Aquitaine took its name from the Romans who described this region of many rivers as Aquitana. It is bounded in the north by the Gironde River and follows the wild Atlantic coast down to the Spanish border and the Pyrenees Mountains. It reaches east as far as the Dordogne. 
Aquitaine is an important wine and agricultural region with Bordeaux being one of the most important wine areas in the world. Its generous climate and wide fertile river valleys are perfect for growing crops of all varieties. Agen is at the centre major fruit growing region. They produce more kiwi fruit than New Zealand and is the prune capital of the world. 
Aquitaine has the enormous Landes Forest that backs the Atlantic Coast. Originally planted under Napoleon’s reign to arrest the encroaching dunes the Landes Forest is one of the least populated regions of Europe making it a peaceful holiday destination. The Aquitaine coast is also basically the only part of Europe with reliable surf and Australian companies like Billabong have clothing factories in the area. Biarritz and Hossegor are on the world pro surfing circuit. Aquitaine also contains a section of the Pyrenees mountain chain including a couple of ski resorts. 
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The Dordogne is one of the best preserved heritage areas of Europe and is dotted with ancient villages (bastides) and crusader castles. It also has the Lascaux Caves featuring prehistoric paintings suggesting it is one of the longest continually inhabited areas of Europe. Dax in the Landes departement is an ancient Roman spa town that functions to this day as a thermal resort. It also has a touch of Spain about it with a large bullfighting arena in the centre of town that sees a lot of use around July and August. 
The ethnically distinct Basque people occupy the Pyrennes-Atlantiques department especially Bayonne, Biarritz, Hendaye and across the border into Spain. Aquitaine is a wonderful region of France offering a variety of experiences to visitors and providing the locals with a lifestyle that is hard to beat. Wine, food and rugby are strong themes that unite the region and give it much of its character. 
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Aquitaine Quick Facts Population: 3,170,000 Departments: Dordogne (24), Gironde (33), Landes (40), Lot-et-Garonne (47) and Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) Major Centres: Bordeaux, Pau, Bayonne-Biarritz, Dax, Agen, Mont-de-Marsan, Bergerac and Perigeux What to do and see: Spa experience- Dax, Hossegor, Salies de Bearn Pyrenees skiing, hiking, mountain biking Surf beaches Wine trails in Gironde and Dordogne Canoeing or cycling in the Dordogne Rugby Union - Dax, Bordeaux, Agen, Biarritz, Bayonne, Pau What to Eat: Fois gras, truffles, salade Landaise, confit de canard (duck), jambon de Bayonne, tapas What to Drink: Armangac, Bordeaux, Bergerac, Sauternes, Basque cider and liqueurs Events: Dax Feria Fetes de Bayonne Quicksliver Surf Pro Hossegor Airport: Bordeaux, Bergerac, Biarritz, Pau Aquitaine Official Tourism Site Wikipedia on Aquitaine Alternative Aquitatine |
