Charente Maritime by campervan

La Rochelle, Ile de Ré, Ile d’Oléron, Marennes, Saintes, the Marais Poitevin… A sample of cities and sites which make the Charente Maritime a particularly popular destination for a weekend or longer trip by campervan Hanroad Trek 5.

From Tours, you can reach Charente Maritime in around 2 hours on the A10. Bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gironde estuary, the department of Charente Maritime, in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, enjoys a particularly mild climate. Its name comes from the river Charente that snakes through the Cognac vineyards, going through Saintes and Rochefort, until its mouth, between Port des Barques and the Château de Fouras that towers above it. Begin your campervan trip by visiting La Rochelle, a hot spot for yachting.
 

Saunter along the old harbour and its three towers, the tour de la Lanterne, the tour de la Chaîne and the tour Saint-Nicolas which served for protection. Indeed, La Rochelle was often lust after by some enemies from across the Channel. Make the most of your stopover in La Rochelle to buy local produce at the market in the city centre. Drive on towards Ile de Ré where you can park your campervan close to one of the beautiful beaches. Hop on your bicycle and ride along the many cycle lanes, through pine forests and salt marches, populated by migratory birds. Ride from one port to the next, La Flotte, Saint Martin de Ré, Ars en Ré. Take the Ile de Ré bridge (tollbooth) to join the continent and head for the seaside resorts to the south of La Rochelle: Aytré, Angoulins and the most famous, Châtelaillon-Plage. At low tide, the sea stretches out so far that you can forget about swimming. Why not try sand yachting? The nautical base Rochefort Océan, classified France Station Nautique, offers numerous activities between Fouras, Ile d’Aix and Fort Boyard. Head inland to visit Rochefort where the Hermione was built, a replica of the boat that took La Fayette to America and the War of Independence. Walk or ride along Rochefort’s Sentiers de l’Arsenal and visit the royal dockyard. Before heading for Ile d’Oléron, take a detour via the fortified town of Brouage. Initially, Brouage was a harbour nested at the back of gulf that gradually silted up. Nowadays, Brouage towers in the middle of a marsh where it is agreeable to walk along the trails, discovering the site belonging to the Grands Sites de France network. Join Marennes, cradle of the famous Marennes-Oléron oysters which you can savour straight from an oyster farmer or around the table in your campervan with a fully equipped kitchen. Set off for Ile d’Oléron, Château d’Oléron, the oyster farming site of Fort Royer, the port of La Cotinière, the Chassiron lighthouse.
 

All along the west coast of the island, from Saint-Trojan-les-Bains to Vert-Bois, great sandy beaches stretch out where you can swim or do some of your favourite water sports: kitesurfing, surfing, windsurfing… Back on the mainland, cruise along the marshlands of la Seudre, before heading for the oyster harbour of La Tremblade, and Les Mathes-La Palmyre, in the heart of the Côte Sauvage (wild coast) and the vast forest of la Coubre, where you can visit the Zoo de La Palmyre. Continue driving your rented campervan towards the seaside resort of Saint-Palais sur mer, with its prosperous-looking villas, stunning views on the Cordouan lighthouse and the Gironde estuary. Your trip then leads you to Royan and its villas so typical of post war reconstruction, then the village of Talmont sur Gironde, classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France (France’s most beautiful villages), with its Sainte-Radegonde Chruch, providing an exceptional view of the estuary. For the trip back, why not drive inland to discover another side of the Charente Maritime. Your road-trip in the Charente would not be complete without a stopover in Saintes and Saint-Jean d’Angély.

We suggest you set off on your Charente Maritime campervan adventure from our WeVan branch in Tours.