Our guide to...

Aquitaine

It’s hard to imagine anywhere more diverse than the French region of Aquitaine. Using your gîte or cottage as a base, you’ll be able to try your hand at surfing on the Atlantic before making your way to the Pyrénées Mountains to test your skills on skis. You can explore deep underground caverns and stretching fields of vineyards, along with UNESCO World Heritage Sites and attractions for the kids. Five departments combine to create a truly unforgettable holiday destination where there are always things to do.

The department of Dordogne is named after the river which runs through, and which feeds the many vineyards. There are dozens of bustling market towns, and you can explore scenic surroundings by hiring a canoe and taking to the water. Beautiful towns include pretty churches and awe-inspiring cathedrals, as well as museums that give an insight into Aquitaine’s rich history. If you prefer modern attractions to ancient villages, then you can make your way to Le Bugue where more than 6,000 fish can be seen at the Aquarium Du Périgord Noir. The adjacent Iguana Parc is a unique attraction that will have all ages reaching for their cameras to snap pictures of leisurely, lazy reptiles.

Gironde is a bustling and busy department with fine historic cities, sea ports and sprawling vineyards and is home to the region’s capital city Bordeaux. This area is famed for its quality wines, beaches lined with towering dunes, lakes, rivers and streams. Gîtes and cottages in Gironde give you access to some of Aquitaine’s most impressive historic buildings, ranging from Roman churches to strong medieval fortresses and from castles to ancient ruins. From the capital city of Bordeaux to the low-lying valleys throughout the rest of the region, there are hundreds of vineyards to tempt you with their wines. If you prefer animal attractions to wine tours, then you won’t want to miss a visit to Zoo Bassin D’Arachon.

Most of the department of Landes is covered in a blanket of pine forest, to be explored on horseback, on foot or by bike. This almost-mystical department also contains a majority of Aquitaine’s coastline, with pristine beaches renowned for their soft sands, dunes and waves for surfing. Get back to nature, staying in a gîte located close to the coast or amongst the shadows of the forest. Treetop adventure parks are ideal for thrill-seekers that want to traverse the highest branches, and there are wonderful vineyards where you can enjoy tours and wine sampling.

Lot et Garonne is an inland department best known for its quiet and peaceful countryside, and its gentle streams and rivers. There are two main cities, with the rest of the department being relatively rural. It’s likely that you’ll be able to find a boat tour departing within easy reach of your gite or cottage, though you might prefer to spend your entire holiday sampling the flavours of France in your choice of thousands of top Lot et Garonne restaurants. This romantic department is a foodie’s dream, and a place to sample some of Aquitaine’s most spectacular meal creations.

The snow-capped mountains of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which can be best seen from Le Petit Train d’Artouste, give way to mile after mile of pristine beach where you can relax on golden sands. Spend one day on the ski slopes, and the next on a surf board as you take on the waves. After a visit to the Puyodebat Chocolate Museum, you may want to burn some calories on one of many coastal golf courses as you aim for a hole-in-one. Meanwhile the world’s largest acrobatic park, Oihana, set high in Aquitaine’s treetops, offers further contrast when compared with the echoing caverns deep below the surface that are just waiting to be explored. Put on some comfortable shoes, and step into the dark to see the mysterious caves that have existed since prehistoric times.

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Areas of Aquitaine

Gironde
Gironde is a bustling and busy department with fine historic cities, sea ports and sprawling vineyards and is home to the region's capital city Bordeaux. This area is famed for its quality wines, beaches lined with towering dunes, lakes, rivers and streams.

Pyrenees Atlantiques
The snow-capped mountains of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques give way to mile after mile of pristine beach where you can relax on golden sands. Spend one day on the ski slopes, and the next on a surf board as you take on the waves.

Dordogne
In the south west of France, named after the river Dordogne which flows into the Atlantic. After playing an important role in the Hundred years war, between France and England, the Dordgne has become a gentle and calm area. This is one of the most popular areas for self catering holidays in cottages and gites.

Landes
Most of the department of Landes is covered in a blanket of pine forest, to be explored on horseback, on foot or by bike. This almost-mystical department also contains a majority of Aquitaine's coastline, with pristine beaches renowned for their soft sands, dunes and waves for surfing.

Lot et Garonne
Lot et Garonne is an inland department best known for its quiet and peaceful countryside, and its gentle streams and rivers. There are two main cities, with the rest of the department being relatively rural.