Family holidays in Charente-Maritime

Are you looking for fun activities for a family holiday in Charente-Maritime? Between the beaches and aquatic leisure centers, hiking or cycling, museums and other tourist sites in the region... you will not get bored! Whether you want to discover the coast and natural countryside areas, to play sports in a group, to take advantage of the leisure areas to have fun with your family, to visit authentic villages... You will find what you are looking for in Charente-Maritime. Let's go for nature, sporting, cultural or fun vacations, but of course with the family!

Photos of the article © Guide Charente Maritime

Discover the territory of Charente-Maritime, from the coast to the Charente countryside

Charente-Maritime is appreciated for its beaches and its frontage on the Atlantic, its archipelago of islands, its villages and its picturesque ports, its Saintonge countryside and its wine-growing region of Haute-Saintonge... Territory by territory, we take you to the coolest sites to do with the family.

From island to island, Charente-Maritime offers you an exotic island trip. Here is our selection of places suitable for the whole family of the Charente archipelago:

• A discovery trail of the Ile de Ré (fr)
  
• Board the little train from Saint-Trojan-les-Bains on the Ile d'Oléron
• Île d'Aix, a little corner of paradise to discover by bike

We offer 5 themes of visits to discover the coast of Charente-Maritime with the family:

• A tour of the beaches of Charente-Maritime
• The most beautiful ports of the Charente coast
• The discovery of a typical Charente heritage, the Lighthouses of Charente-Maritime
• Our Top 5 spots to admire the squares
• And finally, the “most beautiful villages of France” on the coast
  

If you are more tempted by the Saintongeaise countryside and the Pays d'Aunis:

• We give you some ideas for outings in the Val de Saintonge, around Saintes
• An unusual walk to the blue lakes of Touvérac

Playing outdoor sports

With its 5000 km of hiking trails, lovers of hiking will be able to have fun in Charente-Maritime. The Ways of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle cross the region and will make you discover remarkable monuments of the religious heritage. The trails run along the coast, between beaches, dunes and pine forests. If you prefer the countryside, part of the Marais Poitevin is located in Charente-Maritime and will offer you bucolic walks. In our article, we give you ideas for walks and hikes.

By bike, there are also many walks to do. Whether you are a fan of long cycle routes or quiet greenways. Some routes and trails are famous: the Vélodyssée, the Vélo Francette, the Scandibérique… Others are little news on the list of cycling tours, such as the Flow bike. You will find all the information in our article on the great cycling tours of Charente-Maritime.

Enjoy the pleasures of water in a water park

If you don't feel like swimming in the sea and having sand between your toes, water recreation centers are a good option! The equipment is completely safe for children and there are spaces reserved for them. In addition, they have the advantage of offering activities suitable for all ages: inflatable structures, slides, sports pools, paddling pools for children, relaxation area… There are many activities, especially during the summer season.

Have fun in an amusement park

To please children, nothing could be simpler… You take them to a leisure park. This is a good opportunity to have fun, share good times of laughs and make great holiday memories. Indoor play parks, outdoor inflatable structures, karting and quad tracks, adventure parks in the heart of nature… There is something for all tastes, all ages and all desires! Here is our directory of leisure and games establishments in Charente-Maritime.

Learn history through its historical monuments

The region is quite significant in the history of France and has experienced each of the great historical periods intensely. Over time, from Gallo-Roman times to modern times, we offer you a journey through time to help your children discover the history of France and satisfy your curiosity:

• Prehistory at the Paleosite of Saint-Cézaire.
• The Gallo-Roman period in Saintes, with its ancient monuments: amphitheater, thermal baths and other Roman remains… and the Fâ de Barzan site.
• The Middle Ages at the Château Fort de Saint-Jean-d'Angle: This leisure park is a fairy-tale kingdom for budding princesses and knights. For older children, Pons is a very well preserved medieval city. We take you on a discovery tour of Pons and its historical treasures.

The good plan: The tourist office provides you with a "circuit of the alleys of Pons" for a free visit or guided tours.

• The Renaissance at the Château de la Roche Courbon: It offers activities for all ages: Castle game, Prehistozen, old games, course for children...
• Modern times, under the reign of the Sun King and the time of Vauban's famous fortifications, at the fortified citadel of Brouage.
• The Wars of Religion in La Rochelle: This ancient Protestant city is the ideal place to understand this bloody religious conflict and this war which divided the French.
• World War II at the Le Bunker Museum in La Rochelle for an unusual immersion in this troubled period.

Consult our article to see the other castles in the region.

We hope that these few ideas have inspired you for the next family vacation in Charente Maritime.

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Article written by Stéphanie Tempier for the Guide de la Charente Maritime.