Holiday houses in Aquitaine & holiday apartments in Aquitaine

Holiday home vacation in Aquitaine

atraveo offers you around 2,900 holiday apartments and houses in Aquitaine a region in the south west of France. Holiday makers especially appreciate Aquitaine’s around 250 kilometre long fine sandy beach that stretches from Soulac-sur-Mer at the mouth of the Gironde to the border of Spain. Relaxed bathing and various types of water sports are high on the agenda when vacationing along France’s Atlantic coast. From cosy holiday apartments in the smaller and larger villages up to luxuriously furnished holiday houses with several bedrooms and other amenities – you can find anything you desire within the atraveo offer for Aquitaine. Behind the beaches large pinewoods and fertile landscapes lay to be discovered and many interesting cities and sights are worth a visiting. Aquitaine comprises of the coastal départements Gironde, Landes and Pyrenées-Atlantiques as well as the départements in the inland part of the country Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne.

Gironde – beautiful places and high dunes

Gironde is the most northern département of Aquitaine. Here not only the endless sandy beaches start off but you can also find interesting towns such as Arcachon renowned for its oyster cultivation. There is also Bordeaux which is not only referred for its cultural highlights but especially for its exquisite French cuisine and wine. The département got its name from the wide mouth of the Gironde which is a confluence of the smaller rivers Dordogne and Garonne and also forms the border to the northern region Poitou-Charentes. One highlight is the Great Dune of Pyla which is Europe’s highest dune with more than 100 metres and a length of around 3 kilometres. From the top of the dune you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view towards the deep blue sea and the lush green pinewoods behind the coast.

Landes – sun, beach and the sea

… as well as relaxation and recreation are the catchphrases one associates with a holiday in Landes. Here you can find the most beautiful beaches of France’s west coast which enthuse bathing guests as well as water sport enthusiast every year anew. Why don’t you attend a surfing course at a local surf school in Mimizan Plage or Biscarrosse or maybe you just prefer sunbathing on the beach. Right behind the beach stretches the Forêt des Landes, France’s largest connected woodland which was once laid out by Napoleon and today is a great place for cycling and hiking tours. Further away from the coast in the heartland is the health resort Dax which is renowned for its thermal and mud baths. Here you can treat yourself to a range of relaxing treatments meeting the highest standards.

Pyrenées-Atlantiques – bathing fun and mountain stages

In Pyreneés-Atlantiques Aquitaine’s most southern département the long sandy beaches carry on over the border to Spain. Especially around the cities and villages of Bayonne, Biarritz and Hendaye you are able to find the most beautiful beach strips. In heartland as the name of the departément already indicates the high peaks of the Pyrenees up to 2,000 metres rise above. The Pyreneés-Atlantiques is influenced by Occitanian and Basque culture and therefore differs from the rest of Aquitaine. In the heartland lies the lovely city Pau which is not only renowned for its impressive palace and its old town centre but also as a stage finish of the Tour de France as well as for its city course of annual international motor sport championships.

Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne – old castles and even older caves

The départements Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne are in the heartland of Aquitaine and border the regions Limousin and Midi-Pyrenées. Although they are not close to the ocean they offer lots of sights and leisure activities. Beside that the holiday houses are usually cheaper than those at the coast. Interesting cities such as Perigeux, the centre of the historic Perigord, and Bergerac are always worth a visit and many old castles and palaces just are just waiting to be discovered. Some of the particular highlights are the archeological sights: Numerous old dugouts with rock paintings and sculptures from the Stone Age capitivate the imagination of visitors.

Journey to a holiday house in Aquitaine

There are many ways to get to your holiday home in Aquitaine. The easiest way to get to any place and to retain a certain amount of independence is by travelling with your own car. The route leads through the regions Centre and Poitou-Charentes as well as the cities Orleans, Tours and Poitiers in direction of Aquitaine.

The French high-speed train TGV stops in Bordeaux and Pau and therefore allows for travelling by train. If you should choose this travelling option make sure your holiday home can be reached by public transport or arrange with the property owner to pick you up from the station.
A larger international airport with regular flights can be found in Bordeaux or alternatively on the other side of the border in Bilbao.

The best travelling time

... for a holiday in Aquitaine is in actual fact the whole year round. Especially areas close to the coast are characterised by mild climate which does not usually get too hot during summer or too cold during winter.

Other destinations around Aquitaine

... are the adjacent French regions Poitou-Charentes in the north, Limousin in the north east, Midi-Pyrenées in the east as well as the Spanish regions Basque country, Navarra and Aragon in the south. Next to the beaches and the great landscape also the cities of San Sebastian (cultural capital 2016), Bilbao (i.e. Guggenheim museum) and Pamplona (known for its doubtful bull runs through the old town) are worth a visit.
 

Neighbouring holiday regions Pyrenees-Atlantiques

• Gironde
• Landes
• Southern Atlantic coast
• Arcachon Bay
• Bordeaux and the surrounding area
• Coast of Aquitaine
• Côte d’Argent
• Graves
• Étang de Lacanau
• Cap Ferret