Aquitaine is located along the Pyrenees mountain range, which is the border with Spain, and right up the Atlantic coast. It is made up of 5 departments, namely, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Landes, Dordogne, Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne. Its capital city, Bordeaux, is a UNESCO world heritage site and is the largest and one of the better known cities within the area. Bordeaux is most famous for its robust wines and exquisite landscape.
You can visit the stylish resort towns of Biarritz or Hossegor, famous for surfing and other water related sports and leisure activities. Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne boast lush, unspoiled scenery with green valleys, pine forests and rivers. Aquitaine not only has a beautifully exquisite countryside and sandy beaches, there are also plenty of historic sites for visitors to explore. One such tour is the underground monuments of Saint Emilion, with its monolithic church carved from the rocks and ancient rock art.
The countryside is particularly popular for cyclists as there is a dedicated scenic cycling route travelling mainly along the coast and rivers or canals. There is plenty to see and do, from viewing the incredible architecture to visiting the delightful art galleries, chateaux, medieval fortresses and ruins as well as wine tasting at one of the many vineyards.
Year-round activities are offered with plenty of traditional festivals and events, along with sporting competitions, leisure and wildlife parks, carnivals and open-air markets. Sports such as cycling, hiking, water-sports and fishing are popular pastimes within this region. The weather is pleasant with a mild winter and temperatures averaging around 27 degrees in the summertime. Local specialities include Fois Gras, truffles, Magret de Canard, Bayonne ham, Cassoulet and Agen prunes.
Getting to Aquitaine is easy, with the Bordeaux train station reached by TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse, Lille, Toulouse and even Marseille. Airports include Bordeaux, Bergerac and Biarritz.
