Charente

In the southwest of France, Charente comprises an inland expanse in the Massif Central foothills as well as part of the Atlantic coastal plain. The jumping-off point for discovering the littoral Charente-Maritime, famous for its oysters and Cognac, is the great port of La Rochelle, with its beautifully preserved Old Town. Forty minutes away, the lovely Ile de Ré is like a Gallic take on Nantucket. Moving east, the country villages, medieval castles and Romanesque churches offer an authentic introduction to traditional rural life.