Some suggestions for things to do in the area:

If you are feeling active, there is plenty to do and see in the area, including for example:

  • Exploring the area - by car, by bicycle or on foot:
  • Walking and cycling holidays - there are 18 sign-posted circuits from 5 to 15km to discover on foot, bicycle or horse-back - Whether by foot, bike, or on horseback, the Charente-Maritime is a paradise for hiking and riding. Come and make the most of the organised footpaths along the ocean’s edge, across the marshes, in the heart of the countryside and the vineyards, surrounded by a rich and varied heritage - all in all, a world of unique landscapes. As part of the general aim of fostering and developing the use of all sorts of paths, the Départemental Council supports the development and upkeep of a high-quality network adapted to various different activities. There is currently a network of over 7,000km - including the long-distance routes - covering the Charente-Maritime. A map of the département is available giving the details of all of these paths, be they footpaths, long-distance routes, cycle paths, mountain-bike trails, or bridle paths. Published with the support of the Institut G‚ographique Nationale (IGN, the French National Geographical Institute), this map is an indispensable aid for all lovers of hiking and riding and is on sale. Keen hikers are spoilt for choice in Charente-Maritime. The département has a huge network of signposted paths. There are 845km of Grande Randonnée (GR, Long-distance) footpaths and a network of 2,700km of Petite Randonnée (PR, local) footpaths. All of these maintained paths allow you to discover the secrets of the département at your own rhythm.
    Details of the Petites Randonnée footpaths:
    Local handbooks published by the Départemental Hiking Committee are a very useful tool. All of the hikes proposed are circuits on Petite Randonnée (PR) footpaths. They are composed of individual cards with an IGN map and give the length and time for the circuit, the starting point and the colour of the markers, allowing you to choose the walks that suit you best. For the Charente-Maritime there are 9 local handbooks, one for each Tourist Area. They are on sale in the département’s Tourist Offices and in some bookshops.
    Details of the Grande Randonnée footpaths:
    The itineraries of the Grande Randonnée (GR) footpaths can be found in national handbooks, on sale throughout France in a large number of bookshops. Like the local handbooks, they include a description, an IGN map and give the length and duration of the walk. Among the many possible trails in the Charente-Maritime are three particularly attractive long-distance routes developed by the Departmental Council:
    — The coastal path route follows most of the coastline in the department.
    — The Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route that many pilgrims used during the Middle Ages, with halts including the church of Aulnay, the Pilgrim’s Hospice in Pons, the church of Saint-Eutrope, etc. (A special IGN map of the Compostela pilgrim route in Charente-Maritime is available free of charge from the Departmental Council).
    — The Cabariot-Le Chapus route was once a railway line but that been fully upgraded into a very special walk through varied, protected countryside and runs for 15km between Cabariot and Brouage, linking the Charente valley with Bellevue lock, very close to the coast.
  • Cycling:
    The Charente-Maritime is comparatively flat, making it an ideal place for bike rides. Whether with your family, your friends or on your own, cycling is one of the best ways to discover the variety of the local nature and the rich heritage.
    A huge network of cycle paths:
    The département has nearly 2,500km of cycle paths and cycle circuits. The itineraries have been very carefully designed so as to guarantee top quality cycle rides. What is more, the network is regularly maintained, thereby guaranteeing completely safe rides. In order to help you plan your rides a series of handbooks and cycle maps is available in Tourist Offices and most bookshops.
    And also mountain and hybrid bike circuits:
    Some of the handbooks also give details of bike circuits for mountain and hybrid bikes. The Départemental Tourist Cycling Committee also helps develop these circuits with organised rides, and bike and camping rides which can be gentle or sportier.
  • Sea sports - as well as swimming, sun-bathing and walking at the seaside, there are activities such as sailing, sand-yachting (click here for more info), surfing, kite-surfing or body-boarding (there are a good fifteen or so well-known spots along the coast, such as Les Huttes or Saint-Trojan on Isle d’Oléron or Le Petit Bec on Isle de Ré not to mention all the wild coast between La Palmyre and la Tremblade), sea-diving (click here for more info), etc.
  • Try gliding or flying or parachuting or hot-air ballooning or take a helicopter tour of the region.
  • Fishing – the Charente-Maritime is criss-crossed with waterways, rivers and streams which are a haven for leisurely fresh water fishing. The Charente and Seugne rivers in particular are near Limorlin ... and of course the sea fishing is also quite superb;
  • Golfing, with 3 superb golf courses nearby (Cognac, Saintes and Royan).
  • Horse-riding at nearby Montils or Cherves-Richemont - there are 1200 km of maintained and signposted bridal paths, from 20 to 40 km long, including variants for both riders and carriages - see www.randonnee-equestre-sud17.com for more information. The Charente-Maritime offers a very varied environment for horse riders. Keen riders can trot or gallop through forests, past the vineyards, across the marshes or near the coast. Every year the Départemental Horse Riding Committee publishes a calendar of equestrian activities that are organised by the various clubs in the département. It also devotes itself to creating new bridle paths for those who enjoy trekking on horseback. The Charente-Maritime also hosts national and international competitions, such as the Royan horse-jumping event.
  • Other sports of many types, from ten-pin bowling and tennis to Go-karting and motocross. There is even Ice-skating available in Cognac from mid-October to mid-March.