Charente-Maritime 

French holiday homes -
Self catering holiday rental cottages & gites in Charente-Maritime, France

Search French holiday homes on Rent-in-France for self catering rental cottages, gites and villas in Charente-Maritime, France. Named after the Charente River, Charente Maritime is a department situated on the west coast of France and also includes the islands of  Ile d'Oléron, Île d'Aix and Île de Ré. Originally called Charente-Inférieure the department was created back on March 4th 1790 during the French Revolution and was one of the original 83 departments of France. It wasn’t until September 1941 that it was renamed Charente-Maritime. The department is part of the Poitou-Charentes region and is the second most populated department in the region. Charente-Maritime is surrounded by the departments of Charente, Dordogne, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée and Gironde. Being part of a region of France with approxiamately 300 miles of wonderful beaches, as expected, the sea food is magnificent. Enjoy the local Oysters from the locally produced beds which can be washed down with a  glass of fine wine from one of the local vineyards in the area. A Charente-Maritime self catering holiday rental will offer you the perfect base to explore the the wonderful coast and surrounding areas or enjoy one of the many cycle or walking tours across the region.

Places to visit in Charente-Maritime, France 

Rochefort.  Located in the south of Charente Maritime, Rochefort is an old ex naval town. Built in the 17th century it was known to be the greatest shipyard in the whole of France producing over 300 vessels each year. There are a number of military buildings to be seen in Rochefort when renting self catering holiday cottages in Charente-Maritime - including the fantastic and amazingly long former rope factory. The rope factory is now home to a brilliant exhibition which pays tribute to the life of sailors and fisherman.  

La Rochelle. La Rochelle is the capital of Charente-Maritime. Originally a small fishing village in the 10th century, La Rochelle has become a major base for the salt and wine industry. Its famous, old and upsoiled Harbour is one of the towns biggest tourist attractions and is today the biggest yachting centre on France’s Atlantic coast. A beautiful seaside town where you can spend hours exploring the old streets with a number of restaurants, cafes, bars and some magnificent architecture. For the kids,  La Rochelle is home to France’s largest zoo and a large aquarium.

Saintonge. A spendid wooded area of the Charente-Maritime. Saintonge is loaded with history and is a great place to explore Romanesque architecture when staying in holiday gites and villas in Charente-Maritime. There are many beautiful old churches, water mills, wind mills and vineyards to be found in the department along with a number of cycle trails and marked out walks that cover most of the department.  

Royan. A modern seaside resort situated in the south with its fine sandy beaches and an endless parade of magnificent fish restuarants along the coast. Royan is also host to the annual marbles contest. The city is located in the mouth of the Gironde Estuary and during your holiday rental in Charente-Maritime, Royan will offer you a marina, up to 5 beautiful sandy beaches and a fishing port and for the kids a fantastic zoo. 

 Boasting the second longest hours of sunhine per year after the Côte d’Azur, Charente-Maritime sees its summer stretch from as early as April all the way through to October. Being affected by the Gulf Stream means the department is much warmer than most places of the same latitude. As well as the long summers, the winters are mild and the temperature rarely drops below 5 degrees, ideal for exploring  the area the whole year round. 

Getting to Charente Maritime is rather simple, Ryanair offer regular budget flights from London Stansted to La Rochelle all year round and from the spring time direct flights to Angouleme. At a higher cost British Airways offer flights most of the year but the advantage is that you have far more flexibility in what airport in the UK you would like to depart from.

There are ferries avialable form both Portsmouth and Poole in the UK direct to Caen, St Malo, Le Havre and Cherbourg which are all approxiamately 4 hours drive away from Charente Maritime. Alternatively to the above travelling by train is an option. The Eurostar offers a service to Lille where you can then switch to a TGV service that will take you direct to Charente Maritime. 

Overall Charente-Maritime really does have it all. From its Oyster farms and wonderful blue lakes to its historical ports and Roman sites, then of course you have the beautiful beaches blessed with golden sand. Charente-Maritime has become a popular tourist destination for the French where watersports are very popular due to its location and being home to some of the Atlantic’s finest beaches. Other activities that can be enjoyed when staying in Rent-in-France self catering holiday homes in Charente-Maritime, include - cycling, walking, fishing, tennis and golf.

WHY NOT VISIT THE STUNNING 'DOMAINE DE ROCHEBONNE'? CHATEAU & GITES AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL.



The Chateau de Rochebonne is a charming property built in 1848. Totally private with its own private swimming pool and grounds and is not overlooked from any angle. The whole property and the pool is walled and gated so that parents can relax while children run and play in the vast gardens. Located 5 minutes from Marennes beach, 15 minutes from Royan, ile d ‘Oléron and Rochefort. 30 minutes from Saintes and 45 minutes from la Rochelle. 
For more information on the indivdual homes available, Please visit the Owner's website - https://seasidefrance.com/