Camping Le Lidon

Out on the water first, of course, by hiring a barque or canoe from the Le Lidon team or by taking a guided tour from one of the many starting points around the marshes. Flat paths and small roads suitable for family walks are easily accessed from the site for strolls. Wildlife is easily spotted around here too: the Natural Reserve of St-Denis-du-Payré and the bird park at local town Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud are good starting points to find out more about the animals, birds and plants of the region. This old land is full of historical highlights too, like local villages such as Coulon, Saint-Georges-de-Rex and Arçais; the abbeys of Maillezais, Nieul-sur-l'Autise and Saint-Jean d'Angely, and the quiet riverside town of Surgeres with its church dating back to the 11th century and the 18th-century Château de Surgères. Further afield, it's well worth the drive for the beaches of the Île de Ré and La Rochelle, about 50 kilometres away, and for theme park days at Futuroscope within 80 kilometres and the Puy du Fou within 100.