Aquitaine - A wealth of different sights, cultures and cuisine!
This huge and diverse region has a wealth of very different sights, cultures and cuisine to explore. There is plenty of variety to keep you occupied; from the rolling hills, medieval chateaus, prehistoric caves and rivers of the Dordogne, to the pine-covered sandy terrain of the Landes - the largest forest in Europe - and the endless stretch of sandy beach and dramatic sea which spans the whole Atlantic coast of this region, right down to the Pyrenees-Atlantiques. There is skiing in the pyrenees during the winter, but this remote area is also beautiful to explore in summer.
There are two separate climates in Aquitaine. The coast is mild, with the Gulf stream to keep it warm. Inland, the weather is a touch more extreme and variable, with short winters than can get very cold (lows of about -20 degrees), scorching heat-waves in summer and enough rain to keep the countryside lush and green. Generally, though, the summers in Aquitaine are reliably warm and sunny.
In all Aquitaine is an amazing land of wine, fine cuisine, cosmopolitan cities like Bordeaux and miles and miles of protected parkland ideal for the eco-tourist in you!