Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Aquitaine Adventures: Coastal Bliss, Historic Treasures, and Culinary Delights in Southwest France.
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Aquitaine
Bordeaux, the capital of the region, is located in the Southeast, in the departement Gironde. This relatively peaceful city with exuberant architecture is surrounded by the famous vineyards of the Medoc, Sauternes and Saint-Emilion.
On the Arcachon basin, south of Bordeaux, you can enjoy excellent oysters.
Les Landes de Gascogne starts there: a vast, slightly hilly territory, with fragrant pine forests. It is a true paradise for those who love hiking, biking, horseback riding or canoeing and kayaking. It is also here, near Biscarosse, where the Dunes du Pilat are situated, with a large lake where sailing and waterskiing is practiced. Surfing enthusiasts especially appreciate the waves of the Atlantic coast. They are found in particular Minizan-Plage and near Biaritz in the Pyrenees Atlantiques. In Pau, capital of the French Basque country, you can visit interesting museums and taste the famous Basque cake.
Dive into the Heart of Dordogne:
The Dordogne is further inland. You can make beautiful canoe trips on the Dordogne River or the Vézère River. The department is divided into four parts: the Périgord Blanc (so named for its castles), the Black Perigord (named for the truffles to be found there), the Purple Perigord (named for the grapes) and the Périgord Vert (very wet and very green). In the Black Perigord, you can visit the Cave of Lascaux, one of the most important Palaeolithic caves. It is here, near the village of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, where the Cro-Magnon man was discovered, who for a long time was considered as the first homo sapiens.
In the Lot-et-Garonne, there are many castles as well as pigeon towers and mills. The department is known for growing plums, hazelnuts and for its many orchards where very often organic culture is practiced.