Breathtaking Villa With Large Outdoor TerracesN°001
Bordeaux Region, France
Private PoolSki-In/Ski-Out
From $5,814 per night
Vineyards, Atlantic surf and stone villages in France's southwest
The Bordeaux region gathers the best of France's southwest: the world's most famous wine city and its châteaux-lined Médoc and Saint-Émilion vineyards, the pine-backed Atlantic beaches running south to Hossegor, and the honeyed bastide country of Lot-et-Garonne. Renting a villa here means a private pool among vines or pines, market mornings, and a concierge to open cellar doors that stay closed to passers-by.
- Bordeaux's eighteenth-century centre, a UNESCO World Heritage cityscape on the Garonne
- Saint-Émilion's medieval lanes and vineyards, themselves UNESCO-listed
- The Dune du Pilat, Europe's tallest sand dune, above the oyster waters of Arcachon Bay
- Hossegor's world-renowned surf beaches on the Landes coast
- Vineyard and countryside villas with pools, plus concierge-arranged château tastings
Known forBordeaux wines and châteaux, Saint-Émilion's medieval village, the Dune du Pilat and Arcachon Bay, Hossegor's surf, bastide villages
Best time to visitMay to June and September to October for wine country; July and August for the coast
Nearest airportBordeaux-Mérignac (BOD); Biarritz (BIQ) is convenient for Hossegor and the southern Landes
Ideal forWine lovers, surfing families and groups combining coast, countryside and city
Beachfront Four-Bedroom Villa with Sauna and PoolN°002
Bordeaux Region, France
Private Pool
From $2,105 per night
Magnificent Contemporary Villa On The Sand DunesN°003
Bordeaux Region, France
Private PoolSea View
From $2,058 per night
Chic Setting Of The South Coast Of The LandesN°004
Bordeaux Region, France
Private Pool
From $1,762 per night
Splendid Bright Villa Near Lake HossegorN°005
Bordeaux Region, France
Private Pool
From $1,680 per night
Eco-Luxe Five-Bedroom Villa with Heated PoolN°006
Bordeaux Region, France
From $1,616 per night
11homes available
4–7bedrooms
up to 14guests
7with a pool
Events not to miss in Bordeaux Region
- July
Saint-Émilion Jazz Festival
Jazz and soul acts play amid the vines and medieval squares of Saint-Émilion over a summer weekend. Concerts, tastings and the hill town at golden hour make a heady combination.
- Late July
Fêtes de Bayonne
The southwest's biggest festival dresses Bayonne in white and red for five days of music, bull-running pageantry and Basque tradition, under an hour from Hossegor. Go for a day to feel the region at full volume.
- September
Marathon du Médoc
The world's most epicurean marathon runs through the great Médoc châteaux, with costumed runners pausing for wine and oysters en route. Even as a spectator it is a marvellous day among the vineyards.
- Autumn
Pro surfing at Hossegor
The Landes coast's autumn swells have long drawn professional surf competition to Hossegor and Seignosse's beach breaks. The season's big waves and beach crowds give the resort a world-stage buzz.
Bordeaux Region through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Vines in leaf and empty beaches
Wine country greens up, en-primeur season stirs the châteaux, and the Atlantic beaches stretch out empty for walkers and early surfers.
- Summer (June – August)
Beach season on the Landes coast
Hot days at Arcachon, Cap Ferret and Hossegor, oysters at the water's edge and long villa evenings. Book coastal houses and restaurants ahead.
- Autumn (September – November)
Harvest, big surf and golden light
The vendange fills the vineyards, the Médoc Marathon and Hossegor's pro surfing crown September, and wine tastings reach their most atmospheric.
- Winter (December – February)
Cellar visits and fireside southwest cooking
Mild, quiet months for Bordeaux's museums and restaurants, private château tastings and generous duck-and-red-wine dinners in the countryside.
The Area and Where to Stay
Bordeaux city sits at the centre, its grand limestone crescent along the Garonne an easy day out from anywhere in the region. Wine-country stays cluster north in the Médoc, among the gravel banks that produce Margaux and Pauillac, and east around Saint-Émilion's medieval hill town; villas near villages such as Lignan-de-Bordeaux, in the green Entre-deux-Mers between the rivers, keep both within reach. West lies the Atlantic: Arcachon Bay with its oyster villages and the Dune du Pilat, then the long, pine-backed Landes coast running south to Hossegor, the surf capital beside its saltwater lake. Inland to the southeast, Lot-et-Garonne's bastide country around Laplume and Lauzun offers stone manors, sunflower fields and profound quiet. Coastal villas suit beach-first summers; wine-country houses suit tasting itineraries, and our concierge arranges both.
Things to Do
Wine leads: tour and taste at châteaux across the Médoc, Saint-Émilion and Graves, many by appointment only, which is where a concierge earns its keep, and visit La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux's striking wine museum on the river. In the city, walk the Place de la Bourse and its reflecting Miroir d'eau, browse the Chartrons antiques district and cross the Garonne's great bridges. On the coast, climb the Dune du Pilat at sunset, take a boat across Arcachon Bay to the Cap Ferret peninsula, cycle the flat forest paths of the Landes and surf or bodyboard the beach breaks at Hossegor and Seignosse, with schools for every age. Inland, canoe the Dordogne and Baïse rivers, wander bastide market squares and play golf on the region's pine-fringed courses.
Food and Local Flavour
The southwest table is one of France's most generous. Bordeaux pairs its wines with entrecôte à la bordelaise, lamprey, and canelés, the city's caramelised little cakes; Arcachon Bay supplies oysters eaten feet from the water with a glass of white. The Landes add duck in all its forms, from confit to foie gras, while Lot-et-Garonne brings prunes from Agen, tomatoes from Marmande and hazelnuts. Markets are the region's heartbeat, from Bordeaux's Marché des Capucins to the Sunday squares of the bastide towns. Back at the villa, a private chef can build dinners around the morning's market and your cellar discoveries, and the concierge can secure tables at the region's starred restaurants and beloved village bistros alike.
When to Visit
May, June and September are the region's finest months: warm, luminous days in the vineyards, comfortable city sightseeing and an Atlantic that is quietly at its best in early autumn, when the surf is consistent and the crowds have gone. July and August belong to the coast, with hot beach days, lively resort evenings at Hossegor and Arcachon, and villa pools earning their keep inland, where temperatures often pass thirty degrees. The grape harvest animates wine country from mid-September into October, a wonderful time for tastings, though visits need booking ahead. Winters are mild and quiet, suited to city breaks, cellar visits and long fireside dinners in the countryside.
Getting There
Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD) is the regional hub, with direct flights from across Europe, around thirty minutes from the city and under an hour from most Médoc, Entre-deux-Mers and Saint-Émilion villas. For Hossegor and the southern Landes coast, Biarritz (BIQ) is often closer, at roughly forty-five minutes. Bordeaux's Saint-Jean station is on the high-speed line from Paris, with journeys of about two hours and a quarter, making the train a genuine alternative. A hire car is essential for wine country and the coast alike, and our concierge can arrange private transfers, drivers for château days and airport meet-and-greet.