Property of the month...

Our holiday villa rental of the month is The Penthouse, a luxurious apartment in Mullins, Barbados. To see the property's website click here.

Poitou Charentes... a little gem

Halfway down France’s Atlantic coast Poitou-Charentes is a very unspoilt region with virtually no industry. It has a pleasant climate - not quite as stiflingly hot as the Cote d’Azur, but a lot warmer than the north.

The coastline is perfect for self-catering holidays with long sandy beaches, islands and marinas. Like all areas of France, the people of the Poitou-Charentes enjoy their food with regional highlights including excellent shellfish. Away from the coast the landscape is quite flat and is used for agriculture and some wine growing.

Here, over 400 km of sandy beaches are lapped by the Atlantic under some of the sunniest skies in the whole of France. La Rochelle is home to around 120,000 people, a great number of whom are students from the local university. This extremely chic town has an active cultural scene throughout the year. You can stroll amongst the boats in the pedestrianised marina and admire the two impressive 14th century towers.

Aside from the celebrated, coastal rocky beauty of La Rochelle the region has much to offer in the way of low-key charm. Inland, you won’t struggle to find some incredible cultural and historical gems: lost villages peopled by farmers and wine-producers, whose homes are swathed in geraniums. Romanesque architecture features heavily throughout the department.

There are also three islands, each with its own unique atmosphere. If you want to escape the mainland, take the 18 mile road bridge across to Re, a large island completely encircled by fine and mostly sandy beaches. Or take a trip to the smallest inhabited island off the coast France - Ile d’Aix. There are no roads on this island resulting in a peaceful atmosphere where you can relax away from the stresses of normal life. It’s hard to imagine that the island was once home to a prison. Between this island and the much larger Ile d’Oleron is Fort Boyard, an island fortress from the early 19th century. More recently, it has been used by TV adventure game shows.