Travel guide Charente-Maritime
The best time to go en Charente-Maritime
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Practical information for travel en Charente-Maritime
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Edition 2025
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What to see what to do en Charente-Maritime?
Where to go en Charente-Maritime?
The most beautiful tourist sites
Other en Charente-Maritime destinations
Zones touristiques
Villes
- La Rochelle
- Saint-Martin-De-Ré
- Rochefort
- Royan
- Ars-En-Ré
- La Palmyre
- La Flotte
- Saintes
- Fouras
- Saint-Trojan-Les-Bains
- Saint-Pierre-D'Oléron
- Les Portes-En-Ré
- Châtelaillon-Plage
- Hiers-Brouage
- Loix
- Jonzac
- Ile-D'Aix
- Sainte-Marie-De-Ré
- Sablonceaux
- Le Château-D'Oléron
- Saint-Palais-Sur-Mer
- Montendre
- La Couarde-Sur-Mer
- Le Bois-Plage-En-Ré
- Marennes
- Saint-Jean-D'Angély
- Marans
- Mirambeau
- Saint-Savinien
- Saint-Denis-D'Oléron
Petit Futé's best addresses en Charente-Maritime
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Featured articles de Charente-Maritime
Things to do and see in Jonzac 11 must-sees in 2025
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Crossed by the peaceful Seugne River, this flower-filled town is one of France's "One Hundred Most Beautiful Detours". On arrival, the imposing silhouette of its medieval castle immediately catches...
What to do around La Palmyre Zoo: 10 ideas for visits in 2025
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The whole family had a wonderful time at La Palmyre Zoo, with its wide variety of animals spread across a beautiful park. Now it's time to explore the zoo's surroundings! From Ile d'Oléron to Jonzac,...
What to do around La Palmyre Zoo: 10 ideas for visits in 2025
Updated on 17/09/2025 Unusual discoveries
The whole family had a wonderful time at La Palmyre Zoo, with its wide variety of animals spread across a beautiful park. Now it's time to explore the zoo's surroundings! From Ile d'Oléron to Jonzac,...
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Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks en Charente-Maritime
Il y a de multiples façons de découvrir la Charente-Maritime, le temps d'une escapade ou d'un long séjour. Une chose est sûre, ce territoire est propice à de nombreuses activités qui donneront le sourire aux petits comme aux grands, à tel point que vous n'aurez plus qu'une envie : revenir ! Si vous souhaitez découvrir tout le département et profiter pleinement de toutes les richesses, choisissez plutôt un point central, la ville de Saintes et ses alentours. Nous vous avons préparé deux séjours. Le premier séduira les amoureux de la mer, les menant d'îles en îles, à la découverte de la Côte de Beauté et jusqu'à l'Estuaire de la Gironde. Ce séjour iodé vous permettra d'explorer de jolis villages insulaires, des territoires naturels d'une grande richesse et de prendre un bol d'air vivifiant ! Le deuxième est dédié aux amoureux de gastronomie et d'histoire qui partiront à la découverte de l'arrière-pays et sa lumière si particulière.
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Discover la Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is inseparable from the ocean that borders it, and which has seen the birth of seaside resorts whose very name is synonymous with vacations. Châtelaillon-Plage, Royan... they're all known for their unspoilt setting, their unique light and their iodized atmosphere. Inevitably, the archipelago is the stuff of dreams. Each of the four islands has its own appeal. Some strut their stuff on the cover of fashion magazines, others are wilder. Oléron, Ré, Aix and Madame... so many charming destinations that attract travelers eager to enjoy unique places. The ocean is also a source of nourishment! On vacation and all year round, you can feast on seafood, especially mussels in summer. Once you've had your fill, it's time for sport! Charente-Maritime is ideal for running, cycling and, of course, water sports: surfing, paddleboarding, windsurfing... There's something for everyone!
The 12 keywords en Charente-Maritime
# Benèze
Coming from the patois, this word links the two Charentes. It qualifies people who feel at ease, happy. And they are numerous here! You can hear this expression everywhere: at the café, at the beach... because here we cultivate a certain art of living. And the Charentais were delighted to see this word enter the dictionary!
# Cagouille
This is how, in the Charente patois, the snail is referred to, one of the symbols of the ancient region. The Charente-Maritime is one of the first French producers. Like oysters or mussels, this small animal is cooked with all kinds of sauces! It is also the animal that gave the name to the neighbors of Charente: the cagouillards.
# Funny
This term refers to children, whether they are funny or not! You will hear this expression in both Charentes with a variation for girls called "drôlesses". The expression "un bon drôle" is also used to designate a good person. To be Benèze, when the weather is nice, it is better that the funny ones wear a chapia!
# Hermione
The reconstruction of the replica of the frigate is a story of enthusiasts. It began in the early 1990s, in the heart of the Rochefort naval arsenal, before the ship underwent its first sea trials in 2014. The following year, the Hermione left for the United States before her voyage to the Mediterranean and then to Normandy.
# Islands
The Charente-Maritime has four islands including the second largest in France, Oleron. Like its little sister, the very popular Ile de Ré, it is connected to the mainland by a bridge. There is also Aix, a small crescent of land in the heart of the Charente archipelago and Madame, the smallest of all, which can only be approached at low tide.
# Coastal
Stretching over 450 km, the oceanic coastline extends from the Bay of Aiguillon to the Gironde estuary. It is marked by a great variety of landscapes: marshes, dunes, large sandy beaches but also small creeks and limestone cliffs. Among the coastal communities, La Rochelle is the only one to have a deep water port.
# Seagull
You will see this bird while walking along the ocean. Voluntarily curious and talkative, the laughing gulls do not hesitate to show themselves, approaching the docks to nibble a few crumbs. They can also be found behind tractors, during ploughing, on the oldest locomotive in France and on the department's logo.
# Oyster farming
Charente-Maritime is the first oyster farming department in France, with nearly 1,200 producers, mainly located in the Marennes Oléron basin. In this unique environment, the oyster benefits from exceptional breeding conditions. Refined in oyster beds, former salt marshes, they are the only ones to benefit from the Red Label.
# Bridges
In the plural, of course, since there are 8 of them on the territory! Among these structures, the two most famous are those that link the islands to the mainland, and they are also the largest, nearly 3 km for the bridge on the island of Ré. Others cross rivers, like the one over the Seudre or the Charente, without forgetting the recently renovated transporter bridge.
# Ports
Charente-Maritime has no less than 60 of them! The one in La Rochelle is probably the most emblematic, but the traveler will also linger in l'Houmeau for its intimate atmosphere, in Saint-Martin-de-Ré for its fortifications and in Mortagne-sur-Gironde to admire the beautiful white stone houses. So many lively and authentic places.
# Vauban
The Charente-Maritime region has many defensive works designed by Louis XIV's military engineer to protect the Rochefort Arsenal. The most famous are the fortifications of Saint-Martin-de-Ré which served as a shelter for the population. This stronghold of the Charentais channel was classified in 2008 as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
# Vineyard
The history of the vine in the department goes back to antiquity! Today, the vineyards produce an exceptional beverage: Cognac, an eau-de-vie aged in oak barrels with a beautiful amber color. But the winegrowers of Charente-Maritime also produce a "Vin de Pays" with the appellation "Indication Géographique Protégée".
You are from here, if...
You have already eaten an éclade. Originally from the island of Oléron, this dish is typical of the Charente-Maritime region. The mussels are eaten with your fingers, accompanied by a slice of bread, salted butter and a glass of white wine.
You've already seen a Stade Rochelais match. Since 2016, Marcel Deflandre has been sold out with an audience devoted to the yellow and black team. The match days are an integral part of the Rochelais calendar and the flags are displayed everywhere in the city!
You've had a coffee on the terrace. Nestled against the ocean, the Charente-Maritime is one of the sunniest departments in France and the inhabitants know it well! Rochelais, Saintais and Rochefortais meet on the terrace for a convivial moment!
You have sailed on the Charente. The river, dear to François1er and which took part in the development of the department, can be explored by boat or by bike. The opportunity to discover a rich nature and exceptional monuments.
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