beach!

Throughout Poitou-Charente there are many attractions Including "Vallee des Singes", a large park where monkeys of all types wander around freely amongst visitors, and La Palmyre Zoo at Royan, one of the large largest in Europe. Add to this the many inland leisure beaches, boating lakes, and outdoor activities, and there is enough to keep even the most energetic occupied.

As you can see the area has something for everyone, which is why we love it here. If you think you will love it too, please contact us. We can help you experience your dream holiday in this beautiful region of ​​France.