If your ideal luxury holiday in France is one that includes plenty of adventure and pulse-raising outdoor activities, a trip to the gorgeous West coast is calling your name. Featuring wild coastlines with crashing waves, dramatic and breathtaking areas of natural beauty perfect for hiking and other natural excursions, the Atlantic coast offers extraordinary experiences for more intrepid travelers in search of new challenges. From Biarritz to Arcachon in the south to St Malo in the north, read on for 5 adventurous ways to conquer the region, by sea, foot, air and more. Then get in touch with us so we can craft a bespoke itinerary that perfectly balances adrenaline and high luxury.
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France’s west coast offers plenty of opportunity for adventurous and adrenaline-filled activities that are also extraordinary. If you have a taste for both luxury and adventure, we’ll put together the perfect bespoke itinerary for you.
Prized for its surf-worthy waves and breathtaking coastline, the seaside city of Biarritz is an essential destination for any water lover seeking an adventure travel getaway in France. Situated a little over two hours from the southwestern capital city of Bordeaux, Biarritz is nestled on the Bay of Biscay, famed for its wildlife, warm climate, rugged cliffsides and natural scenery.
Year-round swells on beaches such as the Grand Plage, Miramar, Marbelle and La Milady all but guarantee that you’ll have excellent conditions for water sports , no matter what time of year you choose to visit. And whether you’re an amateur or a seasoned practitioner, Biarritz is such a hotspot for surfing, windsailing and kitesurfing that all levels will find ways to enjoy the sparkling blue waves of the Atlantic. When you embark on a private adventure tour with us, we’ll take care of everything, from securing top-quality equipment to securing lessons with expert instructors. All you’ll have to do? Ride those famous swells, enjoying the invigorating sea air and views. We can also help you find the best beaches all along the Basque coast, including at Anglet, another prized destination for surfing and other intense water sports.
The Basque Coast also offers plenty of opportunities for scuba and deep sea diving. Located right near the Spanish border in Basque Country, Hendaye is a charming maritime town especially coveted for its diving and snorkelling sites. Home to a large scuba diving school where visitors can earn their license under the instruction of expert divers or refresh their existing skills, Hendaye is located in close reach of numerous scuba sites prized for their fish, coral and other marine life. You can even visit an underground pilgrimage site called “La Stele”: here, an inscribed and decorated stone has been plunged underwater, to be discovered by those following the St Jacques de Compostelle route– or by any curious diver!
Other noteworthy sites for scuba diving in the region include St-Jean-de-Luz, Guethary and Ciboure. Whatever your current level, if you’re interested in exploring the West coast underwater we’ll stake out the most beautiful spots for dives and ensure you get the training you need to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
Brittany is a mythical French region that reserves a true sense of mystery. With its craggy shorelines, wild cliffs, breathtaking natural bays and prehistoric stone (megalith) sites, it has so much to offer the intrepid traveler and nature-lover. Sailing along the Breton coast will plunge you into a timeless and epic adventure that might just make you forget the modern era. Contending with light or strong winds, you’ll sail past surreal megalithic sites around the Morbihan gulf that have endured millennia, around rugged cliffsides and wildlife sanctuaries in the Finistere area, open to the Atlantic sea and featuring stronger winds and waves.
From the Finistere coast, you might sail to beautiful local islands such as the Ile Ouessant and the Ile de Glenan; there are also numerous megalith sites of note in the area.
Why not charter a private sailboat and master the timeless art of contending with the sea’s waves and whims? It’s guaranteed to invigorate your senses. A little luxury for a job well-done never hurt anyone, either: you might cap off your day of sailing with a sunset aperitif complete with fine wines, champagne or sea delicacies,enjoying a moment of calm and relaxation.
After some genuine adrenaline? If so, you may want to get up in the air and try your wits at paragliding or hanggliding. The mythical bluffs of Menez-Hom, overlooking the Bay of Douarnerez and Brest in Brittany, was considered a sacred spot for the prehistoric Celts who first populated the region. It also happens to be an ideal place to take to the skies. Situated 1,000 ft above sea level at its highest points, the area harbors a dedicated “free flying school” where expert instructors will get you ready to go aloft. you’l be afforded views of the bay and the ocean in the far distance.
Half-day, full day and weekend options are available. Whether this if your first time trying out these thrilling activities or your tenth, why not make it a part of your French adventure travel getaway?
Finally, France’s west coast is ideal for anyone after a rugged, challenging his, bike ride or open-air rock-climbing session.
The Breton Atlantic coast offers over 5,000 km of trails, some perfect for coastal biking and others more ideal for semi-challenging to rigorous hikes. Whether you embark on the breathtaking Roscoe-Concarneau cycle trail by bike, go brave the wind-torn bluffs along the Finistère coastline, or try mild to challenging rock climbing in places such as the Ile Ouessant and Pen-Hir Point, there’s a wealth of exciting and invigorating outdoor activities to try on this sublime coastline.
Meanwhile, venturing southward to the Aquitaine and Basque country coasts, hiking trails that are especially coveted by outdoorsmen and women include the wind-battered Biarritz coastline, the Arcachon Bay area and the gorgeous meeting point between Spanish and French Basque country to the extreme south near Hendaye. There are numerous cycling trails appropriate for different levels in all of these areas, as well. For rock-climbers, sites such as Arguibelle and Mondarrain on the Basque Coast are ideal spots for trying your hands and feet at the natural stone structures.
Interested in horse-back riding along rugged trails or beaches? This is also possible in some areas on the west coast. Whatever your dream adventure looks like, we’ll make sure it’s as extraordinary as you imagine it to be.
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