Much of the Charente Maritime coast is part of the Cote Sauvage – the savage coast – where Atlantic waves come crashing in to the great sand beaches. But we discovered much gentler waters at the mouth of the Bonne Anse estuary, at the town of La Palmyre.Here, there’s a stretch of sandy beach where the waters are calm and the beach slopes gently into the sea, making it a safe choice if you’ve got small children, or little ones who aren’t yet confident swimmers.If you are looking for crashing waves there’s plenty of fun to be had further along the beach, and there’s another great looking stretch at the Pins de Courdan (pictured below).There is plenty of free and well signposted parking along the coast and around the town, although it will pay to arrive early during the July and August busy periods as this is a popular spot.La Palmyre has a good number of restaurants selling crepes, moules et frites and burgers for family lunches, and there are plenty of spots to enjoy terrific ice creams too.Sounds good? See our selection of gites in Charente Maritime.