Leaving Royan on the Ferry to the Médoc                                                        The Royan Ferry                                                        The beach at Soulac-sur-Mer

Nearby is the le Phare (lighthouse) de Cordouan, a boat ride from the town, and on the site of the first lighthouse built there by order of the Black Prince (Edward, Prince of Wales) in 1360.  The location is where the Gironde estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean, and it has been rebuilt several times, always by orders from monarchs, and thus known as "The Lighthouse of Kings".   It is also the only offshore lighthouse still open to the public, has been a listed Monument Historique since 1862 and has submitted its application to UNESCO to become a World Heritage Site.  Another claim to fame for le Phare is its resident lighthouse keepers  ~ a rare occupation these days ~ four of them working two-week shifts.   If you can manage the 290 steps to the top, the view you will enjoy will be worth the climb, and the lighthouse itself is very attractive with classical architectural details both inside and out..  If you decide to visit, waterproof footwear is strongly suggested.  The boats that ply the six miles from Royan to the lighthouse are operated by Royan Croisières at 05.46.06.42.36.  The official web site also offers a video you may enjoy.

AQUITAINE

The three coastal départements of the regional formerly known as Aquitaine are the Gironde, the Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques from north to south.  The Gironde, named for the river of the same name, includes the Médoc with its famous, world-renowned wine producers both on the peninsula and east of Bordeaux.  The Landes is where you will find the largest forest in Europe, much of which is also in the Gironde, as well as Arcachon and the largest European sand dune, the Dune du Pilat.  The Pyrénées-Atlantiques département has a shorter coastline and includes the cities of Bayonne, Biarritz and St-Jean de Luz.  This is Basque country where you will find traditional food and may often hear the Euskara language ~ one of the oldest languages in Europe.

Arcachon is a very relaxing place for vacationers.  With a quality aquarium depicting local sea life and a museum dedicated to wildlife on the floor above, as well as a museum devoted to boats and ships of all description, one understands the importance of the Atlantic to this small city.  Four and a half miles to the south is the Dune du Pilat, a famous and enormous sand dune -- the highest in Europe -- standing at 374 feet ~ about 114 meters [photo right].  This dune measures 500 meters (1500 feet) wide from east to west and 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) from north to south.  It is known as a 'foredune' as it is parallel to the coastline, and it has been moving landward pushing the forest back covering houses, roads and parts of the Atlantic Wall.  It was damaged in January of 2009 by winds that reached a speed of 175 miles per hour.

That aforementioned pine forest around Arcachon blankets this amazing coastal region is the Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne,  reaching from the edges of Bordeaux to Biarritz and for miles and miles inland -- a region 'naturally rich, but nonetheless fragile" according to its web site.

Be sure to visit Bordeaux, a fine and pleasant city with great parks, shopping, museums (see the spectacular new museum of wine) and the center of France's most prolific wine-producing area.  Surrounded by vineyards producing such renowned wines as Pauillac, Côte de Blaye, Côte de Bourg, St-Emilion, Sauternes and Pomerol among dozens of others, and the famed wine estates of Margaux and Mouton Rothschild, Bordeaux is ideally located for those who wish to visit wineries or bike through the vineyards of the Médoc Peninsula.  The annual Médoc Marathon is held on the peninsula, and VINEXPO is the largest wine gathering in France each June.

There are many small resort towns on the Atlantic Coast south of Bordeaux such as Biscarrosse-Plage,  Mimizan Plage, Hossegor and Capbreton. 

Mimizan Plage is one of our favorites offers many small hotels, a variety of restaurants ~ many on the boardwalk at the beach ~ shops and a beachfront plaza with a stage where a band performed one balmy weekend night.  Surfing is popular all along this coast as far south as the border with Spain; this photo shows a gathering of members of a youth surf club and a very rough surf!

Biarritz became a holiday resort in the late 19th century due to Napoléon III and the Empress Eugénie.  The neoclassical Villa Eugénie, the summer palace Napoléon built for his Empress, is now the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz and is called "La Grande Dame of the Gascony Coast".  With Eugénie in residence quite often in Biarritz, Europe's society came in droves to the city.  Villas of great elegance were built all along the seaside, and the rich and famous found Biarritz (as they do today) to be a delightful holiday destination. 

Along the coast and across from the beach in Biarritz are many houses adorned with trompe l'oeil scenes such as this one at the left depicting a man standing on his balcony.  These are so well done that one has to stop and look more than once to figure out if it is real!

Down the coast toward Spain is St-Jean-de-Luz, a seaside town with unique charm and, once again, fine large sandy beaches.  Much newer than Biarritz as a resort, St-Jean-de-Luz was, however, an ancient fishing port.   Its history explains why the city looks fairly new -- the great fire of 1558 caused by attacking Spaniards left but one original house standing.  If you are staying in Biarritz, and to avoid parking problems in St Jean de Luz, you can take a bus from many stops along the beachfront road, and you will arrive in St Jean de Luz in about an hour to an hour and a half depending on the departure bus stop.  They start their southern trip from 7:30 to 9:00 AM, once again depending upon the pickup location, and return buses leave St Jean de Luz up to 8 or 10 PM. 

Called the most Basque town north of the Spanish border, St-Jean-de-Luz is bustling with activity, has an excellent port district and such attractions as Maison Louis XIV after the King who married Maria Theresa of Spain here June 9, 1660.  There are two churches, Église St-Vincent built in the 16th century and Église St-Jean-Baptiste, the most noteworthy Basque church in France, founded in the 15th century and the site of Louis XIV's marriage and the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrénées three days before the wedding.

Nearly at the Spanish border, we have covered some six hundred kilometers -- about 375 miles -- to experience the salt air, seaside villages and towns, fresh caught seafood and wide reaches of sandy beaches receiving the warm breaking surf of the Gulf Stream.   This is Atlantic France.  We hope you have enjoyed this sojourn and that you will make a point to discover many of these destinations one day soon on your own!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Where to stay:  Château Meyre on the Médoc peninsula offers quality bed and breakfast
accommodation, a swimming pool, its own vineyard and wine tasting room, and will schedule
 visits to some of the most prestigious wine producers in the region. 

Château la Roque de Bas just east of Bordeaux is a 5-bedroom weekly rental near the
Pomerol, Fronsac and St-Emilion wine producing region, and offers a swimming pool and
tennis court along with other amenities.

Both of the above are perfectly located for those interested in visiting VINEXPO,
June 18 - 21 in Bordeaux, or participating in the Médoc Marathon
(the world's longest and perhaps most unusual marathon) on September 9th this year.

But, you should book very soon!

[Maps courtesy of Wikipedia.]