The Great Lakes of the Haute Charente are just a 10 minute drive away. Plage de La Guerlie and Plage de Videix on the east bank are two beaches for safe swimming, with lifeguards on duty. Across the lake, a water sports centre caters for all things afloat. There are superb disabled facilities and also an audio-place guidance system for the visually impaired. The excellent Le Soleil Couchant and Le 16 Beach lakeside bars serve food all day and often have live music. There are also boats, canoes and pedalos for hire.
A fabulous base for exploring the area, full of great places to visit, historic old towns, gentle rolling scenery, two lakes plus the pretty River Vienne on the doorstep.
The Charente capital Angoulême dates back to the 6th century AD and is a place steeped in history with a magnificent view from its medieval town walls, cathedral and winding cobbled streets. Best of all for the visitor, its old town is packed with good bars and restaurants. Other towns well worth a visit include Barbezieux, Chalais and Villebois in the south of the department, the beautiful Aubeterre and its famous underground church, Confolens with its old bridge straddling on the banks of the River Vienne, Montbron, historic La Rochefoucauld and Ruffec. The area is ideal for visitors seeking a break away from it all in natural harmonious settings, with plenty of outdoor activities such as cycling, walking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking to name a few. There are also many excellent golf courses. All parts of the Charente are dotted with châteaux large and small, public and private, well maintained and crumbling. The best known is the large château at La Rochefoucauld, ancestral home of one of Frances best known aristocratic families.
Gallery of local activities