La Rochelle, Charente Maritime
by Gus Coulton

 

Things are like they used to be

Part of the attraction of rural France to the British, it is said, is that they find visiting it to be like stepping back in time. Certainly, the holidays that are enjoyed in the Charente Maritime are reminders of those I experienced as a child.

The holiday makers who come here are predominantly French, who pursue their pleasures with certain 1950s decorum. They usually dress well, even when dressing minimally, they eat well and they behave well. Thankfully the Charente Maritime is old fashioned with regard to enjoying holidays.

Long miles of Atlantic beaches stretch from La Rochelle to Royan to provide excellent surf 'n sand. The area is largely unspoilt - lacking the miles of high rise seaside developments that disfigure much of the Cote D’Azur. Also lacking is the naff culture of football shirt wearing, lager swilling, swearing and vomiting…

La Rochelle is said to be France’s second most visited city; exactly what methodology can have been used to create this statistic? The important thing is that it is the French themselves who visit it - it is a major holiday destination for them. Its environs, along with those of Rochefort and Royan, are full of French owned holiday homes and flats. What anti-materialistic Parisian intellectual does not own a neat little white-washed pad on the Isle de Ré?

The local microclimate gives this area more hours of sunshine than any other area of France apart from the Mediterranean. The average 2,330 hours of sunshine a year enjoyed by La Rochelle is 21% more than Biarritz. With this amount of sun, there is less time for rain; La Rochelle has 77% less rain than Biarritz and also compares well with England - Falmouth has 61% more rain.

The region is famous for its oysters. These, with the other excellent fresh seafood, play a large part in endearing the region to visitors. A trip to the daily fish market in Royan will demonstrate the fine range and variety. Each stall is a visual poem to the riches of the local coastline. Regional restaurant dishes can be inventive - new to us this year was Chaudrée, local fish cooked in muscatel wine.

The Charente Maritime has a population density similar to that of Cumbria, England’s least populous county. It is able to absorb the influx of holiday makers and still seem pleasantly relaxed. Driving can actually be a pleasurable activity again, for those scarred by memories of Saturday southbound traffic on the M6. Bicycling is the preferred method of transport on the sandy Isle de Ré, and on the paths amongst the pines in the resorts such as Les Mathes at Palmyre.

Away from the beaches, the landscape is neatly tended by the farmers growing maize, cereals, sunflowers and grapes, the finest of which are destined for nearby Cognac – a tour of one of the distilleries is recommended for one of those days when the sun is clouded over.

The French are notoriously reluctant to holiday abroad, and with the charms of this unspoilt corner - why should they want to? For a holiday in a family friendly area - why not join them?

(See our other article about Charente Maritime HERE)

 

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