The Charente Maritime - Beaches

If you're on the lookout for a great beach holiday or simply just a great day out by the sea, then you really have plenty of choice in the Charente Maritime. The coast of this department has up to 100 beaches spread along the coastline and the easily accessible islands to be found just off the Atlantic coast. All of these have superb long stretches of clean, soft sand and many also have protected status.

A good place to start is on the islands, including Île de Ré, Île d'Aix, and Ile d'Oléron found off the coast of the glamorous town of La Rochelle. It's to here that the beautiful people of France make their way for weeks of fun in the sun. Then there are family friendly beaches to be found in the area round Royan while if you like surfing then you will love the wild beauty of the Côte Sauvage just up the coast.

Here are some of the best beaches available to you on the coast of the Charente Maritime:

Le-Bois-Plage-en-Ré
This is to be found on the Ile de Ré. Many people believe that the best beaches are to be found on the south side of this beautiful island and this is certainly one of the prettiest and most popular with 7km of very gently shelving white sand alongside beautiful clear blue water and with a very attractive village nearby.

Grande Plage
You will find the Grand Plage on the Ile d'Oléron. The southern part of the beach is designated as a naturist area so if you don't like nude bathing then stick to the northern section! This wonderful beach which stretches for 12 km is found on the southern tip of the island and is backed by sand dunes and thepine forests which are typical of the area.

Châtelaillon plage
This is located on the Atlantic coast, not far from La Rochelle and it faces the Ile de Ré, Aix and Oleron islands. You can see the famous Fort Boyard from the beach. Here, there are 3 km of sandy beach with the nearby old world resort town which is renowned for its Belle Epoque architecture. In the summer there are plenty of activities for children of all ages.

La Palmyre
This is north of Royan and part of the Côte Sauvage. 5 km of beautiful sandy beach backed by sand dunes and forest . As the name Côte Sauvage - wild coast - suggests, the waves can be pretty large here which is why it's so popular with surfers and wind-surfers. It is usually not a crowded beach and is not patrolled by lifeguards so you must be careful.

Saint Palais-sur-Mer
To the north-west of Royan, this curved sandy beach is to be found in the estuary surrounded by a small but attractive seaside town. The place really comes alive in the evenings with music to be heard in the numerous cafés and restaurants.

Grande Conche
This is in Royan itself. Here you will find a 2km beach with pretty striped tents dotted along it.