Domaine de Larchey, Martillac

Chef Nicolas Masse offers in this restaurant a combination of traditional French cuisine, made with fresh seasonal ingredients from the southwest sourced from local producers, with unusual influences from all around the world. His creations can be paired with a large selection of wines, by the counsel of head sommelier Aurélien Farouil.

A small, peaceful and tranquil beach that is situated at the entrance to the marina and is the most sheltered of all the beaches around Arcachon due to its location within the basin.

An 800m strip of white sand situated between the Theirs and Eyrac piers this beach is very much in the Arcachon basin and sheltered from the strong Altlantic winds on the coast.

This is by far the largest and better known of the Arcachon beaches, stretching some 3km in length with wonderful views over to the chic town of Cap-Ferret and the peninsula beaches.

A wide walkway and promenade borders this beautiful beach. There are numerous things to do including games for children, surfing, beach volleyball and of course it's a great setting near the doors to the Atlantic ocean.

This area offers great views further down the west coast to the nature reserve of banc d'Arguin and the Great Dune of Pyla.

Belonging to the coastal dunes of Aquitaine, it's a single dune that is always moving and is in fact the tallest sand dune in Europe.

This château dates back to the 14th century when it was remodelled in a Renaissance style. In 1689 it was the birthplace of the philosopher Charles Louis de Montesquieu.

The existing Roman Catholic church was built in the late 11th and early 12th century in a Romanesque style. However, it is thought that the original Benedictine church was built at the request of Clovis, the Merovingian King in the 5th century.

Imposing on the Place Canteloupe in Bordeaux, this Gothic church took over 200 years to construct from the 14th to the 16th century.

This excellent museum recounts the history of Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region from prehistoric times through to the 20th century.

Crossing the Garonne river, the Pont de Pierre or "stone bridge" was the first to span this expanse of river in Bordeaux.

This medieval city gate commemorates the French victory in the battle of Fornovo in Italy.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.