GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ DEUX CHARENTES WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Where to rest and refuel as you explore the many splendours of the Deux Charentes HOTELS
Domaine des Étangs Built in the 13th century by the knights of Chasteigner de la Roche-Posay, this château was transformed into a hotel in the 1980s. Beautiful ponds and 1,000 hectares of grounds provide the setting, while much of the cuisine is based on organic produce grown on site. There’s a wellbeing centre, plus indoor and outdoor pools.
domainedesetangs.com/en
Domaine de la Nauve This 5-star hotel, a former distillery close to the centre of Cognac, opened in spring this year. There are 12 rooms, a gastronomic restaurant, a brasserie and a cocktail bar. Surrounding it are 4.5 hectares of parkland with a majestic sequoia standing sentry. The kitchen garden provides fresh vegetables and herbs.
www.lanauve.com/en
Le Bar André is a La Rochelle institution and not to be missed
Château de Puy Vidal Thanks to its Renaissance spiral staircase, gorgeous gardens and maze, the American owners offer this lovely château up for fi lm productions. Guests, who can join arts workshops and retreats, may well feel like they’re actors. Room prices start at €385 a night.
www.theladyofthechateau.com
Villa Amazone Close to Grande Conche beach, just south of Royan, Villa Amazone has a cool balcony with views out towards the sea, plus tennis courts, sauna and Jacuzzi.
The Domaine de la Nauve is a 5-star delight near the centre of Cognac
Domaine de Longeville Owners Yannick and Mélanie have transformed this property close to the village of Esse into a four-star gîte with seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and an indoor swimming pool. Horse riding is available. There’s also a chambres d’hôtes with disabled access.
domaine-de-longeville.com
Le Clocher
Budget hotels on the Île de Ré are hard to fi nd. Here’s a rare example, with wooden fl oors, white panelled walls and a lovely bar. Prices start at a reasonable €80.
hotel-ile-de-re-leclocher.com
Roca Fortis
Slap bang in Rochefort city centre, close to the River Charente, this reasonably-priced hotel has 16 rooms. Laurent and Catherine are your charming hosts.
hotelrocafortis.fr
106 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Oct/Nov 2023
villa-amazone-saint-georges-de-
didonne.hotelmix.fr
Le Grand Large Here’s one place you can really large it up. Inspired by the architecture of Le Corbusier, Le Grand Large, on the west coast of the Île d’Oléron has great views over the ocean, wonderful beaches of fi ne sand and a background of forest and dunes. There’s a sauna, hammam, indoor pool and a new beach restaurant to enjoy.
en.le-grand-large.fr
TREE HOUSE There are fi ve tree houses in the woods surrounding the Château des Énigmes, near Pons – three
for couples and two for families. Prices start at €155 a night. The owners also run escape games in the château itself.
www.sur-un-arbre-perche.com
HOTEL-RESTAURANTS Sources de Fontbelle All on the same site in Angoulême, you’ll fi nd a one-star Michelin restaurant, a bistro and chambres d’hôtes accommodation. “I treat my guests to beautiful meat, vegetables cooked with fi nesse, and fi sh cooked slowly to preserve the fl avours,” says chef Guillaume Veyssière. “When you enter my establishment, we pamper you.”
sourcesdefontbelle.com
Christopher Coutanceau “Three epicurean settings,” says chef and fi sherman, Christopher Coutanceau, of his La Rochelle business. First off is his eponymous restaurant on Concurrence
GETTING THERE BY AIR
La Rochelle – Île de Ré Airport is served over the warmer months by easyJet from Gatwick, Bristol and Manchester, and by Ryanair from Stansted.
BY TRAIN The TGV from Paris Montparnasse takes around three hours.
TOURIST WEBSITES
Get back to nature in the woods surrounding the Château des Énigmes
Charentes:
www.infi
niment-charentes.com Angoulême:
www.angouleme-tourisme.com La Rochelle:
www.holidays-la-rochelle.co.uk Île de Ré:
For more hotels and
restaurants, visit
www.francetoday. com/food-and- drink-france
Beach, then there’s La Yole de Chris, a marine-themed bistro, and fi nally the hotel La Villa Grand Voile, in an 18th-century shipowner’s mansion.
christophercoutanceau.com
RESTAURANTS Octopus is a bar and restaurant perched on the quayside at Les Minimes in La Rochelle. Furnished with exotic greenery, its three fl oors offer views out to sea.
octopus-larochelle.fr
Le Bar André
Don’t miss this La Rochelle institution. Featuring a terrace that overlooks the old port, it offers fairly standard dishes and species of exceptional quality and freshness.
www.barandre.com/fr
GLAMPING
In Ranville-Breuillaud, between Saint-Jean-d’Angély and Angoulême, you’ll fi nd three Navajo tipis in a fi eld. Nearby is Woody’s bar, where you’ll fi nd kitchen facilities or meals prepared by the hosts. There’s also a swimming lagoon and a zip wire.
glampingtipis.fr
Cosy up in a tipi and enjoy a luxurious glamping experience
DEUX CHARENTES ESSENTIALS
La Rochelle
IMAGES © LE BAR ANDRÉ, DOMAINE DE LA NAUVE, GLAMPING TIPIS, CHÂTEAU DES ÉNIGMES
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