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What to do further
afield
Places to Visit in The
Charente Department
Dominated by the river of the same name,
this is a mainly rural area but enjoying
an Atlantic climate with dry and
frequently very hot summers and cool
winters. Part of the Poitou-Charente
Region, the coast is nearby to the West
and the foothills of the Massif Central
to the East with cognac vineyards and
sunflower fields in between providing a
variety of landscapes. The location is
ideal, bringing a wide variety of
activities and places to visit within
easy travelling distance. Some of the
highlights are described below but this
is by no means an exhaustive list and we
would recommend taking time for research
or just tell us what sort of thing you
want to see and do and we will be happy
to advise. We have provided links to a
number of websites for more information
and an approximate driving time from
Hibiscus gites where appropriate.
A good
place to start are the following
websites:
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| La Vallee des Singes
– (45 minutes) |
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A great day
out for all the family! This 15 Hectare site has more than 350 members
of the monkey and ape world roaming free in superb landscaped grounds.
There are regular talks and many species are actually wandering amongst
the trees or swinging above your heads.
It's lovely
to be able to get close to the animals without bars in the way and have
them scampering around you as you walk along the paths. And as they're
primates, they're full of personality so they're very entertaining to
watch. You mustn't touch them, though, and park staff are around to make
sure everyone stays safe.
Offical La Vallee des Singes site (in French) or
Alternative La Vallee des Singes site (in English) |
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Cognac - 30
minutes
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Sitting on the banks of the
Charente River and steeped in
history, Cognac is not just the
centre of production of the
spirit which takes its name from
the town. |
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It
owes its origins and
prosperity to the
navigable river which
allowed its development
as a trading port from
Neolithic times. Under
the Romans it became a
centre of viticulture
and site of one of the
first wine producing
vineyards.
The
famous cognac houses of
Hennessy, Martell, Remy
Martin and others offer
various types of tours
of their production
facilities, vineyards or
a boat trip to visit the
cellars and more
information is available
via the links.
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Atlantic and
Gironde Estuary beaches
75 to 100
minutes |
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The number of
beaches and
seaside resorts
within easy
reach of
Hibiscus Gites
are too numerous
and varied to
list in full so
just to give you
a feel of it
here are some we
can recommend. |
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La Rochelle |
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 This
large chic
resort was for
many years the
centre of
English rule in
this part of
France and has
played a major
part in its
maritime
history.
Its fortified
horseshoe shaped
port is now a
small marina
surrounded by
pavement cafes
and restaurants
of every
description and
to fit every
budget. It is a
mecca for
shoppers and its
old cobbled
streets behind
the port have
the famous
colonnades –
arch covered
shopping streets
that were
originally built
to protect the
rich merchants
from the hot
summer sun and
the fierce
bursts of winter
rain. Besides
the numerous
museums,
galleries and
exhibitions
there is a large
aquarium and to
get around the
town there are
numerous cycle
hire points and
you can borrow a
bike for free
for the first
two hours with a
deposit. There
is even a sandy
beach at the end
of the harbour
wall. Altogether
a great place to
visit.
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Chatelaillon
Plage |
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 Just
to the south of La Rochelle this
is undiscovered by most British
visitors but is an absolute gem
of a beach resort with 3 kms of
immaculate, safe sandy beach.
Backed by a promenade with
countless places to sit, take a
drink and watch the world go by
it also has a Casino, racetrack
and aquatic centre.
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Fouras
Peninsula |
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 Fouras
is a small town with a beautiful
sandy beach below the old
seaward ramparts on one side of
a peninsula that points to the
tiny island of Ile d’Aix.
The island of Aix was the last
place Napoleon Bonaparte stayed
on French soil before his final
capture and exile by the
British. It is a car free island
of sand dunes, beach houses,
bistros and tiny coves and well
worth the ferry trip across.
There are 5 beaches on the
peninsula with those nearest the
town having shops, cafes and
facilities while the rest are
more remote and natural but all
offer a pleasant place to take a
paddle or take in the sun. The
area is also a centre of
shellfish production with an
abundance of oysters and mussels
available almost everywhere.
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Royan and the
Gironde |
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 Royan
is a large modern seaside resort
with everything you would expect
from such a place, miles of safe
sandy beaches, entertainment for
all ages, parks, food and drink
of every variety and even a
world famous zoo nearby at La
Palmyre. South along the
Gironde estuary are several
pleasant beaches between St
Georges-de-Didonne and
Meschers-de-Didonne and further
south still, small fishing
villages that offer a very
different but no less pleasant
day out.
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Angouleme - 45
minutes
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The capital
of the
Department and
originally built
on a hill
overlooking the
river surrounded
by ramparts,
Angouleme is the
capital of the
French comic
strip industry
and many of the
buildings are
decorated with
scenes from
comic strips and
cartoons. |
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Every year in
January the city
is taken over
for the annual
comic strip
festival and it
is the home of
the comic strip
museum - Cité
International de
la Bande
Dessinée et de
l'Image.
In November the
city is host to
Ludoland – a
four day
festival
dedicated to
toys and games.
It is also a
centre for the
arts and history
with many
exhibitions and
museums.
If you like the
water but don’t
want a day at
the beach there
is the Nautilus
Aquatic Park
based on a large
freshwater lake
on the outskirts
of the city
where you can
partake in
everything water
based from
waterslides to
windsurfing.
For further
information on
Angouleme’s
attractions see
the city’s own
website below.
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Poitiers and
Futuroscope Theme Park – 60
minutes
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Poitiers is
located in the
Vienne
Department and
is the regional
capital of
Poitou-Charente.
Located on a
hill overlooking
the Vienne
valley, it is a
city steeped in
history with
architecture
from through the
ages and it’s
narrow ancient
streets and
alleys provide a
great
opportunity for
an interesting
stroll. |
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Poitiers is
located in the
Vienne
Department and
is the regional
capital of
Poitou-Charente.
Located on a
hill overlooking
the Vienne
valley, it is a
city steeped in
history with
architecture
from through the
ages and it’s
narrow ancient
streets and
alleys provide a
great
opportunity for
an interesting
stroll.
It is also a
major centre of
education and
the student
population gives
it a slightly
bohemian feel.
To the North is
Futuroscope
which is a
fascinating
theme park based
on high-tech
film and virtual
reality rides
and is a great
day out for the
whole family.
For further
information see
the websites:
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Eastwards to
Limoges - 90 minutes
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Limoges is
famous for its
pottery and
china production
and the roads
around it are
awash with
factory shops
where you can
pick up some
great deals on
everything from
the tiniest
butter dish to
the hugest
vases. |
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On the
drive Eastwards from Ruffec you
will notice how the landscape
changes as the road begins to
wind through the hills and
wooded valleys, across the fast
flowing rivers and past the many
fishing and swimming lakes of
the area. The most direct route
is via the D740 which takes you
via the picturesque village of
Nanteuil-en-Vallee, the little
market town of Champagne-Mouton
and onto Confolens which
straddles the Vienne and Goire
rivers at the edge of the
Charente Department and is well
worth a visit. In August it
hosts the International Folklore
Festival which is a week long
extravaganza of traditional
music and dance.
For more
information go to:
En route to
Limoges why not try a different
mode of transport to explore the
area at the Velo-Rail Experience
at the old station in Confolens.
These are pedal driven carts
running along an old railway
track. There are 17kms of track
that take you past the hills,
valleys, rivers and viaducts of
the Charente-Limousin border
with cafes along the way for the
all important refreshments.
See
the website at:
For an entirely different and
very sobering experience, just
outside Limoges on the N141 are
the remains of the town of
Oradour-sur-Glanes. On 10th June
1944 as the Allied Forces
advanced across Europe following
the D Day invasion, everyone in
the town was rounded up by men
of the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer
Division and by the end of the
day 642 men, women and children
had been killed for no reason
that has ever been properly
explained. Following the
massacre the town was looted and
every building set ablaze in an
attempt to cover up what had
happened. The town and all
possessions found in the remains
have been preserved as a
memorial to those who died and a
reminder of the futility of war
and fragility of life.
For further information, the
background to the incident and
details of the permanent
exhibition at the site more
information can be found at:
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Fishing |
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 After
eating fine food and drinking
great wine the next most popular
activity in France is probably
fishing and the surrounding area
is blessed with many lakes and
rivers in which to fish.
Fishing of all types is strictly
policed and a licence is
required for all types. Licences
can be obtained for varying
lengths and different types of
fish and even vary from area to
area but most types of licence
can be purchased from the local
Mairie (Town Hall).
For further info see the
following websites:
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Golf 60 to 90
minutes |
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There
are several public golf courses
within a comfortable drive of
us. All have clubhouse
facilities and generally advance
booking is required. Full
details can be found on the
websites listed. |
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The
four nearest are: |
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Golf
de l'Hirondelle, Champ-Fleuri,
Chemin de l'Hirondelle, 16000
Angoulême
18 hole
course on the hillside opposite
Angouleme |
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Golf de l'Hirondelle |
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Golf
du Cognac, La Maurie, 16100
Saint-Brice
18 hole
course |
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Golf du Cognac |
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Golf
Club du Haut-Poitou, Parc
des Loisirs de Saint Cyr, 86130
Saint-Cyr
18 hole
and 9 hole courses set around a
large lake |
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Golf Club du Haut-Poitou |
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Golf
Club de la Prèze, Rouzède,
16220 Montbron
International standard 18 hole
course, driving range and 18
hole pitch and putt course. |
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Golf Club de la Prèze |
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Further afield are the seaside
courses of the Charente Maritime
and there is plenty of
information available at: |
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