Towns & Villages in Bordeaux

The small village of Margaux, just north of Bordeaux, is most famously associated with the wine châteaux which produce the excellent Margaux appellation Médoc wines.

This 'spit' separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Arcachon bay and basin. Best known perhaps for its lighthouse, it's also an upmarket resort with many of France's rich and famous having holiday homes here.

Vineyards were planted around this old town in Roman times and whilst most people associate the name with the wine, the town itself is worth a visit for its ramparted old centre with interesting Romanesque churches and an incredible underground monolithic church.

The pretty town of Saint-Macaire is a good base for seeing the area around Langon. It dates back to the 1st century AD and grew as a battlement town in the first half of the last millennium.

The vineyards around this town produce some of the best wines in Bordeaux. Located on the Gironde estuary, Pauillac itself has grown up as a port town. 

On the left bank of the Garonne, 50km inland, south east from Bordeaux, Langon is perfectly located for visiting the impressive Château de Roquetaillade and sampling the Sauternes wines to the east and the Entre-Deux-Mers wines to the north.

You get a sense of this town's history as soon as you arrive, with are flags and coats of arms lining the roads that lead you to the main square.

This hilly town used to be the second largest in the region during medieval times, and it's home to the oldest town hall in France dating back to the 12th century.

As well as being a surfers paradise, Lacanau is also a golfers paradise, with three golf courses in the beautiful setting of the forest close to the sea and to the lake.

Le Porge Ocean becomes a 'local' beach for the Bordeaux summer holidayers.

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande sits on the south bank of the Dordogne river. This attractive walled bastide town still has some of its medieval houses and is a good base for visiting the surrounding Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux wine region and nearby Château de Montaigne, home of Michel de Montaigne.

Part of the Médoc's Lakes which is made up of the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans, and Hourtin.

It has the typical square layout around a central market square that is common with towns of that time and they still hold a market there on Tuesday mornings. It's a good example of a bastide town; these towns were established mainly as commercial centres, encouraged by incentives set down in a charter.

Huge amounts of the region are covered in vines, growing the grapes which produce some of Bordeaux's finest wines. across around 1,500 vineyards.

During low tide the island stretches to 16km in circumference but is a mere 5km at high tide. Known for its birds, (hence the name) and also the presence of 'Les Cabanes Tchanquées' - houses on stilts.

Part of the Médoc's Lakes which is made up of the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans, and Hourtin.

Traditionally the town of Arcachon was popular weekend retreat for those needing to escape the big city of Bordeaux. It has also been associated with a place of health and recovery where people were sent to 'take the air' and recuperate from various ailments at the turn of the 19th century.

North of Bordeaux by about 90km, this popular seaside resort is a favourite with families who want to have a break by the beach with plenty of activities to keep them happy.