Leisure activities
Tourist attractions
Château La Gontrie is situated in the heart of the wine appellation of : Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Garonne river.
The area has a very large offer of tourist attractions and leisure activities. The town of Bordeaux which is situated 20 minutes drive from the property has been classed World Heritage by the Unesco. Many guided visits to the city in english are organised by Bordeaux’s tourist office and also wine tastings and wine tours to the different wine areas.
Wine
Bordeaux area which is one of the main wine production areas in France includes :
Pomerol (40 minutes), Saint Emillion ( 40 minutes), Sauternes (45 minutes), Graves ( 25 minutes), Pessac-Léognan ( 30 minutes), Médoc (1 hour and 20 minutes)…etc
offers a number of visits directly through the tourist office, or the wine unions. If you do want to visit a specific Chateau, it is best to get an appointment with the Chateau directly (especially if it’s famous) to be sure iyou can visit it during your stay.
Different wine appellations also organize over the year special week-ends called : ‘Week-end Porte Ouvertes’. You can visit the cellar and sample the wine for free in the Châteaux who take part in the event. To have the full list of the participants it’s best to e-mail directly the wine union who will be happy to transfer the list to you. Please find below the calendar :
|
dates |
Evénements viticoles |
|
Portes ouvertes du Médoc |
|
Portes ouvertes Cadillac |
|
Portes ouvertes Saint Emillion |
|
Portes ouvertes Côtes de Bourg |
|
Week-end des Grands Crus |
|
Portes Ouvertes Première Côtes de Cadillac |
|
Bordeaux Fête le Vin |
|
Portes Ouvertes Graves de Vayres |
|
Portes Ouvertes Graves et Graves Supérieur |
|
Portes Ouvertes Fronsac et Canon Fronsac |
|
Portes Ouvertes Sauterrnes- Barsac |
|
Portes Ouvertes Loupiac |
|
Portes Ouvertes Pessac Léognan |
|
Portes Ouvertes Sainte Croix du Mont |
Historical sightseeing
If you a lover of medieval villages we do recommend the visit of the village of Saint Macaire, village of Saint Emillion
If you want to visit the old stone castles of the area we recommend : Château de la Roquetaillade, Château de la Brède ( Montesquieu), Château de Cazeneuve.
Ocean
You are only 1 hours drive from ocean beaches such as : Lacanau or le Grand Crohot at the beginning of Cap Ferret’s peninsula. You can have a look on on our daughter’s website (who’s a photographer) : www.mysession.fr to discover all the beauty and coastline of Cap Ferret. We can also organise surf lesssons with Lionel of Nomad surfschool if you wish to surf on the coast.
Bassin d’Arcachon
You need 1 hours drive to get there. You can organize a day trip to enjoy the oysters of the Bay, the restaurants and shops of the town of Arcachon or go for a wander in the many oyster villages ( Quartier ostréicoles) around the bay and relax on the beaches facing the Bay.
Le Pyla
The biggest sand Dune of Europe (110 metres high, 500m wide and 2,7kmlong)is one of the amazing sites that you can discover in our region.
Lakes
The region has 3 major fresh water lakes : from 1 hour to 1,5 hour drive. You can enjoy swimming, sailing or cycling around them. Our favourite would be the lake of Cazeaux just next to the town of Biscarosse which is perfect for a family with young children.
Theme Parks
The region has 3 major fresh water lakes : from 1 hour to 1,5 hour drive. You can enjoy swimming, sailing or cycling around them. Our favourite would be the lake of Cazeaux just next to the town of Biscarosse which is perfect for a family with young children.
Zoo
La ferme exotique de Cadaujac : only half an hour drive is perfect for young families.
Palmyre Zoo : one of the largest French zoos is situated 1,45 minutes driveaway and is really great for a day trip. You will discover over 110 different species.