Cottages and gites from Loire Atlantique and Vendée to Charentes and Aquitaine

Traditional gites in Vendée, Charentes and Aquitaine

Driving times for this area:
6 to 12 hours from Calais or Lille under normal driving conditions.
Best access routes from UK, Belgium or Holland:
Western channel crossings to Roscoff, Cherbourg ofr Caen. From Calais, motorway via Rouen and Orleans.
Regional airports: Nantes, La Rochelle (Charente Maritime) , Bergerac (Dordogne) , Bordeaux (Gironde), Limoges.
For airlines serving this region, check out full details here: Flights to southwest France

Regional information:
The Loire Atlantique and Vendée are part of the Pays de la Loire region.
Deux Sèvres and the Charentes are in the Poitou-Charentes region.
The remaining departments are part of the Aquitaine region.
Main cities in this area :
Nantes, St. Nazaire, Les Sables d'Olonne, Poitiers, Niort, Périgueux, Angoulême, La Rochelle, Bordeaux.
Other attractions.
The Futuroscope (near Poitiers) and Puy-du-Fou (Vendée) theme parks

Official regional tourist site
Visit Poitou Charentes

Key to gites listing:  Gites with....

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► Click on any link in the list  for a detailed description of the property, with photos and prices

The Atlantic coastal areas of France are popular holiday destinations. The Charentes are reputed to be one of the sunnier areas of France, and the coast offers many long expanses of sandy beaches. Parts of the coast also support a fishing and shellfish industry, with small fishing ports and oyster beds. Behind the coast, the region is mostly flat, with mixed agriculture in the northern parts, many vineyards in the middle, and pine-forests in the south, below the Gironde estuary.
     While the Charentes are largely flat and low-lying, the inland part of Aquitaine, the Dordogne and Lot & Garonne departments, includes areas of hills and valleys, including some impressive limestone gorges and many very attractive villages. Apart from the cities of Saint Nazaire and Nantes, on the Loire, Bordeaux on the Gironde, and the port of La Rochelle in the Charentes, central western and southwestern France is largely rural. Vendée and Deux Sèvres are famous for their bucolic countryside (and the Puy du Fou historic theme park in Vendée),  the Charentes for their dairy products, for oysters and for cognac, the Bordeaux area is of course famous as one of the world's greatest vineyards, and Lot & Garonne is reputed for its fruit and vegetables, notably plums and tomatoes. In the south, the department of les Landes is France's largest forested area, and boasts over 100 kilometres of fine sandy beaches

En français... gîtes près de la côte atlantique Area 4a: Atlantic coastal areas : On this page: Loire Atlantique to Aquitaine - including Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, and the Charentes. . Includes the following French départements: (in North-South order): 44 Loire Atlantique,   85 Vendée   79 Deux Sèvres,  17 Charente Maritime,  16 Charente, 33 Gironde, 40 Landes ► ► ► Further inland ? Click for gites in....   The Loire Valley  or  Dordogne & Lot et Garonne

• Rural Gascony 40 + Large family gite in peaceful rural location. Sleeps 8, private pool and gardens. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining/breakfast room, large sitting room. Covered terrace. 
• Cottage in Armagnac  40  Lakefront cottage in the heart of Gascony, southwest France. 3 bedrooms for up to 6 guests. Surrounded by nature and tranquility. .

• Southern Deux-Sèvres  79 Fully equipped two bedroom gite near Ruffec, in the heart of the Poitou Charentes. Garden, shared pool & Plunge pool garden furniture etc.   
• Affordable luxury gites 79 - Les Cygnes, 3 beautiful Gites with lovely large gardens and pool sleeping 6-8-10 and for groups up to 24, Close to many attractions. New for 2012 - heated pool.
• Mill gite near Parthenay 79    Gite offering flexible booking periods. Stunning 700-year-old converted mill, sleeping 8 and with a beautiful river running at the bottom of the garden

• South Vendée - Breuil Barret 85 + Charming, stone built, traditional cottage (sleeps 2-5) with private garden. Tranquil setting on the edge of small hamlet in rolling countryside near La Chataigneraie. 
• Gite in south Vendee 85 + Sleeping 4 to 6, restored and modernised, this 3 épis and 4 star cottage makes a comfortable base from which to explore the beautiful Vendee. 
• Southern Vendée, near Luçon  85    + Two family friendly holiday homes, with large heated pool, gamesroom and gardens. 15km from the southern Vendée beaches. 
• Gites in the heart of Vendée 85 + Two restored farmhouses sharing a pool and large gardens, set in a peaceful hamlet with stunning countryside views. Less than an hour to  Vendee beaches.  
• South Vendée nr. Ste Hermine  85  Sleeping 10 & 4 guests, two high quality restored farmhouses with large gardens, games room and heated pool. Great for family holidays.
• Vendée manor house 85 + Two gites and B&B on the domain of a 16th century Vendée manor house;  swimming pool, games room and outdoor play area.

• Charente Maritime, near La Rochelle 17 + Gite with swimming pool in a renovated farm, in a calm location 8 mins from La Rochelle and the isles of Charente Maritime. 
• Seaside villa Royan: 17 + Twenty yards from Chay beach, Villa Mamette is a large traditional sea-front villa for 12 people with own gardens; 5 bedrooms. 
• Between Saintes and La Rochelle, 17 + Not far off A10 motorway, Près du Puits offers en suite B&B and 2 renovated Gites each for 2 people with pool, in secluded gardens. 
• Charente Maritime near Rochefort 17  - small gite for 4, 10 min. from Rochefort and the beaches. One bedroom and lounge with comfortable sofa-bed. Garden views, terrace, spacious garden. Next to a riding school. 

• Gironde, near Bergerac 33 + Four star rated gite with indoor pool set amid the vineyards; ideally located between the Bordeaux wine areas and the sights & chateaux of Dordogne. 
• St. Emilion - Sauternes area. 33 + Fully renovated 18th century wine farm set in quiet location amidst the vineyards. Five high quality & comfortable B & B rooms, including one family suite and one room with disabled access. Swimming pool. 
• Near Saint Emilion 33 +  Fully equipped gite for 4-6 in Bordeaux wine country at Beau Séjour, an 18c stone guest house offering peace & quiet, and a memorable, happy visit.  See site for guest comments.

• Tranquille Vienne 16 + Three gites, one offering 3 bedrooms and two with 2 bedrooms, 8m x 4m pool set in a quiet hamlet near Confolens and St Junien.
• Manoir La Betoulle 16 +  Charentes/Limousin border. Set in 90 acres of unspoilt countryside, 2 luxurious gîtes sleeping 2 and 5 with huge secluded pool and tennis court.

More B&B accommodation in the Gitelink B&B directory pages  for this region

• More B&B properties in the Gitelink B&B directory pages  for this region
  
  

• Gites near Nantes 44 + Les Quatre Cles: Sensitively renovated near Guemene Penfao, a longere cottage with 2 gites in a beautiful river valley location. Serene but not isolated. 
• La Cour - Southern Brittany 44 + Converted Barn (sleeps 10) and two pretty, stone cottages (sleeps 4/5) in a peaceful hamlet surrounded by beautiful Breton countryside. 

More B&B properties in the Gitelink B&B directory pages for this region