Starting with… the ocean
blue! The Atlantic runs for 250 km along the western side of Aquitaine, with
endless beaches of fine sand.
Surfers, cyclists, enthusiasts of thalassotherapy
and ornithology can all enjoy the sea air in all seasons. The MIACA (an
inter-ministerial commission for the development of the Atlantic coastline)
has protected this area since 1967.
Heading east from the ocean, you cross the immense pine forest running
from the Medoc down to the Landes and the Basque Country, covering a triangle
of land 150 km wide and 200 km long.
It is in this area that lies the Landes
de Gascogne Regional Nature Park, and in it, the Maison de la Nature of
the Bay
of Arcachon (including Le Teich Ornithological Park), the three sites of
the Ecomuseum in Marquèze, Moustey and Luxey, and a large number of nature
reserves.
Educational workshops, rides along the cycling
tracks or sailing on the natural lakes are all good ways of discovering
this area’s many riches.
Another big “green” area is the Dordogne forestland. In the north of
this département, Green Périgord is home to the Aquitaine section of the
Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park.
Here you will find a multitude of tree species, including oak, the
preferred home of the famous Périgord truffles. Prehistoric
Man probably enjoyed this delicacy 400,000 years ago…
Much further south, don your snowshoes and climb the peaks of the Pyrenees.
This is the realm of hiking, fishing and winter sports. Certain plant and
animal species often find their last refuge in the Pyrenees
National Park.
Mountains are of course the place where water starts to flow… Torrents -
ideal for fishing and white-water sports – which then become rivers and
canals. A whole network of inland waterways provide an invitation for barge
trips.
In both the Pyrenees and the Périgord area, natural
caves display the underground riches of Aquitaine.
Lastly, we should not forget the presence all over Aquitaine of parks
and gardens, both contemporary and traditional.
So many sites to discover; so many ways of visiting the beautiful region
of Aquitaine.
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