Les Feuilles d'Acanthe, Saint Macaire

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.

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

Constructed between the 12th and 15th centuries this church was built with a dual purpose of being a priory and as well as a place of worship.

The beautiful estate and house of the domain Malagar inspired many pages of writing in some of Mauriac's most famous novels; Flesh and Blood, Destinies and The Knot of Vipers.

The name comes from this churches location, It is situated between the banks of the river Garonne and the rue de Saint-Gervias.

The tomb of this important and colourful painter is located in the cemetery of the Baroque church in Verdelais.

'Roquetaillade', meaning carved out of rock, references the troglodyte caves underneath the castle.

Known as the Abbaye de La Réole and the Prieuré des Bénédictines, it was abandoned by the monks in 1790 and today houses the administrative services of La Réole.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.