The Itinerary

Please note the accommodation identified here is indicative of the location and quality that we use but until but we hear from you we cannot confirm availability. So call soon.

The tour begins with a gentle ride out of Bordeaux alongside the Garonne to reach the dedicated cycle path at Latresne. This leads you away from the river to follow the verdant valley of the Pimpine through the Entre Deux Mer vineyards to reach Sadirac. The accommodation here is a former priory that has been converted to a charming guesthouse with a generous sized pool.

The following day you return to the cycle path to continue to Creon a bastide* town founded in the 13th century which retains its original defensive layout (and a chocolaterie that is perfectly positioned for a mid-morning boost). Lunchtime picnic materials picked up here can be enjoyed at La Sauve where the abbey’s tower offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The route onwards follows country lanes to your home for the night - a Maison de Campagne a short distance from Cadillac. Les Batarelles 

In the morning an early start should allow time for a stroll around Cadillac and a peek at the Duke of Epernon’s former home before setting off on a rolling road to Loupiac. This hamlet boasts the remains of a Roman villa and bath house (images of Asterix and Obelisk?) and from here it is a brief walk to St Croix de Mont with its oyster shell grottoes under the church. The view here over the Garonne valley is probably the best in the Department and  it makes an excellent picnic spot particularly as the local sweet white wine can be bought chilled from the village shop. From here it’s a swift descent to Verdelais where the artist Toulouse Lautrec is buried and onto the valley bottom to reach St Macaire and your hotel Les Feuilles d'Acanthe secure within the town walls. Don’t miss an exploration of the ramparts before supper or a dip in the hotel's plunge and whirlpool.

The following day there is a choice of routes to the tiny city of Bazas with its cathedral, water meadows and 2000 year old fortifications. Here the water meadows and gardens under the town walls offer picnic spots. Market day on Saturday is a dream for anyone who likes authentic French country produce and an exploration of the town could discover a few coins of the mysterious Bazas 'Hoard'. The 17th century Apothecary may also be open to visit.  You remount to reach your home for the night in Uzeste or Villandraut using another dedicated cycle path that winds through the Landais forest. Your home for the night is either Sous La Tonnelle http://www.souslatonnelle.fr/ at Uzeste or, in Villandraut, a carefully restored 'maison bourgeois' with a pool,  - the Villa Madeleine .

This next day is at liberty but there are several day rides available including one to Chateau Roquetaillarde. Alternatively you could take a ramble through the turpentine pines for a picnic and wildlife spotting, or for the more energetic, a canoe trip down the Ciron (you are collected downstream at Bommes so there is no uphill paddling).
 
Finally your route is down the Ciron valley and through densely packed fields of vines to the village of Sauternes. Perhaps the afternoon can include Chateaux Malle for a guided tour of this haute bourgeois mansion before taking the train from Preignac back to Bordeaux for the first of two nights in a city centre hotel.
 
The day in Bordeaux can be spent in the city but an attractive option is to ride to the station and take the train to Arcachon for a day of beaches and oysters (with or without the bikes). The journey time of 35-50 minutes allows a full day at this elegant seaside resort with its trips across the bay, beaches and stilt houses, aquarium and the highest sand dune in Europe, before returning to Bordeaux for a farewell dinner. The navette (airport bus) whisks you to the airport in approximately 30 minutes.