Page 406 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

has a superb exhibition
covering wine essentials. 3 Biarritz
Guided tours of the Biarritz is as ritzy as
town (adult/child from its name suggests. This
€8/free) and surrounding coastal town boomed as
chateaux are run by the a resort in the mid-19th
tourist office (%05 57 55 28
TRIP HIGHLIGHT 28; www.saint-emilion-tourisme. century, when regularly
2 St-Émilion com; place des Créneaux; visited by Napoléon III
and his Spanish-born
Built of soft honey- h9.30am-7.30pm Jul & Aug, wife, Eugénie. Along
coloured rock, medieval shorter hours rest of year); its rocky coastline are
St-Émilion produces reserve ahead in season. architectural hallmarks
some of the world’s finest Several tours include tast- of this golden age, and the
red wines. Visiting this ings and vineyard visits. belle-époque and art-deco
pretty town, and partak- 54 p366, p409 eras that followed.
ing in some of the tours Biarritz is all about
and activities on offer, The Drive » Leave St-Émilion its fashionable beaches,
is the easiest way to get on the D243 to Libourne, cross especially the central
under the (grape) skin of the town, then pick up the D1089 Grande Plage and Plage
signposted ‘Agen, Bergerac,
Bordeaux wine produc- Bordeaux’. Continue on the N89 Miramar. In the heat of
tion. The Maison du towards Bordeaux until you see summer you’ll find them
Vin de St-Émilion (www. signs for the A630 toll road – at packed end to end with
maisonduvinsaintemilion.com; which point sit back and hit sun-loving bathers.
ATLANTIC COAST 38 ATLANTIC TO MED
place Pierre Meyrat; h9.30am- cruise control for the remaining
12.30pm & 2-6.30pm) runs 226km to Biarritz. Count 240km 54 p357
wine-tasting classes and and about 2½ hours in all.

DETOUR:
ÎLE DE RÉ
Start: 1 La Rochelle
Bathed in the southern sun, drenched in a languid atmosphere and scattered with
villages of green-shuttered, whitewashed buildings with red Spanish-tile roofs, Île
de Ré is one of the most delightful places on the west coast of France. The island
spans just 30km from its most easterly and westerly points, and just 5km at its
widest section. But take note: the secret’s out and in high season it can be almost
impossible to move around and even harder to find a place to stay.
On the northern coast about 12km from the toll bridge that links the island
to La Rochelle is the quaint fishing port of St-Martin-de-Ré, the island’s main
town. Surrounded by 17th-century fortifications (you can stroll along most of the
ramparts) constructed by Vauban, the port town is a mesh of streets filled with craft
shops, art galleries and sea-spray ocean views.
The island’s best beaches are along the southern edge – including unofficial
naturist beaches at Rivedoux Plage and La Couarde-sur-Mer – and around the
western tip (northeast and southeast of Phare-des-Baleines). Many beaches are
bordered by dunes that have been fenced off to protect the vegetation.
From La Rochelle it’s 24km and a half-hour drive to St-Martin-de-Ré via the toll
bridge, Pont de l’Île de Ré (www.pont-ile-de-re.com; return ticket €16 mid-June to
mid-September, €8 rest of the year).

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