Aquitaine, home of the good life

A warm welcome awaits you in Nouvelle Aquitaine !

The south west of France is rich in regional specialties, and food lovers will be spoilt for choice at our tables.

And history enthusiasts will love the city of Bordeaux (at 60 km from La Jenny), with its UNESCO World Heritage listed architecture.

Less than 20 minutes away from La Jenny reserve, the great Bay of Archacon (Bassin d’Arcachon) with its famous cabins on stilts never fails to charm visitors.

For those prepared to travel a little further afield, Périgord to the north and the Basque Country to the south are waiting to be explored.

See you soon!

A day out in the Bay of Arcachon

Watched over by the enormous Pilat sand dune (la Dune du Pilat), the Bay of Arcachon is like another world.

Within the bay you will find cabins on stilts, an island dominated by bird colonies, Arcachon’s famous oyster farms and the great Arguin sand bank.

A boat trip around the Bay makes for an unforgettable day out. Stop off in the of Arcachon town to admire the Winter villas. From there you can walk to the protected saltmarshes of the Teich ornithological reserve.

Or even take a bike ride to the charming little villages of the Cap-Ferret peninsula, and taste oysters fresh from the boat.

World famous cuisine

In the restaurant of a top chef, on the terrace of a brasserie, or simply wandering through the local markets, discover and savour the rich diversity of Aquitaine’s regional produce.

To be enjoyed without moderation!

The Gironde

The Gironde department has maintained its rich natural heritage: endless sandy beaches, internationally-renowned vineyards, huge pine forests.

The entire coastline of the Gironde is made up of one long sandy beach, the biggest in Europe. A beautiful coastline on which to enjoy the ocean and its pleasures.

The Gironde estuary is the biggest in Europe and offers a great diversity of landscapes, packed with treasures of culture, cuisine and wine.

Bordeaux, capital of Nouvelle Aquitaine, is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stroll along the river and appreciate the eighteenth-century facades which line the quays. Start at the beautiful Port de la Lune and explore the city’s wealth of historic monuments: the Grand Théâtre, Place de la Bourse, the Cathedral…

Then lose yourself in the old quarters of St Michel and St Pierre, and make the most of the city’s countless restaurants.

A stunning medieval town situated in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards, Saint-Emilion is unique. The quality of its wines, the splendour of its architecture and monuments and the sweet smell of the local macarons make this a great place to visit. Admire the spectacular views from the rocky promontory and discover all the town’s secrets and history.

This town is home to one of the greatest and most world-renowned French wine areas. Its numerous terroirs and wide range of grape varieties will leave your pallet fulfilled with an array of sensory delights.

The Graves region is located to the south of the Médoc area, on the left bank of the Garonne and stretches all the way down to Langon through the wine areas of Cérons, Barsac and Sauternes.

The vast Landes forest protects the vineyardsfrom the Atlantic winds, giving this region a temperate climate.

This “middle land”, located between the Atlantic ocean and the Gironde estuary, offers a succession of gravelly hills known as “brows” (made up of a mixture of pebbles, sand and gravel) that overlook the estuary. The Médoc is a triangular peninsula, with the vineyards occupying the western part, 80km along the Gironde with a width of about 10km.

The 45th parallel passes through the region, giving the area a moderately warm and humid climate with plenty of sun and rather mild winters. The Médoc enjoys an exceptional micro-climate and sandy soil with very little limestone, lying on a hard, compact and impermeable sub soil, which is perfect for the vineyards.