A Travel Guide to Poitou-Charentes
There are many things to do and a wide variety of tourist attractions to visit in Poitou-Charentes. The region lies in the South of the Loire Valley and many of its parts are known to have more hours of sunshine than other parts of France, excluding the Mediterranean area.
While the summers are generally warm, sunny and quite long, you can still expect some rainy days. However it is usually clear and bright during the autumn. The winters can get colder as you go more inland, but that does not last for a long time and even in February or March you can expect some warm spells.
There are many things to see and do in Charente-Maritime apart from the beaches. La Rochelle has an excellent location and is one of the most interesting cities of France. There you can visit the maritime Museum and the La Rochelle Aquarium. The aquarium has been divided into 75 different aquariums and is home to more than 11,000 marine animals. It is probably one of the best in the world and surely in Europe. It is spread over three floors and is divided as per natural habitats – the Oceanic, Atlantic, Indian Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean.
Royan is a very beautiful seaside town with an excellent seafood market. Also close to the market is the La Palmyre Zoo that houses over 1500 species, including a number of endangered species like the White rhinoceros. The zoo has a breeding program for endangered species.
The Department of Deux-Sèvres is well known for its beautiful valleys, winding lanes, rivers and rolling farmland. Two of the most beautiful towns of this department are Niort and Parthenay. The local cheese of Deux-Sèvres is also a major attraction of this department. However the biggest tourist attraction in this area is the beautiful landscapes of Western France. This area of waterways and marshes has been nicknamed Green Venice and is surely a must visit location. Visitors can hire a boat to enjoy the wild life, the tranquillity and the spectacular scenery of this area. Many researchers and tourist come to Deux-Sèvres from all over the world to learn more about wildlife and their habitats. The experience will surely be unique and memorable.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Poitou-Charentes ranging from apartments and villas on the islands and coast to gites and cottages in the countryside.
