Camping in Aquitaine, southwest France
The Aquitaine region of France covers the south western coast from Soulac in the north which is at the mouth of the river Gironde, down past Biarritz and St Jean de Luz in the Cote Basque and the coastal border with Spain, though the first bit of the area you see when travelling by road is when you get to Bordeaux. Of course, there is far more to Aquitaine than the coastal regions but for the purposes of this site we are only interested in the major camping areas which are mostly near to the coast.
Please take a look at our map of the Aquitaine region
As we have covered most if not all of the popular camping destinations in Aquitaine, the Bordeaux area, Lacanau, Soulac, Biarritz, St Jean de Luz, Arcachon, Messanges, Biscarrosse etc etc this page is really just about the region and what it has to offer the holidaymaker, the surfing, gastronomy and a little about the history of the region further down the page.
One of the things it has to offer of course is the weather, though the further south you go the more rainfall you may experience (in moderation) because of the Pyrenees. You will notice that the countryside is all green and lush, something which makes it an excellent farming and wine growing area.
Don't be put off taking a holiday there just because we mention rainfall - that doesn't mean that it buckets down for days on end as we know it in the UK - it merely means that you will experience beautiful weather with the possibility of rain sometimes, at any time of the year.
Surfing
If you are a surfer then Aquitaine is the place for you, and especially so the further south you go. The area around St Jean de Luz is world famous for surfing and you won't find anything to match it in the rest of Europe.
Just a tad north of St J de Luz you will find 5 metre surf (roughly 16 feet), and this should satisfy most surfers, but we really think even this is too much for the rank amateur, so we suggest body surfing for them instead.
One of the best beaches in Europe for the experienced surfer is just off St J de Luz where the surf can regularly be 12 metres (approx 39 feet), and this is most certainly not for the amateur in our opinion.
Added to that, you will periodically find huge waves which are generated about 2 km out to sea, and these can be 60 footers! Great to look at but a tad too high for someone my age! It must be a wonderful sensation to ride a wave like that but to a fit and only averagely good surfer like myself aged nearly 63 it would be rather daunting. Ah well, maybe next time around eh?
Gastronomy
Depending on your palate then probably the best wines in France, if not the world, are produced in this area. A trip to the Bordeaux region is one of life's great cultural and gastronomic experiences, gastronomy, culture, all rolled into a cholestorol filled, calorie-rich, unforgettable culinary moment.
And all that is without the wine! Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Emilion, Sauterne are just a few kilometres from each other and lesser-known regional wines include great finds, such as Monbazillac, Jurançon, Bergerac, Entre-Deux Mers, Cahors, and Madiran. In fact, the whole region is a vintner's and wine drinker's paradise.
The south west, which includes Aquitaine of course, is a huge producer of Foie Gras. Duck confit and its Blonde d'Aquitaine is one of the finest beef meats available anywhere, and then there is also Bayonne ham and the Poulet Landais. In addition you should not miss the oysters produced in Arcachon, and once tasted, never forgotten, but always yearned for.
And what about Aquitaine asperagus which is a must for asperagus-lovers worldwide, or Pruneaux d'Agen which are the best dried prunes on the planet and black truffle, another best which gourmets believe is the ultimate finest mushroom possible.
A brief history of Aquitaine
Aquitaine has had a long and pleasant relationship with England, though there were wars during that time of course. Unfortunately we are unable to delve too deeply into the intriguing history of the region and it's complications so we have provided an abridged version for your enjoyment.
In 1137, the last Duke of Aquitaine died and his daughter Eleanor married Louis the Young, future King of France. Shortly after the annulment of their marriage in1152, she married Henry Plantagenet, the future King of England, making Aquitaine firmly attached to the English crown.
It should be known that the long English domination of roughly 300 years brought with it neither misery, nor oppression. On the contrary the kings of England granted autonomy and introduced liberal charters to the communes. The links where very close between Aquitaine and the English crown. Trade flourished between the ports of western France, Bordeaux and English ports such as Bristol and Southhampton.
After the French capture of Bordeaux in 1451, the Hundred Years' War appeared to be at an end, but after three hundred years of English rule, the citizens of Bordeaux considered themselves to be English and they sent messengers to Henry V1 of England demanding that he recapture the province. On October 17th, 1452, John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, landed near Bordeaux with a force of 3,000 men-at-arms and archers. The citizens of Bordeaux, who then gleefully opened the gates to the English, ejected the French garrison. Most of Gascony followed Bordeaux's example and welcomed the English home.
| 
