Climate:

Thanks to the warming breezes from the Gulf Stream coming from the Atlantic Ocean, the climate in Charente is mild all year round. The average annual sunshine is around 2,300 hours!

The warm and mostly dry summers, with temperatures ranging between 25° C and 30°C make it ideal for campers. During the long and late Autumn (which sometimes lasts until Christmas!), temperatures can still reach 23°C. Autumn in fact, with its magnificent orange and red colours is perhaps the most beautiful time to visit the Charente. Winters are normally quite short, and snow is rare.

Lying some 100 kilometres north of Bordeaux, the Charente is well known for its large number of sunshine hours – around 2,300 per year. Compared with the UK average of 1,600 hours you can see what makes a holiday so attractive… at any time of the year. In France in fact, only the Côte d’Azur has more hours of sunshine.

Night time in Charente is also very beautiful as the intense darkness means the stars of the universe shine exceptionally brightly. It is also very quiet and peaceful.

Camping & Gîtes Essubras is located where the departments of Charente, Haute Vienne and Limousine join one another. Travelling along the small winding lanes through endless valleys and hills crisscrossed with traditional low hedges, a stunning new landscape seems to await you at every bend in the road. The majesty of the woods, and the fields filled with wild flowers, plus an occasional deer crossing your path and the non-stop song of the birds all combine to make the surroundings a sheer paradise.

Unique nature

Nature lovers and amateur biologists will find a visit to the Fosses de L’Ermitage, Fosses du Diable and the Fosse Mobile in the Braconne woods (some 40 kilometres from Essubras), a must. These areas, created by falling meteorites and ground subsidence, are unique natural areas. They feature rare stones, flowers and plants (like the Drosera, Grassette du Portugal ferns). The animal and bird inhabitants also include the rare St. Martin buzzard. All these rare flora and fauna species flourish thanks to the sub-tropical micro climate which is to be found in these valleys.

The full extent of the richness of the wild fauna and flora of the area can be seen by the fact that there some 1,566 species of plants, 155 types of breeding birds, 135 species of migratory birds and 50 different types of mammal.

When the weather is a bit humid… that’s the time to look for snails! Mouth-watering with garlic butter

If you are lucky you can also spot some very unusual wildlife… like badgers, martens... The most protected flower in the area is the ‘Sabot de Vénus’… a type of orchid. You can enjoy its delicate bloom… but under no circumstances may you pick it.

A look into the past

Within a radius of about 10 kilometres from Essubras, you can experience a link with the past… the Roches du Fee, Le Chaos, and the Lac Fromental which all feature structures from the Gallic Roman times that incorporate stones from meteorites

The Monts de Blond is named the "prehistoric heart of the Limousin. A country of mysteries and legends scattered with a huge collection of megaliths. "The tour of the megaliths" will lead you to discovery of intriguing standing stones and dolmens.

The wooded and rolling hills of Les Monts de Blond, whose highest point rises at 514 metres, can boast a real mosaic of landscapes which are an ideal setting favouring hiking and outdoor leisures.

menhirs and dolmens.

One of the mysterious accumulation of stones are the druidism Roches of Puychaud.  They are huge ice-aged boulders.  This is considered to be the ancient cultural barrier  between two old languages and civilisations of Oil and Oc, of North and south France. The many fortified castles and ruins remind us at the Middle Ages. At that time this area was a much fought over between the French and the English king. A plaque dedicated to Frédéric Mistral reminds us of that border.

Al these curiosities lie within a distance of 10 kilometers of Essubras.   (www.megalithic.co.uk : look for megalithes in France in the Haut Vienne)

Buttes de Frochet

The woods of la Butte de Frochet are natural areas presenting an ecological and fauna and flora oriented interst. The moors of la Butte de Frochet, which is located at about 4 km from Essubras,offer a real interest in de biology and geology fields.

Nearby Saint Junien , between the river Vienne and the Glane, the "site Corot" is a well preserved place, its natural environment inspires a lot of painters.

Mountains and waters.  

Some of France’s oldest mountains are to be found in the area which was formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Originally part of the Massif Centrale, it separated from this region about 60 million years ago. The mountains and the ground beneath them are primarily composed of granite, and are rich in rare minerals.

The landscape is very hilly and often very rugged, with deep ravines and fast flowing rivers.

Roc d'Enfer

(at 45 min from Essubras) .

With its lively, clear and deep stream, the Gartempe discloses its wild temper. Its impetuous course runs trhough deep gorges then spreads through grasslands beneficial to some miscellaneous biodiversity.

Pont Binot,

in english it is called The Devils Bridge….

You will find many rivers and streams in the  Charente Limousine and you can enjoy the profusion of idyllic places.

What do you think of this proposition: go and sit with your chair by the water , and read in peace and quiet a book…  for example at Pont Binot? While your feet dangle in the rippling water…. There is no better way to relax!..  

Nearby the campsite you can make different walks through wooded hills and moors.

One hike is  "Les Bruyeres" of 5,5 km, which leads to the highest point ot the Charente (368,63 metres high): les roches aux oiseaux. 

This parc was created in 1998. It has a hughe variety of landscapes, from chestnut forests to open meadows, and contains moors, wetlands and rivers as well as farmland. The parc was created not just to protect the natural environment, but also to promote the local culture.  There are plenty of activities: from guided tours to bird watching and craft workshops. Throughout the year there are traditional festivals, many of them centring on local crafts such as those of  the feuillardiers, or chestnut forestry workers.