Stretching from La Rochelle and the Ile de Ré in the North, down to the Gironde Estuary in the South, the Charente-Maritime is the second sunniest departement in France after the Var and offers visitors a wealth of tourist spots with a rich historic and cultural content..

With 463 kilometers of seaside bordered by the Ré, Aix and Oléron Islands, visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to water sports and beach activities. For animal-lovers, wildlife abounds in the numerous marshlands, where one loses count of the number of storks, swans and varied species of game, which inhabit the area.

This is also a region of significant cultural and archeological treasures including :

• Gallo-Roman sites at Saintes and Fa.
• Numerous Roman churches, notably those at Aulnay, Talmont and the Ladies' Abbey at Saintes.

Impressive fortifications from the 15th and 16th centuries are legion in this area, notably

• LA ROCHELLE and its famous towers
• BROUAGE now a lonely island lost in the marshes
• ROCHEFORT and its famous royal corderie…
  

The Charente-Maritime is a place where the living is easy, the food divine and don't forget its Cognac, heartwarming in any season !

Come discover the Charente-Maritime, you may never want to leave !