Outdoor Activities
Activities for families and visitors enjoying the great outdoors are plentiful in Bordeaux, which is unsurprising when you consider its location between the Atlantic coastline and the Aquitaine countryside. Besides natural locations, the city offers a variety of manmade attractions including a zoo and a water park. Golf enthusiasts are well catered for, as is the case in most big cities.
 Aqualand Bassin d’Arcachon
Easily reachable from Bordeaux by hire car or public transport, Aqualand in Arcachon is a fun-packed water park that provides an ideal day-out destination for all the family. Watery attractions at the park are many and go by titles such as Crazy Race, Ananconda, Black Hole, Indiana Jones, Surf Beach and Dingo Dinghy. The park, which opens from June through to September, also has facilities for dining and refreshments. Phone: +33 05 56 66 39 39.
 Beaches
Ideal destinations for both families and outdoor activity enthusiasts, Bordeaux’s beaches promise fun on the sand for the little ones and a variety of water sports for older visitors. Head for Plage du Nice if you want a quiet family environment or Plage Biscarrosse if you want your fix of thrils from surfing, sailing, land yachting, kite buggying and other sea and sand pursuits. If sandboarding is your thing, then don’t miss out on Dune du Pilat, a114-metre high sand dune located just south of the city.
Bordeaux Zoo
A fun family day out is guaranteed at the Bordeaux Zoo, a popular attraction situated just 15 minutes by car from the city centre. More than 400 animals call the 110 hectares zoo home, among which are specimens from every continent, including a large selection of Asian and African creatures. Phone: +33 556 36 2030.
 Camping
Bordeaux is an ideal destination at which to enjoy a camping holiday, with a large selection of sites available and each with their own choice of facilities. Whether you pitch your own cosy little canvas igloo or enjoy the relative luxury of a rented tent with space for up to five persons and cooking facilities included, you can be sure that the thrill of getting back to nature will please all members of your group.
 Fishing
With its coastal location, Bordeaux offers good opportunities for sea fishing enthusiasts, but it also has its fair share of freshwater sources where anglers can catch brown trout and other indigenous species. Visitors require a license or permit de peche to fish legally; this can usually be obtained from a local newsagent (tabac)
 Golf
The French like a good game of golf as much as the citizens of any other nation, and residents of Bordeaux benefit from a large selection of golf courses in and around the city. Visitors will find both public and private courses available, the latter generally accessible by invitation only. Among the best courses in the area are the Margaux Golf Club Bordeaux, the Bordeaux Golf Club Les Etangs Course, the Bordeaux Lac Golf Club La Jalle Course and the Chateau des Vigiers Golf Club.
A rich cultural heritage has provided Bordeaux with plenty of attractions, and visitors with a penchant for all things historic or artistic will find a great selection of venues and centres to satisfy their passions. The selection of museums on offer is especially impressive and covers a broad spectrum of subject matter.
Cultural Activities
 Fleche St Michel
Featuring France’s second highest stone tower, Fleche St Michel is a magnificent church that dates back to the 15th century. Standing 112 metres high, the tower can be seen from a distance and is one of the city’s best-known landmarks. It’s a tiring 228-step climb to the top of the tower, but the views across the city from this vantage point make it well worth the effort.
 Grand Theatre
Considered a major Bordeaux landmark, the Grand Theatre was begun in 1773 and completed in 1780 and is evidence of the city’s increasing prosperity and expanding upper-class population at that time. The theatre is commonly hailed as one of the finest examples of buildings of its kind in the world and is considered comparable—if not grander—ithan the 18th century theatres of Naples and Milan. Though the building is still a working performance art venue, visitors can take guided tours. Phone: +33 05 56 00 85 95
 Musée de Beaux Arts
Bordeaux’s Museum of fine arts is home to an impressive collection of works covering the period from the 15th to the 20th century. Within the collection are paintings by masters such as Rubens, Titian, Veronese, Marquet and Perugina. Phone: +33 5 56 10 20 56.
Musée Art Contemporain
The Museum of Contemporary Art is housed inside a disused 19th century warehouse in the city’s harbour area. The facility has a permanent collection of more than 700 works, covering all of the most significant art movements that have occurred since the 1960s. There are also regularly changing temporary exhibitions at the museum. Phone: +33 5 56 00 81 50.
Museum-Aquarium of Arcachon
Visitors to this popular maritime-themed centre get the chance not only to learn of the city’s long and historic relationship with the sea, but also to view a variety of sea life specimens in the 36 tanks on display in the aquarium. Phone: +33 556 83 3332.
 Museum of Bordeaux Wines
Bordeaux’s reputation as a wine-producing region is international and few visitors to the city are unaware of its major status in this field. This museum offers an in-depth look at the history of winemaking in the city and the culture associated with it. The early 18th century wine cellars are among the museum’s showpieces.
Museum of Natural History
Among France’s oldest museums, Bordeaux’s Museum of Natural History has been open to the public since 1811. The facility covers all aspects of natural history and includes an impressive zoological collection as well as sections dedicated to wildlife indigenous to the region and to fossils found in and around Bordeaux. Phone: +33 5 5648 2986.
Dining & Shopping
 Popular opinion holds that good wine is best drunk with food of a similar calibre. Fortunately Bordeaux’s finest chefs use their skills to prepare cuisine that’s as good as anything you’ll find in other parts of France, and considering the high standard of cuisine here, you can be sure that the regional delicacies are real taste-bud pleasers. Fresh produce forms the foundation of the city’s gastronomic excellence, with local markets providing an array of fish, meat and vegetables of the highest quality.
 Local dishes include the popular eel in red winecreation known as lamproie a la bordelaise and the potted preserved duck creation known as confit d'oie. Lamb dishes that use meat from locally reared animals are also popular and considered to be exceedingly tasty.
The city’s restaurant scene is diverse, and visitors can choose to dine on regional cuisine or go international and eat Indian, Moroccan, Russian, African and even British cuisine, if they so desire. The main city centre area is home to a good selection of restaurants, but for the liveliest scene, visitors should check out the eateries at the quayside.
 For shopping, the city has a number of good locations, and everything from locally made wines and delicacies to designer clothing and electronics can be found. Rue Sainte Catherine is one of the best shopping streets and where you’ll find well-known French retail outlets. The street, hailed as one of the longest shopping stretches in the country, is home to more than 100 boutiques.
Antique lovers should concentrate their attentions on Rue Bouffard, Rue Notre Dame and Rue des Remparts, with the latter hosting a market known as Village Notre Dame where antique sellers of all descriptions can be found. For quality wines, a trip to one or more of the local vineyards is a good way to sample first hand before you buy; otherwise, there are numerous wine shops where owners will be only to happy to give you the benefit of their extensive knowledge of locally produced vintages.
| 
