Charente Area







The Area

The Charente known as the area 16 is one of 4 departments made up of Poitou Charente to the North, Charente Maritime to the west - Deux Sevres to the north east and Vienne to the north west which is a very unspoilt rural environment with lush green rolling hills, a beautiful winding river and is within easy reach of the golden sandy beaches. Angouleme is a fascinating historical and important city nestled upon a hill giving panoramic views of the Charente river and countryside. It has a very large indoor market with a modern shopping area and a magnificent Cathedral

Preserving the French tradition and way of life, the Charente area has very little industry and is predominantly agricultural, it is the vine growing area of the large Cognac distillers with numerous local wines available to taste and purchase direct from the vineyards. You can discover the secrets of the world famouse Cognac by visiting the cellars and distilleries with the added advantage of guided tours. Sunflowers are also grown in abundance throughout the region and are part of the special charm of this beautiful region. It is statistically France's least industrialised and well under populated area considering some 30,000 British people now live there.




The Weather

The region is France's second highest sunny region with longer summers and shorter winters with some 2,750 hours of sunshine per year.


Facts About The Region

Located in Western France between the north of Bordeaux and the south of Paris.

Capital:	Poitiers
Population:	1,640,069
Special Foods:	Oysters
	Melon
	Cognac
Coastline:	364 kms
	42 marinas
Golf Courses	16

Poitou-Cherente is a varied and rich region full of contrasting activity. the most popular tourist features are:-

The Islands of Noirmoutier - Situated in the north of the Vendee it is only half a mile off the coast at it's closest point and is connected to the mainland by a beautiful bridge. The landscape is one of low lying fields, salt flats, marsh land, forests of pine/hoalm oak trees and sand dunes.

Oléron - The island of Oleron is the most Southern of the islands on the French Atlantic coast and can be visited all year round. The island is a holiday destination and has good sea bathing. The spring is popular when the Mimosa is in flower.


The Aqarium and port of La Rochelle - See links below for full information
The Zoo de la Palmyre (Nr Royan) the Marais Poitevin - See links below for full information
Poitiers and the Futurescope - See links below for full information

Golf Courses	Aqarium/Port of La Rochelle	Zoo de la Palmre
Island of Oleron	Poitiers and the Futurescope	Islands of Noirmoutier

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