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A trip to Bordeaux: wine, beach and history

2 weeks through Bordeaux's wine region

  • Cap ferret traditional houses+ 6
  • Saint-Émilion
  • One of the finest wines : château angélus
  • A trip to Bordeaux: wine, beach and history
julien2012mj
About Me:
AtlasGuru Contributor

EuropeFrance12 days / February 2021

Highs & Lows

The famous Dune du Pyla is unique

Hotels can be quite expensive

Itinerary Overview

  • Day trip: Saint-Émilion
    Wine industry mainly
  • 12 Nights: Bordeaux
    Wines but not only, history and culture also
  • Day trip: Arcachon
    Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux
Saint-Émilion - Wine industry mainly
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Saint-Émilion Wine industry mainly

Saint-Émilion - Wine industry mainly - null
Saint-Émilion - Wine industry mainly - One of the finest wines : château angélus
One of the finest wines : château angélus
Saint-Émilion - Wine industry mainly - Wineyard with Saint Emilion in the back
Wineyard with Saint Emilion in the back

Bordeaux wine region is definitively worth it ! 

One of the most famous place is Saint Emilion where you'll find one of the best "Châteaux" that produce very expensive wine bottles (we're speaking about more than thousands euros the single bottle). 

No need to do a guided tour there, I really recommend to just walk through the wineyards (you'll find indications everywhere to help you). 

The historical center of the city is really beautiful and typical of the region, if you can afford it the main restaurants are prestigious. 

Bordeaux - Wines but not only, history and culture also
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Bordeaux Wines but not only, history and culture also

Bordeaux - Wines but not only, history and culture also - The Bourgogne door
The Bourgogne door
Bordeaux - Wines but not only, history and culture also - The Stone bridge and behind it the Catedral
The Stone bridge and behind it the Catedral
Bordeaux - Wines but not only, history and culture also - The main square
The main square

Many things to see in Bordeaux!

I really recommend first to go to the museum of the wine, where you'll be able to do (included in the entry fare) a wine tasting. The guide will go through some explanation about what to do during the tasting and will let you try 2 wines, a red and a white. 

The town center can be discovered walking through the old typical roads. Some sightseeings that you shouldn't miss : the catedral, the stone bridge, the Bourgogne door but also walking along the river during the night to see the beautiful lights. 

You can easily get to Bordeaux by train (2.30 hours of TGV from Paris) or by car or bus (6 hours also from Paris). 

 

Arcachon - Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux
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Arcachon Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux

Arcachon - Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux - Cap ferret traditional houses
Cap ferret traditional houses
Arcachon - Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux - A view at Arcachon's bay
A view at Arcachon's bay
Arcachon - Beautiful landscapes, place close to Bordeaux - Biggest dune in Europe : Dune du Pyla
Biggest dune in Europe : Dune du Pyla

Very close to Bordeaux (1 hour by car), Arcachon is a little paradise. 

I suggest to begin the visit by going to the Dune of Pyla. This is the biggest dune in Europe. To go on top of it and enjoy the incredible view you'll have to walk a bit in the sand but it's definitively worth it. Up there you'll have a view to the ocean on one side and the biggest french forêt on the other. 

I suggest to continue heading to the city of Arcachon where you'll enjoy walking near the harbour. There you can take a ferry to go to the cap ferret which is the headland on the other side of the golf. If you like oysters you'll eat the best french has to offre (with of course Bordeaux's white wine, Entre deux mer). 

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    Almost nothing
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    The canadien restaurant called Poutine is really excellent
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    I suggest to rent a car, you can take a train but you'll definitely miss something : stopping where you want is really worth it.