Destinations
From the Atlantic vineyards of Bordeaux to the cliff-face villages of the Lot and the wild passes of the Pyrenees, the southwest rewards those who leave the motorway behind. Below are just a few highlights the southwest has to offer.
Dordogne & Périgord
The golden capital of Périgord Noir, a medieval town so well preserved it served as a film set for period dramas. Saturday market is one of the finest in southwest France, overflowing with foie gras, walnuts, truffles, and local wine.
Don't miss: The Lanterne des Morts at dusk, and the Saturday market before 10am
Dordogne & Périgord
One of France's most perfectly intact bastide towns, founded in 1284. The arcaded central square - Place des Cornières - is surrounded by stone houses unchanged for seven centuries. Quieter than Sarlat, deeper in character.
Don't miss: Thursday market in the central square, and the view from the ramparts at sunset
Dordogne & Périgord
A circular medieval village built within old fortifications, with a tangle of half-timbered houses and the remarkable Bishops' Palace. The Sunday morning market is beloved locally. Arrive early for the cheese and charcuterie.
Don't miss: Sunday market, one of the most authentic in the Dordogne
Dordogne & Périgord
The prehistoric capital of the world, set in the sheer limestone cliffs of the Vézère Valley. Home to the Musée National de la Préhistoire and the gateway to the Lascaux cave paintings and Font-de-Gaume.
Don't miss: Font-de-Gaume, one of the last caves with original polychrome paintings open to the public
Dordogne & Périgord
A hilltop bastide above the Lède valley, built on a grid plan in 1256. Its central square is framed by gothic arcades and the church of Saint-André. One of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" - quieter and less-visited than Monpazier.
Don't miss: The panoramic view over the valley from the top of the village
Dordogne & Périgord
A charming bastide on the Dropt river, with a large arcaded square and a thriving community. The Thursday market is excellent, and the surrounding countryside is some of the most peaceful in the Dordogne - ideal for a slow travel base.
Don't miss: Thursday market and the fortified medieval tower
Lot & Aveyron
Perched on a cliff 100 metres above the Lot river, consistently voted France's most beautiful village. Medieval houses cling to the rock face, their gardens tumbling towards the river below. Visit in late afternoon when the light turns the stone to gold.
Don't miss: The river view from the château ruins at golden hour
Lot & Aveyron
One of France's great pilgrimage sites - a medieval village built vertically into a cliff face above the Alzou gorge. The Black Madonna in the Chapelle Notre-Dame has drawn pilgrims for nine centuries. Arrive early or late to avoid the crowds.
Don't miss: The Grand Escalier - 216 steps climbed by pilgrims on their knees
Lot & Aveyron
The capital of the Lot department, built on a meander of the river. Famous for Cahors Malbec - one of France's oldest wine appellations. The Pont Valentré, a 14th-century fortified bridge with three towers, is the most photographed monument in the southwest.
Don't miss: Saturday market and a glass of Malbec at a riverside wine bar
Lot & Aveyron
A handsome medieval town on the Célé river, birthplace of Jean-François Champollion - the man who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics. Less visited than Cahors but equally beautiful, with sandstone mansions and a lively Saturday market.
Don't miss: The Musée Champollion and the medieval Hôtel de la Monnaie
Lot & Aveyron
A village of golden limestone on the banks of the Dordogne, where Fénelon wrote part of Télémaque. The Romanesque priory church of Saint-Pierre has one of the finest tympanums in the region. Dreamily quiet out of season.
Don't miss: The tympanum of Saint-Pierre and a canoe on the Dordogne
Bordeaux & Gironde
The wine capital of the world - and far more than that. The UNESCO-listed 18th-century waterfront, the covered Marché des Capucins, the Chartrons wine merchant quarter, and La Cité du Vin make this one of France's great cities.
Don't miss: Marché des Capucins on a Sunday morning - the city's authentic food market
Bordeaux & Gironde
A UNESCO World Heritage village perched above its Grand Cru vineyards. The monolithic church, carved from a single rock, and the underground catacombs are unlike anything else in France. The wine needs no introduction.
Don't miss: The monolithic church - carved by monks directly from the limestone cliff
Pays Basque
A working fishing port with a beautiful horseshoe bay, colourful Basque houses, and excellent seafood. Louis XIV married the Infanta of Spain here in 1660. The beach is one of the finest on the Atlantic coast.
Don't miss: Axoa de veau at a traditional Basque restaurant, and the covered market
Pays Basque
A quintessential Basque village, its white-walled houses hung with strings of drying red peppers - the famous Piment d'Espelette, the only AOC chilli pepper in France. The village is tiny, intensely beautiful, and worth every kilometre of the drive.
Don't miss: The pepper festival in late October, and the village church with painted wooden galleries
Gers & Gascony
The ancient capital of Gascony, rising from the Gers river. The Cathedral of Sainte-Marie - a UNESCO site - contains 113 extraordinary Renaissance choir stalls, considered the finest woodcarving in France. D'Artagnan was born nearby.
Don't miss: The Renaissance choir stalls in the cathedral - 5,000 figures carved from oak
Gers & Gascony
A bastide perched on a promontory above two river valleys, on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Unhurried and genuinely local - the kind of village where you'll find a boulangerie, a tabac, and little else. Perfect for a slow travel base.
Don't miss: The Wednesday market and the view from the garden of the White Penitents chapel
Pyrenees & Ariège
A former episcopal city perched above the Salat valley, with two cathedrals, a bishop's palace, and Romanesque cloisters that would not look out of place in a far larger city. Remarkably intact and almost entirely unvisited.
Don't miss: The double-storey Romanesque cloister - one of the finest in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees & Ariège
The Ariège is the least-visited département in southwest France - and one of the most beautiful. Rent a mountain gîte above 1,000 metres and wake to views of snow-capped peaks, meadows of wildflowers, and silence. Bears and griffon vultures still roam here.
Don't miss: The Grotte du Mas-d'Azil - a prehistoric cave large enough to drive through
The regions
The heartland of slow travel in France. Limestone cliffs, bastide villages, prehistoric caves, and some of the finest duck and foie gras in the world. The river Dordogne winds through it all.
Sarlat · Monpazier · Issigeac · Eymet · Monflanquin · Les Eyzies · Villeréal
Deep river gorges, medieval cliff villages, and Malbec vineyards. Less visited than the Dordogne, with the same quality of light and a more rugged, untouched feel.
Cahors · Saint-Cirq-Lapopie · Rocamadour · Figeac · Carennac · Lauzerte
World-famous wines, a magnificent 18th-century city, and the gentle rolling vineyards of Saint-Émilion and the Médoc. Often the starting point for a southwest France itinerary.
Bordeaux · Saint-Émilion · Pauillac · Blaye · Saint-Macaire
A country within a country - distinctive language, architecture, cuisine, and character. Atlantic surf, mountain villages, and a food culture that rivals anywhere in Europe.
Biarritz · Saint-Jean-de-Luz · Espelette · Bayonne · Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
The land of Armagnac, foie gras, and D'Artagnan. Rolling hills, sunflower fields, and a unhurried pace of life that defines Gascon culture. Often bypassed - always rewarding.
Auch · Condom · Lauzerte · Auvillar · Lectoure
The wild south - mountain passes, Cathar castles, prehistoric cave art, and France's least-visited département. For travellers who want to go somewhere genuinely off the map.
Saint-Lizier · Foix · Mirepoix · Montségur · Ariège gîtes
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