The rivers Charente, Vienne and Sèvre offer a variety of opportunities for different type of water sports and pastimes, as do other rivers in the region. There are lakes, too, especially in the Charente-Limousine in the Charente and flooded quarries.

Hiring river boats

One of the best ways of seeing the River Charente is of course to hire a boat. There are a number of places where you can hire a boat on the river, notably at Angoulême, Cognac, Jarnac and Chaniers. The options include boats with accommodation that you can hire by the week or sometimes a weekend, boats that can be hired by the day or half-day, and lunch or dinner cruises offering a meal on board. The village of Saint-Simon offers trips on a replica of the old gabarres (or gabares) that used to take cognac up and down the river. There are also small boats that take visitors on short trips along the Charente to see the wildlife and stunning scenery.

Canoeing and Kayaking

The various rivers and lakes of Poitou-Charentes also provide plenty of scope for canoe and kayak enthusiasts. There are, for example, places to hire canoes and kayaks on the River Charente and River Vienne, as well as the Gartempe and Tardoire rivers, and canoe trips through the marshes of the River Seudre.

For the more courageous there’s even some whitewater rafting at Lathus on the River Gartempe.

Marais Poitevin: traditional boats

This stunningly beautiful part of the Poitou-Charentes has an ecosystem all of its own, and its marshes and waterways are best seen by boat. The traditional boats in this part of the world are flat-bottomed punt-like craft which can be hired from various places throughout the Marais—look out for the word embarcadère, which means wharf. Boats and canoes can be hired for just an hour or two, or a half or whole day. Alternatively you can choose to have a guided boat tour—with commentary in English—or opt for an organised two or three day tour of the marshes. More info here.

Lakes of Haute-Charente: sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking

The main area of lakes in the Poitou-Charentes is in the Charente-Limousine, and in particular the Lacs de Haute Charente. In terms of geography this part of the region has more in common with the Limousin which it borders—than the rest of the Poitou-Charentes; these are the foothills of the Massif Central which reach their peak far to the east in the middle of the country. The lakes are set in wonderful countryside and are much-visited by local and tourists alike for their clear, cool waters, fishing, and watersports. At the Lac de Lavaud, which is the main nautical base in the area, you can go sailing, windsurfing or hire a canoe or kayak.

But it’s not just the lakes and rivers where you can have fun on the water in the Charente – you can also take to the flooded quarry at Saint-Même-les-Carrières for waterskiing or at Roullet St Estephe for jetskiing.

Lac du Gué du Magne at Moncontour

In the department of the Vienne there’s the excellent aquatic base at Lac du Gué du Magne at Moncontour. Here on the ten hectare lake you can indulge in canoeing, kayaking, wakeboarding and waterskiing. There’s also facilities for beach volleyball and mini-golf.