This long area covers three departments: the Charente, the Gironde and the northern part of Les Landes. It stretches from La Rochelle in the north towards the famous seaside resorts of Hossegor or Cap Breton in the south. To the north of the area, the coast is jagged and offers many interesting sailing trips from one island to the other including the islands of Ré, Madame, Aix and Oléron. Oléron and the Isle de Ré are larger, and now joined to the mainland by long bridges which extend into the Atlantic like two fingers. Both islands are unspoilt and have carefully nurtured their natural assets of ocean, sand, pine trees, shellfish … You will not find a tower block or a housing estate. Every single house is individual and finished in a special way that nicely fits into the surrounding countryside thanks to its colour and shape.

In front of La Rochelle and blessed with many restaurants, bars and small shops, but not too many, Ile de Ré is a small paradise; it is best discovered along the many bicycle tracks by bike or from the sea by boat from one port to another. The island produces its own small potatoes, wine and cognac and still has salt pans; but the main activity remains oyster farming the results of which you find in the many rich and vibrant markets of each village. The ten villages of Ile de Ré are all built on the coast and all have their attractions.

Oléron is the second French Island after Corsica with a lengh of 33km and a width of between 2-11km . The island is made of 8 small villages; but the biggest attraction are the long stretches of sandy beaches punctuated by idyllic bays and creeks.

French Affair offers a good range of villas on l’Ile de Re. Please click here to find your ideal Ile de Re Villa.

The north part of our mainland area is much marked by the maritime history of France. It was the springboard for French exploration of the new world and the wealth of La Rochelle was built upon its trade with France's colonies. Fishing also played an important role in the development of the region. The old Port at La Rochelle continues to harbour important trawler fleets, and countless smaller boats are engaged in coastal fishing. Oysters have been harvested from here since the time of the Roman occupation; the huts of the oyster fishermen, often gaily painted, their boats tied alongside, lining every shallow creek and inlet, give these parts of the coast a unique charm. Interspersed amongst all this fishing activity, are the seaside resorts: Chatillon plage, Fouras, Ronce les Bains, La Palmyre, St George de Didonne and St Palais sur Mer- all are friendly, jolly seaside towns with good beaches and a pleasant family atmosphere.

With its 420km of coast, the Charente Maritime is one of the more visited areas of France. All the treasure of the Charente are worth a visit: Le Fort Boyard, the wild coast, the Courbe Forest, the oyster area of Marennes, the Cognac and Jonzac vineyards, the Gironde, Seudre and Charente estuaries, the Poitevin wetland, the enchanting landscapes of Aunis and the Saintonge area with its rivers.

French Affair also covers this area and offers some typical villas in the Charente Maritime. Please click here to find your ideal Charente Maritime villa.

On the southern side of the Gironde estuary, you enter another world and the coast stretches virtually uninterrupted from Pointe de Grave all the way down to Seignosse, Hossegor and Cap Breton. It is remarkably unspoilt, open and natural.

The first part has the most famous French name: the Médoc. A peaceful countryside located between the wide River Gironde and the Atlantic Ocean. This is just one small narrow part of the Gironde department but it contains some of the best vines in the world! But in between the châteaux and vineyards you can also discover the natural sites of the Médoc like the Contaut Lagoon near Hourtin, the Amelie Dune in Soulac or the small ports of Pauillac and Port Bloc. Do not forget the Blaye citadelle on the other side of the estuary.

South of Bordeaux starts the Landes department: the coast is dominated by long stretches of sand washed by broad Atlantic rollers; in all there is more than 220km of coast-line from the Gironde estuary down to the Adour estuary with a total of 55 supervised beaches. Climb the dunes and before you, stretching as far as the eye can see, lie the pine forest of the Landes: 1100 km2 of pine forest planted during the 19th century to clear the area from the marsh. On foot, by bicycle, or why not on horseback are the most pleasant ways to discover this Regional Park of the Landes de Gascogne, to appreciate its colours, sounds and perfumes.

Food and Wine

In the north of the Gironde two specialities are the 'chaudrée' - a fish soup flavoured with white wine, and 'l'éclade' - mussels piled vertically on a plate and covered with pine needles which are then set on fire. Clearly, as far as visitors to the regions are concerned, one of its principal attractions is the availability of quantities of shellfish, including lobster, crab and of course oysters.

The interior of the Charente produces Cognac and the Pineau des Charente. In terms of wine the whole region is dominated by the reputation of Bordeaux. Duck, foie gras, confits and chicken are also very important in the region's cuisine.

If you wish to return to the map of Atlantic Coast then please click here.