Camping Le Grand Batard

The Cistercian Abbaye d’Échourgnac (50 minutes by bike) has a popular shop selling artisan cheeses alongside jams made from fruits grown in the orchard. The nuns run meditation retreats, and you can also visit for prayers and services several times a day. The medieval bastide town of Saint-Aulaye (an hour) is worth a peek for its pretty Romanesque church and grand Renaissance-era château. Learn about the production of local cognacs in the Musée du Cognac et du Vin, and if you’re there in summer, take time off from cultural jaunts for a dip in the River Dronne from the sandy beach. There’s another popular beach at the Grand Étang La Jemaye (an hour and 20 minutes), and in Montpon-Ménestérol (40 minutes), you can follow the Voie Verte des Berges de l’Isle walking route along the River Isle to the Pont de Montpon-Ménestérol bridge. Longer hikes lead to the lakes and streams of the Forêt de la Double (55 minutes), a haven for birdwatchers on the lookout for hen harriers and buzzards.