Beach fun
There are approximately 100 beaches in the Charente Maritime, along the coastline and on the small islands of Ile-de-Re and Ile D'Oleron which are easily accessible from the mainland.  The beaches have fine, white sand, rolloing waves and, of course, the wonderful weather! 
The mainland beaches, natably around Royan and the Gironde Estuary and La Rochelle are particularly suited to children as these beaches have lifeguards, the waves are gentle and the sand is perfect for making sand castles.  These beaches tend to have beach clubs where the children can make new friends, play supervised games and activities and have a great time whilst you relax with a good book!  There are also a choice of restaurants offered varied menus and catering for young children.
If you have teenagers they may prefer beaches at Cote Sauvage as there are some great waves here for body boarding and surfing - however these beaches tend not to be supervised, so beware!
Some recommended beaches:
St Georges-de-Didonne: just south of Royan, this two kilometre long beach with calm waters, is set between cliffs with a 36m high lighthouse at one end and in between fringed by pine forests. As well as the long promenade, there are walks along the cliff tops, giving you lovely views. There is also the Parc de l'Estuaire, with its interactive museum, forest walks and educational tours. The beach also has a ‘Handiplage’ designation which means it has some facilities suited for handicapped people including loos and shower.
Saint Palais-sur-Mer: north-west of Royan, located in the estuary and surrounded by the seaside town, is this curving, sandy beach with very calm waters. Lining the beach are plenty of great cafes and restaurants, and in the evening the town comes alive with music. It is very child friendly with clubs for different age groups, and plenty of entertainment as well as places to buy an ice-cream!
Grande Plage des Sables-d’Olonne: north of Ile de Ré, this south-facing beach boasts enjoy three kilometres of sand with lots of cafes and entertainment plus many activities for children including mini golf, ten pin bowling and quad bikes as well as dinghy sailing.

Great Activities.
The Poitou-Charentes is a fantastic place to go cycling together as a family. The cycle tracks are well maintained.  All over the region are trails that take you off the beaten track and safely away from traffic. Much of the area is flat or with just gently undulating countryside, making it possible for even young children to pull on their bike helmet and get on their bikes!.
The Marais Poitevin, called ‘Green Venice, is a mysterious land of marsh and water and with little traffic and flat roads is one place to head to.  There is plenty to do here, many tourists hire boats and travel up the canals - recommended.
Also popular are the islands of Île de Re, Île d’Oléron and Île d’Aix off the Atlantic coast. Here more people seem to cycle than use their car in the summer months, attracted by the many cycle paths - and the lack of hills. If you cycle out to Ile de Re it is free ( as apposed to £10 if you travel there by car).  It is easy to hire a bike so you don’t need to take your own down to France if you don’t want to. 
If your children love watersports, then you’re spoilt for choice. The coastal resorts will have watersports clubs with activities aimed at children. You can also go canoeing along the many rivers. Then there’s the Charente’s Lake district, the Lacs de Haute Charente in the Charente-Limousin. The watersports centre at Lake Lavaud offers lessons and there are lifeguards on duty.  You can try windsurfing, water-skiing, sailing, and canoeing. There is also access for those who are disabled.
On either side of Lake Lavaud, at La Guerlie and Videix (the latter is actually in the Haute-Vienne), are artificial sandy beaches that are shaded by oak and willow trees with plenty of spots for picnicking plus shops and restaurants.
For a holiday with a difference, why not try a self-drive cruise down the River Charente. There are a number of companies from whom you can hire your own boat, with a fully-equipped kitchen so you can float down the driver at your own pace, stopping whenever and wherever you like. The River Charente is considered one of the most beautiful waterways in France and unlike the more well-known Canal du Midi, has much less traffic making it ideal for giving older children a go at the wheel.
The river is navigable for 147km between the département capital, Angoulême and the sea. Along the way the scenery changes from rolling pastures and tree-filled riverbanks to the vineyards of Cognac, as well as taking you through historic old towns including Jarnac.

Great Attractions
The Poitou-Charentes is packed full of attractions, with something for children of any ages. One of the biggest is Futuroscope, a high-tech and science theme park with futuristic style architecture and the exhibits that boast the latest in audio-visual technology. In towering cinema pavilions set in landscaped, fountain-filled gardens see films in the 3D and be thrilled with rides that have you swooping through the universe. There is also a 4D attractions.  In the evening, the lake is the setting for laser-light and firework displays.
Then there’s Puy du Fou, a theme park set in medieval times with battling knights amongst the 60 or so spectacles each day. Prehistoric times are the attraction at Paleosite where you can see your face transformed into that of Stone Age man or woman.
Les Antilles at Jonzac -This huge indoor aquatic centre at Jonzac is one of the largest of its type in Europe, offering not only all-year-round swimming but slides, water toboggans, indoor beaches, beauty and fitness centres, tropical surroundings and great eating too. It’s a great place to splash out and enjoy yourselves irrespective of what the weather is like outside!
The site covers a hectare, and the centrepiece of the site is the main lagoon.  There are beaches, palm trees, a tropical glasshouse, a toboggan slide and even real waves and of course lots of lovely warm, blue water! For the more serious swimmers there's also a 25-metre sports pool, plus games and events for kids and teenagers.  Also a fitness and well being centre.
If you’re after adventure parks, do as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt do and drop into the Aventure Parc Lacs de Haute Charente. Set amongst the tree tops, budding Tarzans can go from tree to tree using a series of rope bridges, ropes and aerial runways.
If your children love animals, then you’re spoilt for choice. At the Zoo de la Palmyre at Royan you can see more than 1,600 types of animal from all five continents including polar bears and snow leopard to Siberian tigers, elephants, monkeys and apes.    Zoodyssee is also an animal park popular with the young ones.
The aquarium at La Rochelle is one of Europe’s with more than 10,000 sea creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours, including a massive shark tank and the tunnel of water that makes you feel as though you are underwater. There are also attractions dedicated just to monkeys, crocodiles, birds, snakes and even sheep.

Family Accommodation
We offer a great selection of Gîtes,  self-catering cottages, farmhouses or villas - which are a very popular choice for families holidaying in France.  Self catering holiday homes allow you to choose just the size of property needed, whether it be a smaller cottage for one family or a larger property when two of more families or groups of friends that are holidaying together.
The Poitou-Charentes has an excellent range from those near the beach to the middle of the countryside. When choosing, make sure yours has an enclosed garden (some even have children's play areas) so children can run around safely and a pool is another must for hours of splashing about in the sun – by law, a pool must now be fenced in or have a cover and be child-proof. A shaded area for outside eating - and a barbeque - is another must for "al fresco" dining. Most will also have modern conveniences such as washing machines and dishwashers but it is best to check.  Lots of the self catering gites, farmhouses and villas also have a snooker table, table football and/or table tennis - ideal for the teenagers and adults! Some also have a gym!
Prices do vary according to the type of gîte and its location, the closer to the coast that you are, the more you expect to pay.

If you prefer not to self-cater, then there a huge range of hotels, many of them with a relaxed vibe and a family-friendly atmosphere – near the beach, this is the choice for a lot of French families. Most are called resorts and the accommodation while ensuite will be simple, either in a hotel-style building or individual lodges. However, almost all will have a pool and a restaurant that caters for children. They are also found in areas full of restaurants and cafes, all with special children’s menus.
Camping is the least expensive accommodation option – and there are some beautiful campsites in the Charentes, not far from the beach as well as inland, near a river or lake. Like hotels, campsites are graded under a star system and four-star sites will often have pools, a restaurant and on-site grocery stores. Many campsites will also put on regular nightly entertainment from pop concerts to karaoke (not everyone's choice!)

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                       View a selection of holiday homes in the Poitou-Charentes

                       Family Friendly Holidays in Poitou-Charentes

The Poitou-Charentes is perfect for family holidays.
Not only are there fine, white sandy beaches which are very clean, but in the main holiday seasons they have lifeguards that arrange supervised games on the beach which the little ones love! Plenty of animal parks of fish, birds, monkeys and tigers, world-class theme parks including Futuroscope, water parks, world class zoos and aquariums, tree-top walks, safe paths for cycling and riding and just about every sport you could think of.....and all with wonderful scenery.
An abundance of activities and attractions on offer not only for the little ones, but the teenagers too.
A majority of the restaurants are very geared towards families with many having child menus, and very relaxed attitudes towards families.
Travelling to this area is easy, whether you are travelling by ferry and driving down through France or taking a short flight with a great choice of flights from many regional airports -  all used by the budget airlines.

We offer some great accommodation too which caters for family friendly holidays whether you have babies, toddlers, young children or teenagers.

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