That magical moment when you just switch off…
The Charente countryside is a safe bet if you’re looking for relaxing holidays to help you recharge your batteries. Discover our wide selection of top-quality accommodation and take it easy for a week or a weekend in the Charentes region. Amidst rivers, fields and forests, take the time to enjoy a genuinely peaceful holiday, far from the usual well-trodden tourist trails.
Sleep in a very special place in the heart of the countryside
Are you looking for somewhere a little different to spend a few days’ holiday in Charentes? Why not take a look at our range of eco-friendly accommodation options offered by our enthusiastic and attentive hosts?
Treehouses beside a château
Nestled in the heart of a delightful wood overlooking the Saintonge Dorée valley, this place is a real tonic. Its treehouses will delight nature-lovers. Fans of historical buildings will love the nearby medieval château, which has been converted into a guest house. Get away from it all and really re-energize at the Cabanes de Bois Charmant.
Sleep in a teepee
A halfway house between a B & B, a campsite and something more quirky, Glamping Tipis offers an experience that’s a little unusual but which retains a welcoming, family-friendly vibe. In the heart of the Charentes countryside, discover a special place. Three 8-metre tall teepees tower over a huge site set between fields of sunflowers and flowering meadows. A salt-water lagoon surrounded by a white sand beach is an absolute hit with the kids.
Bubbling along at the Clos de Landrais
‘La Bulle d’Aunis’ offers something completely different, located between the marais poitevin and the countryside outside La Rochelle. The Clos de Landrais’ transparent ‘bubble suite’ sphere is the perfect getaway for nature-lovers. Watch the stars wheel overhead from your snug bed. Wake up to the sound of birdsong. Enjoy a scrumptious home-made breakfast. All the ingredients are there for you to escape the daily grind for a while.
Our suggestions for restful walks in Charentes
Would you like to get away from the coast to reconnect with the natural world? Dial the pace down. Explore the Marais Poitevin with its 100,000 hectares of marshland and wet habitat. Plunge into the huge pine forest of Mysterra ®. Likewise, ander along the limestone cliffs of the Vallée des eaux claires.
A nature getaway in the Marais Poitevin
Head for the landing stage at Bazoin for an original – and athletic – way to explore the Marais Poitevin. Located at La Ronde in the heart of the ‘wet marsh’ zone, this venue offers a wide range of activities from trips in traditional flat-bottomed boats to kayak hire, not to mention paddle-boarding lazily along the marsh’s maze of waterways.
On a 10 hectare site at Taugon,the Marais Poitevin nature reserve visitor centre opens a window onto how the marshes have been shaped by humans over hundreds of years. Special activities supervised by expert naturalists are an ideal way of getting to know this unspoilt ecosystem better. The site as a whole is an amazing – and fun – place to discover the wonders of biodiversity.
Mysterra ®, the adventure park that’s mostly about mazes!
In the huge Montendre pine forest in the heart of the Haute-Saintonge region, this next-generation adventure park where mazes are king offers a world-first in the shape of a well thought-out blend of the great outdoors, hi-tech and art. Delve deep into the labyrinthine world of Mysterra ®, crafted in and by the forest.
‘To enter Mysterra ® is to leave one’s day-to-day life behind and let oneself drift away to nature’s tranquil tune. It’s to enter into a world where all the usual points of reference have vanished. Also, it’s to lose oneself to better find oneself. It’s to step into your own dimension of time.’
The Vallée des eaux claires
Classified as a Natura 2000 site due to its biodiversity, the vallée des eaux claires valley boasts a lovely walk along the route of the ‘les eaux claires du temps’ interpretative nature trail. Here you’ll find Mediterranean flora by a stream above which towers limestone cliffs.
The 4 km-long path with its 11 information panels is an excellent way of exploring the valley in chronological fashion – through the lens of its past, present and future – as well as its landscapes and wildlife.
Angoulême, a southern town nestled in the countryside
As you travel the Flow Vélo cycle route that crosses through the Charentes region, why not stop off in Angoulême? Stroll around the old town centre and enjoy the 24 murals that adorn this city, famous for being the capital of the comic strip. Atop the old city walls there are lots of stunning views over the surrounding countryside.
A ville d’art et d’histoire (a town with a particularly rich heritage and arts scene), Angoulême also presents the advantage of very easy access to the Charentes countryside. The Coulée verte, a walking trail that starts in the city itself, is an inviting place for a stroll or a bicycle ride that takes the course of the old towpath beside the River Charente for a distance of around 20 kms.
A guesthouse that’s 100% eco-friendly
Just 12 km from Angoulême you can stay in a guesthouse that’s original and eco-friendly in equal measure, set in 30 hectares of woods and meadows. A stay at the stables at the Domaine de Chantemerle will offer you an insight into how horses would live in the wild – and enable you to enjoy watching the local wildlife as you ride along the white paths which hug the hills running down to the River Charente.
If you’d like to explore the Charentes countryside, why not spoil yourself with a short break in the Charentes wine-growing area or even a riverboat cruise on the River Charente !