6-Day Charente-Maritime Itinerary: Spring Holiday in France

Our Charente-Maritime itinerary was an improvised getaway in France. Bordered by 5 French departments, Charente-Maritime enjoys a delicate weather and is just one of France’s most well-liked places. Its Atlantic coast has 463 km of shoreline, of which 230 km on the islands, such as Ile d’Oléron opposite of Bourcefranc-Le-Chapus and Ile de Ré joined to La Rochelle. And three rivers, the Charente, the Seudre, and the Sèvre Niortaise, cross the region’s lush green countryside. Perched on the hills, the vineyards in Charente-Maritime generate some of the most renowned spirits in the planet, these types of as Remy Martin and Hennessy.

In Germany, universities have Easter holiday seasons, but not in France. As a result, we experienced a very good time exploring this a lot less crowded and a lot less high-priced location devoid of stress. We could not program our Charente-Maritime itinerary in advance of our getaway. Right after the holiday break, we realized how quite a few activities we had completed in just a 7 days. Below is the detail of our just one-week Charente-Maritime Itinerary:

• 1^st Day: IIe d’Oleron
• 2^ed Day: Fort Louvois and Salt marshes on the island of Oleron
• 3^rd Working day: ile de re (Plage des bidons V)  La Rochelle
• 4^th Day: In the holiday getaway household in Bourcefranc
• 5^th Day: Cognac Tasting in Cognac, France
• 6^th Day: Dune seashore, Le Phare de La Coubre, la Palmyre, Royan, Grottes du Régulus

1^st Working day: IIe d’Oleron

Beach front walking

From Bourcefranc-Le-Chapus, we passed the extended bridge connected to the island and turned to the still left toward the Forest of Saint-Trojan. The beach front, Plage de Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, is powering the forest. I walked on the vast seaside aimlessly, watching the waves rippling carefully. There was no clump of seaweed washed on the seashore. Looking far out, I observed a line of nickel-silver, the horizon! 

A number of pretty seashores extend kilometres alongside the blue Atlantic, a paradise for beachgoers in the summer months. 

Stroll about the imposing ramparts around the citadel of Le Château-d’Oléron 

The citadel and ramparts surrounding the medieval district of Le Château-d’Oléronare are available calendar year-spherical. The ramparts of the website offer you a panoramic view of the Purely natural Reserve of Moëze-Oléron. It is intriguing to watch how the tides alter the landscape of the port. 

Discover vibrant oyster huts

All around lunchtime, we strolled in the port of Château-d’Oléron and surprisingly found numerous vibrant huts, Cabanes de créateurs (the designer huts). They utilised to be oyster huts. The artists, from sculptors, and jewelers, to cutlers, have been producing and repainting all those huts for decades. My eyes were drawn to a blue hut, a purple 1, and a yellow a person at the waterfront. What a best spot for photographers!

Mountaineering at the northern idea of the island

In the late afternoon, we drove to the northern and experienced a cliff walk about the lighthouse, the Phare de Chassiron. The round walk all over the lighthouse rewarded us with rocky coastal sights. However, the sunset was continue to battling by means of the rainy clouds, giving us a lightning chance to capture the sights. Some spots have warning indicators due to the fact the cliff has erosions. We experienced to get safety measures walking on the cliffside.

2^ed IIe d’Oleron (Fort Louvois and boat vacation in Salt marshes on the island of Oleron)

Fort Louvois

From the yard, we could see Fort Louvois when it was crystal clear weather conditions. Right before we took the boat trip in salt marshes on the IIe d’Oleron, we built a stopover there. This 17th-century maritime fortification is straightforward to get to at very low tide on foot and by boat at large tide. The road to the fortification was even now soaked because the minimal tide started out and covered by seaweed. Therefore, the strolling route was extremely slippery. 

Bost vacation in Salt marshes in Le Grand Village Plage

A massive spot of the island is salt marshes. A number of salt producers welcome website visitors to share their enthusiasm, providing excursions introducing salt farming is effective and historical past. We employed a boat at Le Port des Salines and spent about 45 minutes in the canals among the the salt marshes. It was a boat rowing activity for our son. So, soon after the boat vacation, we nonetheless spent some time there viewing the salt marshes on foot. 

3^rd ile de re (Plage des bidons V)  La Rochelle

Ile de Ré 

In the summer months seasons, Ile de Ré is in which you are going to find fifty percent of Paris obtaining its holiday break there. Strips of uninterrupted golden fluffy sand beaches go over considerably of the island’s coastline. This very small island is linked to La Rochelle by means of a toll bridge.

All over lunchtime, we drove to Plage des bidons V on the western side and identified ourselves just about alone on the seashore, other than two horse riders. There were some wild crops on the beachfront, which I could not tell the title. 

La Rochelle

The aged harbour of La Rochelle is the centre of the town and is pretty hectic. But the 1st matter that caught my eyes was the graffiti on the partitions. They were all large but nicely painted. From the centre of the harbour, we could see three medieval historic towers of LA Rochelle. A single of them, the Lantern Tower, served as a Lighthouse and prison all through its background.

Very well, the strongest effect of this position is the amount of its dining places. Inside of the full previous town, we observed places to eat and bars giving quickly food, handmade French food, worldwide meals, and gourmand dishes. Since most eateries open all around 19:30, we had a great deal of time to take a look at menus. 

4^th  In the holiday getaway home in Bourcefranc

In the early morning, we woke up and observed significant tar-black clouds relocating toward our position. We experienced a brief examine wherever to expend the day but regrettably acquired that the entire space would be a rainy day. We received up early ample and had breakfast, hoping the temperature transformed mercifully.

All of a sudden, I read the initial splatter of rain tapping on the window, and then the drops ended up drumming on the terrace. The rainfall became extreme in the following hour. We experienced prepared to visit several areas, but none of them experienced fantastic climate. So, it was recreation enjoying and guide examining working day. 

5^th Cognac Tasting in Cognac, France

Due to the fact the weather conditions turned greater, we ended up ready to stick to our Charente-Maritime Itinerary, traveling to the city of Cognac and joined a Cognac Tasting tour. Cognac is not only the famous spirit but also the area the place the spirit is developed. We planned to see the touristic city and the historic property of Rémy Martin. But regrettably, the residence was less than renovation and preparing for the upcoming 300 year’s celebration. Discontented with the problem, we went to its shop following door to acquire cognac as planned.

There, we obtained a opportunity to join a cognac tasting tour. The a person-tour was not free of charge, but it was the only English tour of the 7 days in the course of the off-period. Because we were being not sure which manufacturer or item to invest in, it was a likelihood to know the magic formula of this top quality spirit.

6^th Lighthouse of La Coubre and Grottes du Régulus

Climb up the Lighthouse of La Coubre

The Lighthouse of La Coubre is the tallest in the Charente-Maritime, with a top of 64 metres. It was straightforward to climb up the tower, despite of slim stairs. At the time on the top of the lighthouse, we experienced sights of the wonderful coast and changing dunes.  

Grottes du Régulus

Proceed driving toward the south, and soon after possessing a quick quit at la Palmyre, we determined to have lunch at Royan. Royan is a seaside resort with limitless shores of the ocean and its five sandy beaches proudly traveling the Blue Flag. 

Found 12 km from Royan, the Grottes du Régulus (Caves of Régulus), a municipal troglodyte web page, is open up to the community for a number of months of a yr. There are a couple caves together this extend of coastline. But this a person is a municipal. 

Vacation recommendations for scheduling Charente-Maritime itinerary

Exactly where to continue to be

We stayed in Bourcefranc-Le-Chapus. The holiday break house is just on top of the cliff and upcoming to the sea. Every morning, I watched the sunshine shining in excess of the coastal spot and the solar disappearing behind the horizon in the night. It was this sort of a fantastic dwelling with a whirlpool in the yard. Each and every room has a totally geared up lavatory. There are many various varieties of lodging in the location, but you really should guide in advance if you strategy to have a holiday break there.  

The ideal holiday break bases would be La Rochelle, Ile de Ré, and IIe d’Oleron. If we went there in the summertime, we would include numerous beach front routines to our Charente-Maritime itinerary.

How to get there

• You can reach Charente-Maritime from 5 close by airports: Bordeaux, Nates, La Rochelle, Biarritz, and Limoges. 
• Finances travellers can just take very long-haul buses, for instance, Paris – La Rochelle or Bordeaux – La Rochelle. Locate all the places on the Flixbus site.  
• TGV sells tickets from Paris Montparnasse to La Rochell. The trip is about 2H50. 
• If you choose to drive, motorways A10 and A83 will just take you to La Rochelle.