The South West region of Poitou Charentes is claimed to be the second sunniest in France. To be had here you will find a wide range of leisure and sports activities and places of interest for the old and young alike. It is an area abundant in history and culture and for those who enjoy their drink and food, there is a superb range of local dishes and wines to take pleasure from. It is also a great place for a golfing holiday.

The Poitou-Charentes region in South-West France recently been discovered by many families who will be looking for a gite holiday in poitou charentes within an easy days drive on the Channel ports and with good rail and air connections.

With both La Rochelle and the Ile-de-Re Charente Maritime is a very popular destination among both french and overseas visitors.

La Rochelle is a lovely coastal town just east of Ile de Ré and there are plenty of gites near la rochelle, whilst the Atlantic coast here includes some attractive (and intensely popular) islands such as Ile de Ré (this is major town at St-Martin-de-Ré) and Ile d'Oleron.

The classified 'beautiful villages' of Ars-en-Ré and La Flotte-en-Ré are probably the many villages on the island. Your little friend island of Ile d'Aix, the fortified island where Napoleon stayed, can be found just offshore.

Inland from La Rochelle the nearby towns at Marans and Surgeres have some interesting features to discover.Continuing south along the coast in Charente-Maritime, visit Royan, a favorite seaside resort and 4* ville fleurie; the lovely resort and zoo at La Palmyre, slightly north from Royan; and also Meschers-sur-Gironde.

Inland a little are Rochefort, a 17th century grand new town around a vital naval base; the 'most beautiful village' at Talmont-sur-Gironde; town of Saintes; and the fortifications at Brouage.

The Charente River could be explored, as it passes through miles of rolling countryside between Angouleme and Rochefort, and it is popular with visitors wanting to begin to see the landscapes of the region. To get a different water based experience head north to the marshy world of the Marais Poitevin around Marans in the north-east of Charente-Maritime.

To the north-east of Poitou-Charentes, the Deux-Sevres department is best known for the Marais-Poitevin, which falls to some extent in this department around Coulon.

(The Marais-Poitevin is really a large region of canals and marshes, best explored using a boat hired from one from the towns here).

The town of Melle is really a lively town best known for the ensemble of churches.Moving north with the department visit the medieval centre of Parthenay along with the town of Thouars, to the south-east of Saumur.