Walking trips around Bordeaux
Walking holidays in Bordeaux region will seduce the walkers! Many hiking trails lead through the vineyards, the castles, along the paths of Santiago de Compostela and along the Gironde estuary. Come and walk around Bordeaux and enjoy at your own pace the cultural richness of the region. Discover all our walking tour in France here
From Sauternes to Soulac sur Mer, and From Blaye to Bordeaux, the Gironde area extends over 200 km between ocean, estuary, vineyards… it offers a diversity of landscapes like pine forest, moors, marshes and sandy beaches. Pauillac, halfway between Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave is the undisputed capital of the Medoc wine region, with its 18 Grands Crus (Great Growths of 1855) including the famous Châteaux Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Longueville, Lynch-Bages, Pontet Canet… It is a small town that, since ancient times, sailors and winemakers has built on the edge of the estuary of the Gironde. Throughout the eighteenth century façade of golden stones, over a kilometer of quayside, you’ll find restaurants, hotels, shops… Everyone can stroll, take a walk on wooden walkways along the water, take a break on the marina. When speaking of mythical road we immediately think of “Route 66”. Well the Médoc also has his “Château’s Road”. From Bordeaux, to get to Pauillac, you must take the D2 road. Over more than 50 km, the names of the wine villages succeed each other: Margaux, Beychevelle Saint Julien, Bages, Pauillac, Saint Estèphe … and you can count hundreds of wine Chateaux. Médoc is the first area for red wines production in Bordeaux wine region, you can ask for a guided tour in a chateau and you’ll do a tasting of red wines and you’ll learn all about winemaking, winemakers, Grands Crus, french wine regions, appellations, French wines, grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot or Merlot! You may also simply admire the facades of dozens of Chateaux, which architecture often nineteenth century’s, ranges from neoclassical to baroque through Mary Tudor style or even of an oriental palace… Sauternes, the golden wine with a subtle robe, owes its sweet taste to nature… It was in 1855 that Napoleon III requested that the various wines of France be classified for the World Fair in Paris. Only 27 châteaux were classified in the Sauternes and Barsac appellation, and were divided into three categories. A historical moment for the reputation of Sauternes! On your walking tour from St-Emilion to Sauternes, make sure you visit to the prestigious Château d’Yquem,the only Premier Cru Supérieur in Bordeaux. This iconic fortress on the top of a hill overlooking the whole Sauternes Barsac appellation, produces its wines over some one hundred hectares. You can visit the estate, discover its underground cellars and taste this outstanding grand cru in a magnificent setting! Prepare your visit in advance, the Château d’Yquem is very popular and well worth it! Saint-Emilion is a charming medieval village located in the heart of the famous Bordeaux wine area. It is a very unique site were world-famous wineries, fine wine, beautiful architecture and great monuments are a perfect match. The legend tells us about a monk from Brittany, to seek refuge in one of the natural caves in a place called Ascum bas (former name of the village) in the 8th century. His name was Emilion. Living the life of a hermit he accomplished a few miracles and rapidly became famous in the region and even far beyond its borders. Even after his death his followers carried on his legacy and even called the town after him: Saint-Emilion. In 1999 for the first time in the world a vineyard was written on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO as a Cultural Landscape, that is to say a historical landscape that remained intact but which is still carrying on its activity. A major work by the famous military engineer Vauban, the Bolt of the Estuary is located on either side of the Gironde to protect Bordeaux from foreign naval attacks. It consists of three fortifications: the Citadel of Blaye on the right bank, Fort Pâté on an island in the middle, and Fort Médoc on the left bank. The Bolt of the estuary has been a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, along with the 11 other fortresses making up the major Vauban sites. Formed by the meeting of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, the Gironde flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest estuary in Europe. This unique natural milieu includes an archipelago of nine islands. Some of these are accessible during the tourist season on cruises leaving from Blaye. There are numerous bird species. Located between the estuary and the monuments of Blaye, the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux appellation produces high-quality red and white wines. Blaye winegrowers are very enthusiastic about their profession, and are glad to welcome visitors to their family-owned estates. Two walking tours through the famous Bordeaux vineyards. Walking holidays in Saint-emilion, Entre-deux-Mers, Sauternes and Medoc vines… Enjoy daily walks, wines and dinners ! You want to know more about our Walking tour ? Here is the FAQ ! Traveling by bike in freedom or hiking by bike in freedom through a specialized travel agency, it is to evolve as close as possible to the surrounding landscapes and the local culture. The choice of small peaceful roads, country paths, bike roads or other trails, coupled with the apparent slowness of progress immerses each of us in an incomparable proximity to nature. This suddenly makes contact and meetings obvious and allows you to cross and discover authentic places, territories and settings that we would have ignored in normal times. The silent nature of these modes of travel provides finally, the immense happiness of being able to surprise wild life… or at least animal life at any time! Embarking on a cycling holiday or a trip on foot is also to relearn to appreciate the simple things , savor the breaks at the option of the multiple invitations of the course and the well-deserved comfortable evenings after the effort of the day, even when measured! Do you need to remember that cycling and walking at on foot are means of transport which naturally preserve the environment in which we operate. Tasting a holiday by bike or on foot is undoubtedly rushing back! Because we are local and work with locals. We do our best to share with you our meetings with our partners, true representatives of local charm. We are thus surrounded by local actors and producers, small businesses, warm family structures, all in love with their region, its heritage and its culture and all eager to share their passion. We have thus woven for almost 18 years a reliable and stable network of partners. With accommodation providers, restaurateurs, bike rental companies, animators, guides, carriers and other loyal operators, we work together in a common concern for quality of service. Over the years, a relationship that is more friendly than commercial has developed with most of the people involved in our travels. This translates into increased availability and responsiveness, adapted and personalized services, all in a serene and lasting working relationship. And naturally, you are the first beneficiaries! The following testimony from one of our clients was overwhelming. “… It was very obvious to us that you had planned the bike trip like a real cyclist would, because the route was very scenic and peaceful. Your choice of accommodation couldn’t have been better – you obviously have a great rapport (they all talked a lot about you) with these hotels and guesthouses as we were treated very well wherever you made arrangements . We met other riders along the way who had brought in other travel agencies, and our impression was that Evazio clearly had a more personal experience of the whole tour we did… ” Because we personally study, locate and test our cycling and hiking tours. The criteria are the difficulty of the route, the length of the stages, the historical, cultural and natural points of interest, all by taking pleasant small roads with little traffic or cycle paths, paths or footpath. Finally, the route by bike or on foot must of course include accommodation with all the necessary service and comfort, in addition charming and well located! The expansion of cycling in recent years has seen the development of many “bike routes”, greenways and rolling and secure cycle lanes. Some sections are interesting, but others less! Also, we advise you on these bike tours by bringing you, if necessary, alternatives targeted more on the cultural aspect, the natural resources. “… the five days we spent on the cycling holidays were absolutely the highlight of the trip. What made it particularly appreciable was the effort you put in to make the whole course run on such calm roads. It was a pleasure and far exceeded our expectations in this regard… ” For further cycling and hiking trips, we collaborate with local expert operators working in the same mindset. No one can be an expert everywhere and for everything. Also, no need to compete unnecessarily. On the other hand, a close collaboration with each one guarantees the desired quality of service. And of course, you are the first beneficiaries! Our cycling trips or our hiking tours are presented with, among other things: a number of nights, a daily distance, a level of accommodation comfort. Naturally and as far as possible , these stays are customizable. On request, we can adapt the formula by adding extra nights, rest days, changing the range of accommodation etc. On all our itinerant trips, whether by bike or on foot, we take care of transporting your luggage at each change of accommodation. Your luggage, previously labeled, is collected at your departure accommodation in the morning and dropped off at the arrival accommodation in the late afternoon.Pauillac, Medoc vineyard’s capital and gateway to the estuary
The Chateaux’s road
Uncover the secrets of Sauternes
Saint Emilion, Medieval village
Blaye, Vauban’s bolt and the Gironde estuary
The Gironde estuary
The Blaye vineyards
FAQ
Joel Smith and Kathy Keehan
Alyson and Mark Hay