Nouvelle-Aquitaine
in France

The Basque country is a truly magical place, so it's no wonder that people have been flocking to Biarritz for years. Between the surfing swells and nose-dip dives along the coastline, revel in the Biarritz buzz. Here, a laid-back attitude rules the roost. If you have an extra day or two, zip down the coastline to the quaint whaling ports, fishing villages and charming town.

For a long time Bordeaux was better known for what it produced than for what it was like to be in. That has changed considerably. The city along the Garonne has been rebuilt into one of the most handsome in France: the limestone quays, the miroir d'eau reflecting the Place de la Bourse in a sheet of water so thin it seems architectural, the Saint-Pierre quarter with its wine bars and restaurants doing serious things with the local cèpes and duck. The wine estates of the Médoc, Saint-Émilion, and Pomerol are all within an hour by car and range from grand châteaux that have been receiving visitors for centuries to small family domaines that pour their best bottles at a table in the kitchen. Two hours from Paris by train, Bordeaux has quietly become one of the most rewarding short breaks available from the capital.

If Bordeaux feels too polished and Provence too busy, Charente quietly gets on with being one of France's best-kept secrets. Come for the Cognac, stay for the château-filled countryside, sleepy villages, and gloriously slow art de vivre.

Pine forests, a glassy lake, and then the Atlantic crashing in from the other side. Hossegor has long been the surf capital of Europe, and it wears that title with a certain effortless cool. The waves here are genuinely serious, but you do not need to surf to fall for the place. The food is excellent, the pace is slow, and the light in the late afternoon is the sort that makes you want to stay another week. Come in summer for the buzz, September for the waves and a little more breathing room.