Poitou-Charentes is located in Western France bathed in the wonderful Atlantic sunshine. The beautiful coast has a charming natural landscape with rock protrusions, rivers, unique sandy beaches and small idyllic islands. Inland is Marais Poitevin – the ”Green Venice” of France. A lush area which has France’s greatest complex of artificial water ways, and which is best experienced by canoe or by boat.
Poitou-Charentes invites to a relaxing holiday by the ocean, cultural holiday or sports holiday for families, yachting enthusiasts or the romantic couple.

The landscape of Poitou-Charentes

The coast of Poitou-Charentes offers rivers, rocks, lovely places for swimming, large waves and small exotic islands.
Inland is the wet marsh and forest area, Marais Poitevin, which is cut through in all directions by a maze of overgrown canals that are decorated with orchids and water lilies in the shadow of the poplar and beech trees.

Large cities in Poitou-Charentes: Poitiers and La Rochelle

Poitiers is one of the oldest cities of France but appears as a modern and dynamic regional capital in Poitou-Charentes with a rich architectural heritage in the historic centre.
The largest and best known attraction of the region is Futurscope. An exciting theme park that gives a strong impression of how our everyday lives will shape in the future.

La Rochelle is a lovely destination if you long for a fresh sea breeze and maritime atmosphere. The port of La Rochelle is one of the prettiest ports of France. Once, it was only for fishermen, but today it is one of the largest marina centres on the French Atlantic coast. One of the funniest attractions for the entire family is L’Aquarium with its 65 giant aquaria and a fantastic collection of sea animals.

Tourist attractions of Poitou-Charentes

The largest tourist attractions of the area are the Marais Poitevin area with the many canals as well as the Atlantic coast with the lovely sandy beaches and the great supply of yachting activities. Especially popular is the Coast of Beauty, ”La Côte de Beauté”, that stretches from Île d’Oléron to Royan. The beach reminds you of a tropical beach with pine forest planted all the way to the ocean.

You should also visit the sunny and undisturbed islands, Île d’Oléron and Île de Ré, by the coast of Poitou-Charentes, which offer excellent beaches, vine fields and small, colourful ports that ooze of life when the cutters bring in the fresh fish. There are small, idyllic villages with low, whitewashed houses with rose tiled roof and flowering mimosa in the middle of winter. On Île d’Oléron is the stone fort ”Fort Boyard” from 1803 constructed in the water. The fort is known from the TV series ”Fangerne på Fortet” (Prisoners of the Fort) and can be seen on daily roundtrips by boat.

Sports activities in Poitou-Charentes

The coast to the Atlantic Ocean is the perfect place for lovers of nature, anglers, windsurfers and yachting enthusiasts with endless possibilities. Furthermore, there are various golf courses in the area.

If you want a trip way beyond the ordinary, you should go for a trip in a canoe or in one of the flat-bottomed boats of Marais Poitevin, the area with the many canal systems. You could also take the trip by horse, on food or by bike. The isles of Île d’Oléron and Île de Ré are also ideal for bicycle rides.

Gastronomic characteristics of Poitou-Charentes

By reason of its location between land and sea, Poitou-Charentes offers a rich and varying cuisine. Popular specialties are a dish of "seafood", which is caught fresh the same day, fresh oysters, bass baked in salt and pickerel in "beurre blanc" served with a little salad and fresh clams with a glass of cold muscadet to go with it.
In Cognac in Poitou-Charentes, they produce the famous aperitif, cognac. Visit one of the distilleries and have an interesting tour as well as tasting of the cognac.

The climate of Poitou-Charentes

Poitou-Charentes has an ocean climate with generally mild, moist and windy winters and autumn and dry, sunny summers with fresh wind from the Atlantic. The bathing water in July and August has an average temperature of 22 degrees.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from Maison de la France. Photographers: Daniel Gallon-Dangal and Pascal Gréboval.