Head for ports such as Capbreton or La Rochelle for a day out in a boat, or try some surf-casting along the coast. For freshwater fish, Lac Hourtin-Carcans is a huge freshwater lake  that's perfect for fishing pike, perch and zanders (you’ll need a fishing permit, available in Carcans).

You’ll find 8 golf clubs and courses near Bordeaux, with several offering lessons for beginners, as well as driving ranges where you can practise your shots. The Golf du Medoc Resort's Chateaux course has been voted in best course in France in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 by the World Golf Awards.

Most of the region is fairly low lying, which make it the perfect family cycling destination. Around 225km of cycle paths surround the Arcachon Basin alone, and there’s another 160km on the Île d’ Oléron. For serious cyclists there is the 480km long Tour de Gironde, but you don’t have to go all the way!

The coastline is perfect for watersports of every kind, while the Arcachon Basin is a popular location for windsurfing, sea kayaking and kitesurfing. Lac de Biscarrosse on the southern border of the Gironde, is arguably the best place in Europe for kite-surfing, with a dedicated area at the northern end of the lake.