Royan, Vaux-sur-Mer and Saint-Palais-sur-Mer
This is where most of our villas are. The coast is a run of conches, sandy coves between low cliffs: the Grande Conche at Royan, Pontaillac, the Conche de Nauzan at Vaux and the beaches of Saint-Palais. Royan was rebuilt after the war and its 1950s centre and concrete Notre-Dame church divide opinion. La Rochelle airport is around an hour and a quarter away, Bordeaux about two hours.
Best for: Families who want sandy coves, a seafront and shops within easy reach
Not for you if: You want quiet in August: this is one of the busiest stretches of the French Atlantic coast in summer.
Ile d'Oléron
The largest French island on the Atlantic is reached by a free road bridge. The west side has long open beaches and pine forest; the east side faces the oyster beds, with painted huts at Le Château-d'Oléron and views of Fort Boyard from Boyardville. Saint-Pierre is the main market town, and cycle paths link most villages. La Rochelle airport is about an hour away.
Best for: Cyclists, oyster lovers and families who like a slower island week
Not for you if: You hate traffic: the bridge and the island's main road jam on summer Saturdays.
Les Mathes and La Palmyre (Côte Sauvage)
Les Mathes sits behind the Forêt de la Coubre, with the Zoo de La Palmyre and the La Coubre lighthouse close by. The Côte Sauvage beaches run for miles but are exposed, so swim only where lifeguards are posted in summer. For calmer water, the Bonne Anse bay at La Palmyre is more sheltered. Royan is about 20 minutes south.
Best for: Families with older children, surfers and anyone who likes forest walks
Not for you if: You want calm water for small children: the open ocean beaches here have big waves and strong currents.
Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, Meschers and the Gironde estuary
Facing the Gironde estuary rather than the open ocean, the beaches here are calmer and gently shelving. Saint-Georges-de-Didonne has a long sandy bay and a lighthouse on its headland, and at Meschers there are cave dwellings cut into the cliffs. The ferry from Royan to Le Verdon crosses the estuary in about 20 to 30 minutes, handy for a day in the Médoc.
Best for: Families with small children who want gentler beaches near Royan
Not for you if: You want clear blue sea: the estuary water is brown with river silt.
Ile de Ré
We have only a handful of houses on Ré. The island is flat and best explored by bike, with Saint-Martin-de-Ré's harbour and Vauban fortifications, and the white-shuttered village of Ars-en-Ré. The bridge from La Rochelle carries a toll for cars, highest in summer, but cyclists and walkers cross free. La Rochelle airport is about 15 minutes from the bridge.
Best for: Couples who want cycling, salt marshes and harbour restaurants
Not for you if: You are on a budget: choice is small and the island is one of the pricier parts of the coast.
Jonzac and the inland Saintonge
Jonzac is a small spa town with a thermal centre and an indoor water park, Les Antilles de Jonzac, which is handy on wet days. The surrounding farmland is cognac and pineau country, and Saintes, with its Roman arch and amphitheatre, is around 40 minutes away. A few villas sit in villages such as Geay and Varzay, closer to the Charente valley.
Best for: Groups who want countryside, cognac houses and lower prices
Not for you if: You want to walk to the beach: the coast is roughly an hour's drive away.
