About our region
This is a quiet agricultural area, mostly vineyards and sunflower fields, yet close to the sea. You will find the lanes around the village almost traffic free with few hills, and ideal for cycle rides.
There are abundant opportunities for touring the local wine estates and sampling the wines, including Pineau, a delicious aperitif from the area.
The interesting towns of Saintes, La Rochelle and Cognac are close by, and the beautiful islands Île d’Oléron and Île de Ré - make a good outing.
Gémozac - the nearest town has useful shops and banks and a large Super-U supermarket.
There is an outdoor swimming pool with a waterslide near the centre of town. The town has a bar/restaurant, another bar and a pizza restaurant.
Market day is Friday with a larger market (Foire) on the third Friday of the month.
Pons – is almost as close, and slightly larger with some interesting historic buildings and a riverside walk. Good views of the surrounding countryside. There are two good restaurants near to the "Donjon", and two hotels with gourmet restaurants.
There is an outdoor swimming pool in the town, and a children's adventure park nearby.
Talmont - one of the 'most beautiful villages in France' is about 25 minutes drive away. It is traffic free and set on the edge of the Gironde estuary. There are quiet streets with lovely old houses and hollyhock flowers abound. A fine church overlooks the water. Take a camera.
Saintes - this is a beautiful town dating back to Roman times and has museums and art galleries as well as Roman ruins. An important festival of classical music and many other special events take place in Saintes every Summer, for information contact the local tourist information office on the main street.
The river Charente runs through the town and boat trips can be taken during the holiday season. Saintes has a good choice of restaurants and also offers excellent food and vegetable markets plus many shops in the town and a large Carrefour supermarket situated on the outskirts.
Futuroscope - an American-style theme park dedicated to films in a futuristic setting. There is a 3-D cinema, a 360 degree screen, an IMAX cinema and all sorts of other visual effects. It has its own exit from the A10 Autoroute about 90 minutes drive away.
Plage des Vergnes - one of the very lovely beaches about 30 minutes drive from the house. Pine trees come down to the wide, sandy beach.
There are other larger beaches at St Georges de Didonne and Royan and all along the Côte de Beauté to the north of Royan.
The towns of Pons and Gémozac are approximately 4 miles away and have restaurants, outdoor swimming pools, supermarkets, banks, and good local shops.
Each has a weekly market. The larger historic town of Saintes is about a 25-minute drive away and has excellent markets, a large number of shops and restaurants.
For entertainment in Saintes there are many special events and cultural activities including a Summer music festival. There are also cinemas in Saintes and Pons.
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