Hi Heppy,
I've been in that area a couple of times and it is a very pleasant holiday destination. I thought Talmont was an exceptionally pretty village on the Bordeaux estuary. Also Mornac on the north coast of the peninsula & Brouage( across the bridge towards Rochefort) were worth a visit.
Isle D'Oleron is nice but if you go a bit further Isle de Re is stunning. La Rochelle is well worth a visit too.
As always in France, just heading off & exploring the region is rewarding. You're bound to discover some lovely little gems!
If you have kids, closeby La Palmyre has a good zoo ( & I'm not that keen on zoos), there are activities for children like go-karting etc.
Have a great time!

Def second visiting La Rochelle. Picturesque harbour, amazing aquarium at Les Minimes port, and kite flying is a very rewarding activity on Les Minimes beach (lots of yachts = lots of wind!). There's also the weather ship museum, and a museum of little working machines. Plus fresh seafood a gogo, good wine and relaxed locals!

Hi Heppy
Fantastic area. So much so that we bought a static at St Sornin near Marennes. Palais sur mer is great in itself if you dont want to travel out too far. Great little market. Exceptionally clean. Beautiful coastline. Famous for its Mussels. Areas to visit; fort Boyard and the coast at Boyardville, Bruage (very quaint), Mussel and seafood restaraunts at Marrenes, Saints (for a large town and shops) and Beaches at La Palmyre. Said to have the mediteranean weather on the Atlantic. Have a great time!

Heppy just to enlarge on Nigel's post!

Fort Boyard is the place for a TV adventure show, but is an old sea fort - definitely worth a visit if the tide is right.

Marennes is famous for its oysters!!!

Saintes has a medieval cathedral and has good street markets, but on these occasions parking is almost impossible! The Saintes Tourist Office might be able to tell you which days of the week they fall.

And Nigel, I couldn't believe you didn't remind Heppy that just a few miles further on beyond Saintes is Cognac, where COGNAC BRANDY is distilled! You can sometimes smell it in the air, go on Distillery tours and drink really great Cognac on its home turf with a meal or just a coffee!!

Thanks so much for all the advise, we visited Cognac last year and it was great to tour round the Martell distillery, we are going to go again and hopefully go round the Hennesy one. I've put all the names you've told me in the Tom Tom so i don't forget them and we will give them all a visit. Thanks again.

Heppy

Hi Alsacienne

Sounds barmy for someone who visits France on a regular basis but didn't mention Cognac because I don't drink. I'm sure the area is worth the visit without the brandy as the whole area around Charante is just superb. I stand corrected about the Oysters though??

I first though WHERE!!!

then looked at the map Charente Maritime NICE!!!!!
Main major town Royan just south of you

Hope you've got a car as there are so many places where you can dirve o and just go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
the next town South is Saint George de Didonne very nice beach and some nice street cafes too

Blaye has a really good market on a Sunday too

We stay further South near the Towns of Montendre and Mirambeau
there are some photo's here

Thanks for the photo's, looks like were in for a good time, yes i'm taking the car and hoping to get about a bit, we did about 2,500 miles last year touring around but never made it to the coast. We stayed at Availles Limouzine, (think thats how you spell it), so this year we hope to tour up and down the coast a bit. What is Bordeaux like, is it worth a visit, and we,ve heard La Rochelle is quite a nice place, any suggestions on places to visit near by.
We are also wanting to visit some Vineyards, quite interested in wine, we have to go to Pauliac to pick some up so any information on a good vineyard to visit would be most appreciated.

Regards

Heppy

Didn't go to Bordeaux -- too busy fishing
Apparently has the longest shopping street in Europe a round 2 miles I think

Loads of vineyard around most of them for Brandy and Pineau (once drunk you'll be hooked serve it chilled come in red white and rosé)
as we stay around Montendre / Mirambeau we get local stuff to there

OhOh just thought we will be there when the Acacia is in bloom -- it's a local delicacy when dipped in Tempura and deep fried very nice but after the first ten bunches of blooms it gets a little heavy