Visit the Charente-Maritime
during your camping holiday
A department rich in discoveries
Charente-Maritime, located on the Atlantic coast between Vendée and Gironde, formerly part of the Poitou-Charentes region, is now part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Our department boasts a vast seafront and a wide opening onto the Gironde estuary, the largest in Europe.
Pleasant climatic conditions, a well-preserved architectural and environmental heritage, a lively and diverse cultural life, combined with the great appeal of the coastline and its islands, make the Charente-Maritime the second most popular summer tourist destination in France (after the Côte d’Azur) and the leading tourist department on the French Atlantic coast. In short, our campsite on the Ile d’Oléron has everything you need for a great vacation!
Sunny vacations in Charente-Maritime
Along with Gironde, Charente-Maritime is the sunniest department on France’s west coast. In the town of La Rochelle, annual sunshine is close to 2100 h! What better way to spend your vacation than by the sea? !!! Our oceanic climate offers mild winters and temperate summers, making our département one of the most sought-after destinations for French and foreign visitors alike.
Towns and villages to visit
Charente-Maritime stretches over 6864 km². It borders five départements (Charente, Vendée, Gironde, Deux-Sèvres and Dordogne). The Atlantic coastline is a dream with 463 km of coastline, including 230 km on the islands alone. Île d’Oléron, Île de Ré, Île d’Aix opposite Fort Boyard, and Île Madame all contribute to its charm.
There are some 150 beaches. So don’t be surprised if you’re not the only one lying on the sand – 90% of visitors choose this destination mainly for its coastal attractions!
Must-see sites to explore
Charente-Maritime also boasts six UNESCO World Heritage sites: the citadel at Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the Basilica of Saint-Eutrope in Saintes, the Church of Saint-Pierre in Aulnay, the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela, the Royal Abbey of Saint-Jean-d’Angély and the Pilgrims’ Hospital in Pons.
It also boasts 5 villages classified as “Most Beautiful Villages in France” : Talmont-sur-Gironde, Mornac-sur-Seudre, Brouage, La Flotte and Ars-en-Ré and its saltworks, as well as 3 Petites Cités de Caractère®: Talmont-sur-Gironde, Saint-Sauvant and Saint-Savinien-sur-Charente.
Our selection of cultural visits
CountlessRomanesque buildings, castles, abbeys, natural sites, archaeological sites… are also part of the region’s wealth of natural attractions, including the Moëze-Oléron nature reserve, the Marais Poitevin interregional nature park (which also covers the departments of Vendée and Deux-Sèvres), and the Marais d’Yves bird sanctuary. Many migratory birds stop over in our region. Numerous storks have taken up residence here over the last twenty years, and over 600 pairs have been identified.
Health tourism in Charente-Maritime
The richness of Charente-Maritime tourism also lies in its multitude of activities, which are not exclusively based on the coast. Health tourism, for example, is booming thanks to the development of thermalism (the Rochefort, Jonzac and Saujon spas), thermo-ludism and balneotherapy.
Open to the ocean, Charente-Maritime boasts a number of thalassotherapy centers, including the Oléron thalassotherapy center at Saint-Trojan-Les-Bains on the southern tip of the island. Other centers are scattered along the coast, notably in Châtelaillon-Plage, Royan and on theIle de Ré, which boasts no fewer than 3 centers.
Savour Charente’s gastronomy
The first thing that comes to mind is oysters, of course, from the Marennes Oléron basin and all the farms in Charente-Maritime! This shellfish has always been cultivated on our coastline, and carries with it the richness and diversity of the men and women who make it grow through their ancestral gestures. This know-how has been passed down from generation to generation, a passion that is shared, and which results in an exceptional oyster.
Whether from the open sea or matured in oyster beds, Charente-Maritime oysters have a unique taste and are a reflection of each oyster farmer.
The département is also a producer of mussels, notably with traditional bouchot cultivation. These oak or chestnut stakes sunk into the mud along the coast attract the mussels at each tide and become their mainstay. The mussels then grow and are harvested. Charente-Maritime, France’s leading mithycultural department, concentrates its production in the Baie de l’Aiguillon and the Baie d’Yves, as well as on theislands of Ré and Oléron! In the 17, mussels are enjoyed in marinière, mouclade and especially éclade (or églade), a typical and spectacular flame-cooking process that gives the shellfish an incomparable flavor. The sea offers us a multitude of products that are much appreciated on our plates: prawns, whelks, langoustines, lobsters, scallops… as well as numerous species of fish.
On the land side, the people of Charente love ” cagouilles “, or snails, as they’re known, eaten with parsley, sauce or braised. The Charentais melon needs no introduction: this well-known variety is grown mainly in the hinterland of the Royanne and Aunis regions.
Vines also occupy much of the department’s cultivated land, producing vins de pays as well as Pineau des Charentes and Cognac, the world-renowned wine brandy. Gourmets will also be familiar with the famous Charentais galette . The department is also a producer of salt and fleur de sel, with salt marshes found mainly on the islands of the Pertuis Charentais.
