La Charente Maritime
Charente-Maritime is an area of France on the Atlantic coast and boasts a particularly mild climate, indeed it is often compared to the Riveria. It is very popular with tourists, primarily French but also from Britain, Germany, Spain and Netherlands.
Among the key landmarks of the department are the old port of La Rochelle, the fortified town of Brouage, the islands of Ré and Oléron, the seaside resorts of Royan, Fouras and Châtelaillon. The villages of Talmont-sur-Gironde, Mornac-on-Seudre, La Flotte and Ars-en-Re have all been included in the list of the most beautiful villages of France. Finally, Saintes and Rochefort are both towns full of history reaching back to Roman times
The department also has several nature centres, including the Marais Poitevin (also known as the Green Venice by virtue of its network of canals) and Nature Reserve of Yves.