Saujon, Charente Maritime

Description:

Geography and Transport

Saujon is a small town (area 18km²) situated 10 km North West of Royan, on the Atlantic coast of Charente Maritime.  The town is situated on the RN150 that takes traffic towards Saintes and the A10 motorway.  The nearest airport is at Rochefort, but for flights to the UK the nearest option is La Rochelle (73km) where you can fly to a number of UK destinations with a variety of budget airlines.  Saujon has a link to the TER regional rail network.  The River Seudre runs through the town of Saujon.
See also:  Royan, Mornac sur Seudre

Climate

The location of Saujon close to the Atlantic coast means that the climate is temperate all year round, with warm (but not excessively hot) summers, and cool (but not extremely cold) winters.  Spring and early Autumn can be warm.  In summer, daytime temperatures average 24C to 27C (13C to 15C night), and in winter this drops to 9C to 11C (3C to 4C).  Wettest months are October and November (57mm to 59mm), and the driest are March, July and August (32mm).  Saujon is within an area that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Being located close to Royan, Saujon has access to many beaches and facilities on offer there.  The Zoo at nearby La Palmyre has around 1600 animals on show, in a 15ha parkland setting.  There is a steam train (Le Train des Mouettes) that operates between June and September and carries passengers the 21km between Saujon and La Tremblade, giving a guided tour through countryside along the River Seudre.  La Tremblade, and the neighbouring towns of Marennes and Bourcefranc are famous for their oyster farms, and proximity to the Cote Sauvage, a protected stretch of dune-backed beaches and pine forests.  The Foulee Saujonnaise is a fun run that takes place in July.

Facilities

Saujon has a communal aquatic centre, gymnastic hall and a tennis club.  There are both Rugby and Football clubs also based in the town.  The Foulee Saujonnaise is a fun run that takes place in July.

Economy

The largest company is Melodia (Super U supermarkets).    Saujon is part of the Saintonge Maritime economic zone which has an unemployment rate of 11.4%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006). 

Education

There are 2 state nurseries, 1 state primary school, and 1 state secondary school.  There is also a private primary and secondary school available in the town.  Colleges are at nearby Royan.  

Key Stats

Most of the properties in Saujon are main residences 82.7%, and 10.8% of properties are classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (42% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (37.4% vs 18.2%).  17.3% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (46.1% vs 53.9%).

Key Facilities and Services: