Many nearby town and villages are of great historic interest. However they are also places where people live and work and provide good restaurants and shops ranging from the family owned boucherie to local markets where local produce is available.

Chauvigny, with imposing castle ruins and old town overlooking the market and river is a short car ride away. A busy market each Saturday allows one to sample local fare including oysters, prawns, crayfish, many varieties of cheeses and olives as well as ethnic delicacies. Saint-Savin is the nearest town to Le Bouex, just ten minutes away. The 11th century abbey church of Saint Savin and nearby village church of Antigny, possess some of the finest medieval frescoes in Europe. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. For naturalists, the huge Brenne Regional Park, with its profusion of wildlife, is on your doorstep.

Historic sites abound throughout the region, one of the most striking is the relatively recent find of bas-relief figures in the Abri du Roc- aux-Sorciers near Angles-sur-l’Anglin. Dating from the end of the last Ice Age about 17,000 yeas ago, these are comparable in importance to the caves at Lascaux. A facsimile museum is to open in 2007. Angles is dedicated as one of France’s most beautiful villages. Le Grand Presigny houses a fine museum of pre-history. Monks at the ancient Benedictine abbey of Fontgombault have daily services which are accompanied by a powerful Gregorian chant.

Shopping is easy in this area. There are both supermarkets and local shops easily accessible to Le Bouex. Towns worth visiting for shopping and cultural interest include Montmorrillon with its ancient city largely devoted to books, Le Blanc on the edge of the Brenne and La Roche Posay, a Spa town.

This is a perfect family place with really great swimming and picnic areas. Just up the road from Le Bouex (a lovely cycle ride along the river for all the family) is La Bussiere with safe, supervised swimming areas, lots of picnic space and barbecue areas, canoes, pedalos, volley ball, table tennis and a café selling meals, ice cream and drinks.

There are numerous areas like this in the region, a short car ride away – Le Puye, La Roche Posay, Lesigny, Viq, Nalliers, Le Port – the list is endless.

There is more fun for children in the shape of such things as snake island, the eagles at Chauvigny, the Ostrich Farm at Vaux and of course the wonderful theme park at Poitiers, Futurascope. There are sports too, horse riding, canoing, climbing sites, micro-lights, golf.