Charente Maritime
The Charente-Maritime, located in the South West of France is a department of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. The department proudly bears the number 17. The prefecture is La Rochelle.
Fact sheet of Charente Maritime
- Region: Nouvelle Aquitaine
- Prefecture: La Rochelle
- Sub-prefectures: Jonzac, Saintes, Rochefort, Saint-Jean-d'Angély
- Demonym : Charentais-Maritime
- Code INSEE : 17
- Population: 637 000 inhabitants
- Area: 93 inhabitants per km²
Tourism in Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime has become one of the favorite destinations of the French with some 34 million registered nights (hotel, campsites, house rentals, bed and breakfast), in front of Le Var, La Vendée or La Bretagne.
Charente-Maritime enjoys a mild climate all year round thanks to its location on the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Gulf Stream currents along the coast. The department enjoys a strong sunshine of 2,300 hours per year and is rising to the rank of Corsica or South East of France.
Cradle of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes, the department owes part of its name to the river that runs through it, La Charente.
The attractions of Charente-Maritime
- Rivers and estuaries : La Sèvre Niortaise, La Charente, La Seudre and estuaries, including that of La Gironde.
- The islands : Ré, Oléron, Aix, Madame, the peninsula of Arvert composed of Royan, La Palmyre, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, Vaux-sur-Mer, Ronce-les-Bains, Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, La Tremblade and its hinterland ...
- The cities : La Rochelle, Rochefort-sur-Mer, Saintes
Then without forgetting resorts like Châtelaillon, Fouras .