Camping Holidays in Aquitaine, France

An introduction to Aquitaine

Aquitaine in France's south west corner has many colourful faces: from the castles and cathedrals of medieval Musqueteers to the beautiful Bayonne in the heart of the Pays Basque. Then, of course, there's the laid-back modern beach chic of France's surfing mecca Biarritz. Or to slow the pace down a bit, there are the sleepy lanes and velvet vineyards of Bordeaux.

All in all, Aquitaine is one France's most diverse and lively south west locations and perfect to explore on an Al Fresco mobile home holiday. We've a couple of family holiday parks in Aquitaine, Le Vieux Port at Messanges and a fabulous new holiday park, Yelloh! Village Le Sylvamar at Labenne Ocean. Fly-drive holidaymakers will find the region well served with airports at Biarritz, Pau and Bordeaux.

What to eat and drink in Aquitaine

Duck is a big part of south west cuisine, either in magret steak form (often laced with delicious pepper sauce) or the melt in the mouth pan-fried confit.

Gizzards, green beans and magret are the staples of a hearty salade landaise but save space for Bayonne ham, chicken basquaise and also the celebrated cassoulet, a typical dish of Aquitaine made with white beans, bangers, duck, pork (well pretty much anything goes).

Of course, Bordeaux is a must visit for wine lovers and the claret's deserved fame is world wide: Pomerol, Graves, Saint- Emilion and Médoc are just some of the better known bottles and if the bonus ball has come up, look out for the Mouton Rothschild label.

What to see and do in Aquitaine

Bayonne: the regional capital of le Pays Basque in France with its cobbled streets, impressive cathedral and even chocolate covered chillies!

Biarritz: tons of surfing beaches, the beach in front of Le Vieux Port campsite has a number of breaks appealing to both beginners and more experienced surfers. A famous casino and lively, chic shopping streets, oh and don't miss the sunset from the San Martin lighthouse.

San Sebastian: it's a little bit different just over the border but with the same Basque 'joie de vivre' echoing all around the port and in the tapas bars of the old town.

Bordeaux: the world famous home of what we Brits call `Claret', the flavours of the Gironde capital include the maison du vin and lively port area.

Hossegor: The über cool home of some of the best waves in Europe. With surf shacks and hip bars and even Quicksilver and Ripcurl outlets; this is seriously where the surf action and all the coolest dudes hang out. Perfect for fun filled holidays in Aquitaine

What's the weather like in Aquitaine?