The nearest village is Nalliers, approx two miles away, where you will find a supermarché, bank, bars, restaurant, butcher, hairdressers, doctor, chemist and clothes shops.

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Nearby are the following attractions:

La Rochelle - Superbly attractive Atlantic port with a large selection of bars and restaurants, museums and a wonderful waterfront. Described as "the most attractive and unspoilt seaside town in France" due mainly to its unspoilt old town, the largest marina on the Atlantic coast, and an extremely impressive aquarium. It can be reached from La Petite Venise Verte in approximately half an hour. (Click on the thumbnails below for larger images).

Ile de Ré - Beautiful small island just off the La Rochelle peninsula, this isle is reached by toll bridge and boasts calm seas ideal for bathing on the eastern side with more boisterous waters to the west, reputedly good for surfing. A selection of bars and restaurants to enjoy in the sun as well as many stylish boutiques - so be prepared for a shopping spree! The whole area is famous for its oysters and you can see how they are harvested as well as sampling the local produce. Remarkable too are the donkeys in their gingham pyjamas, which protect them from mosquitoes in the summer.

Forest of Mervent - 15 miles away the scenery changes from flat waterways to hills covered in thick forest surrounding a lake in the valley with restaurants overlooking its calm waters, where you can hire boats to canoe or sail.

Futuroscope - Well worth a visit, this mind-expanding theme park will inspire and delight you. Approx 1 hour drive.

Lucon - the nearest town, just 10 miles away with supermarkets and factory outlets for shopping. It has a magnificent Roman cathedral (whose first bishop was Cardinal Richelieu). There are three large supermarkets, banks, a twice weekly (Wed + Sat) food market and a good selection of small shops. Attached to the Hotel de Ville is a lovely garden which you can visit. It is also the home of 'Kamok', a delicious coffee liqueur : you can taste it at the old distillery where it used to be made. There are many evening events throughout the summer such as the "Son et Lumière" show, which takes place in the Jardin Dumaine in July.

Fontenay-le-Comte - a charming country town that used to be the centre of the area. Our favourite local town, with the river running through its medieval centre, a Saturday market full of local delicacies and a variety of restaurants including Moroccan and Chinese. It is only 15 miles away and should be included in your itinerary.

Coulon - one of the most scenic trips in the area is to go to Coulon, and wend your way back to Nalliers through the rivers and canals of the Green Venice. At Coulon itself you can take a boat ride into the waterways and choose one of the many restaurants to sample local fare. We thoroughly recommend that this should be one of the essential excursions of your holiday.

Marans - an inland port, Marans has one of our favourite bistrot restaurants. During the summer there is a busy night market on Thursday evenings. With its choice of local produce and entertainers this is again a must on the itinerary.

Beaches - The long stretch of Atlantic beaches starts about 45 minutes from Nalliers, the sandy coastline offering a variety of sea resorts to sample.

Ile d'Oleron - lies south of La Rochelle and is the second biggest French island after Corsica. Fantastic beaches but they are busy in the summer when French holiday makers make the most of the lovely weather.