28/01/2012
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Charente Maritime



The department of Charente Maritime is famous for its 250 km of shore, its sun reminiscent of the French Riviera and its islands without forgetting to mention its numerous cultural and historical sites.

It is bordered in the north by the Poitevin Marsh and in the south by the Gironde Estuary. To the west, the islands of Ré, Oléron and d’Aix offer a variety of picturesque villages, sandy shores and forests. 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Climate
 
The climate of Charente Maritime is oceanic. Winters are rather mild and most of the rain falls in autumn. Spring and summer are sunny, especially on the coast. A microclimate tied to the islands and to the thermal marine breeze pushes the clouds inland. The sky is therefore often clear on the coast. It’s the sunniest department of the Atlantic coast thanks to its 2,300 hours of sun each year.
 
 
 
Nature
 
Nature is well represented, between the sand dunes, the large sandy beaches, the pine forests, the banks of the Charente River, the estuaries of the Seudre and the Gironde.
 
  
 
  
The shore offers an unusual variety of large sandy beaches, of marshes and of cliffs from the north to the south of the department. The alternation of high and low tides, and the important tidal range of this Atlantic zone uncover a large space at low tide enchanting fishermen. As for the rocky part of this uncovered area, it is habitat to many anemones, crabs, and limpets.
  
 
 
A site of migratory halt, of wintering and nesting for many birds, the Charente Maritime allows, along many walking trails, the discovery of numerous species: Brants, Oystercatchers, Sandpipers, Herons, Stilts, Gulls, Terns, Hen-Harriers, Black Kites, Bluethroats, Pipits... without forgetting to mention the legendary White stork. 
 
  
 
 
Local flavours
 
The particular morphology of the uncovered low tide area, sheltered by the islands and fed by fresh water, gives all their flavour to the oyster basin "Marennes-Oléron". The fines de claire are refined during a one- to two-month stay in the old salterns of the Seudre River. 
 
Many seafood items and different fish give rise to an array of specialties such as the mouclade, the éclade de moules, the shrimp flambe... The local cuisine often uses the regional vine productions such as Pineau des Charentes and Cognac.
 
Other more continental products are also part of the culinary heritage such as the melon des Charentes (local melon) or the famous cagouilles charentaises (Snails from Charente).
 
The department is bordered by many famous wineries, to the east those of Cognac, and to the west all the wineries from the Bordeaux regions (Médoc, Côtes de Bourg and de Blaye, Saint-Emilion...). 
 
Culture
 

Romanesque Art is very present everywhere in the department. 

Charente Maritime enjoys the highest density of Romanesque churches in France.

 

 
 
Strategically located in the middle of the Atlantic coast, our department offers many incomparable military fortifications, most of which were designed by the master himself, Vauban. Thus, La Rochelle, Rochefort, Fort Boyard or even the fortified city of Brouages are worth a visit. 
 
  
 
Some Gallo-Roman sites bear witness to the history of the region. The amphitheatre of the arenas of the city of Saintes is worth a visit, as well as the Gallo-Roman site of Fâ, in Barzan.

 


Hotel Restaurant Colinette **, 2 Cheminées Logis de France - info_at_colinette.fr