| PLACES TO GO & THINGS TO DO |
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| MAISON GUERIN Nr St Jean d'Angely Charente Maritime SW France |
| Charente Maritime - second only in sunshine hours to the south of France - has a wealth of attractions to suit all tastes and ages. You can make this any kind of holiday you want: lazy, sporty, cultural, gastronomic, beachy - or a little bit of everything. Here's a small selection of places to visit. Lots more ideas are kept at the house, and the local English housekeepers have extensive knowledge of the area too. |
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| The beautiful medieval town of nearby ST JEAN D'ANGELY has one of the region's best markets, plus some great restaurants, shops, a boating lake with kayaks & pedeloes, a great swimming pool & sauna complex and several historic monuments to visit. |
| Click pic to link to website: in French, but lovely photos |
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| Click pic to link to site |
| The nearest beach resort is FOURAS near Rochefort. It has four long sandy beaches, two forts, one castle, a fantastic indoor market every day, a ferry which takes you to the charming, car-free Ile d'Aix (Napoleon was shipped off to exile in St Helena by the British from here), boat rides to the other islands: Ile d'Oleron, Ile de Re and to Fort Boyard, loads of restaurants & cafes, lots for kids to do...don't miss it. |
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| LA ROCHELLE is one of the most unspoilt and historic coastal towns in France. So much to see and do, with beaches, great shops, parks, a really good aquarium and boat trips too. Well worth a visit. |
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| Nearby SAINTES is a really lovely, historic Roman town with monuments including an ampitheatre, plus lots of shops, markets & restaurants. |
| Click pics to link to websites |
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| COGNAC, home of the famous brandy, is another very attractive town. By the river is an added attraction, the Base de Plein Air with loads of free or inexpensive activities for children and a good-value restaurant for the grown-ups to watch them from! |
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| FUTUROSCOPE is widely regarded as one of the best European theme parks, with loads of different kinds of virtual and simulated rides and attractions. Highly recommended. It will fill a whole day and is an hour and a half away at Poitiers. Click on the picture to link to the website. |
| ALSO: Jetskiing and water sports at ROYAN, ancient cliffside grottos and more beaches at MESCHERS, cognac and pineau (local aperitif) tasting at local distilleries, lunch at a local Auberge where everything is made on the farm. Visit chateaux, ancient churches (from the route to Compostela), take a day trip to BORDEAUX (an hour and half further south) and visit the city or go to some of the famous vineyards, take a river cruise along the Charente, ending with lunch at a fabulous restaurant, go horseriding (see Extras), kayaking, cycling, hiking, picknicking, naturewatching (at the coastal reserves), golfing (at Cognac and Saintes), go-karting (at St Jean d'Angely), shopping...we could go on! |