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AQUITAINE
This vast region stretching from Bordeaux to the Basque country is truly a treasure trove with something to offer everyone.
While surfers seek their thrills in the Atlantic rollers of its long sandy beaches, wine buffs find their pleasure in cool châteaux `caves'. The coastal lagoon of the Bassin d'Arcachon provides sanctuary for birds, while inland, the immense Landes forest houses a timber industry and nature reserve. To the south, the foothills of the Pyrénées Atlantique beckon, a popular destination for walkers. In each of these distinctive areas, history abounds. Today, Bordeaux is one of the world's top wine-producing regions. Vineyards adorn the hills between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, while to the east lies St Émilion, Ste Foy La Grande and many pretty hamlets set in rolling countryside likened to rural England one hundred years ago. By contrast, the Côte d'Argent below the Gironde boasts miles of sandy beach and Europe's largest dune. Resorts like Soulac-Sur-Mer, Lacanau Ocean and Hossegor mix old with new. Historically, the interior was marshland, supporting wandering shepherds and their flocks. Reclaimed 150 years ago, this area was planted with pines to become the Landes forest. Moving south, the green and red livery of the Basque flag signals the approach of the Pyrénées. Alpine-style houses grace the slopes of this rolling Béarn countryside, which shelters a great diversity of wildlife. To the west, the Atlantic around Biarritz offers the tantalising prospect of a dip at the end of a day's walk. Inland, the centres of Bayonne, Pau, Oloron Ste-Marie, Tarbes, Orthez and Sauveterre offer insights into the Basque culture, while it is just a short car journey up and over the border into Spain.
main pic Biarritz
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