Soulac - out and about
Soulac
offers a variety of activities and attractions for the holiday
visitor.
Beach
Soulac is a fun place to spend a family summer holiday.
The beaches of white sand are clean
and provide excellent surf for novices
and body-boarders. [In Autumn and Winter it's a little more
dramatic].
There are surf
lessons for children from 6yrs and up, from
the school on the main town beach, or at le Gurp (to the
South of the main town beach). Other derivatives of surfing
are also popular here - particularly sand-yachting
and skim-boarding.
The
town's four main beaches are all supervised in the high
season. Keep to the supervised beaches as the currents and
rips can be strong, especially when the waves are breaking
right on the beach.
The warm, shallow beach pools are just North of the town
centre - walking along the beach towards le Verdon. There
are plenty to choose from, so keep walking until you find
your own private one. There is no point looking for these
at high tide, but they are exciting places to play as the
sea is coming in, gushing in over the sides.
Just south of the main beach is also wonderful for children
as the tide is coming in - small lakes develop leaving sand
banks and islands to jump between.
Being France, there are designated naturist beaches to the
North and South of Soulac, including Montalivet.
The surf doesn't touch the beach at le Verdon-sur-Mer, a
calmer alternative to the Atlantic, as it is situated on
the lee-side of the peninsula. This is the mouth of the
huge Gironde river that serves Bordeaux, and it is an ideal
spot for sailing,
windsurfing, kayaking and other watersports.
This is
a popular sailing spot, and there is also a marina here
where boats can be hired.
And
if the surf of the Atlantic gets a bit overpowering, you
can head to the tranquil fine sand lake beaches at Hourtin.
Activities Away from the Beach
There
is wonderful safe cycling using bike trails
through the freshly-scented pine forests.
Back in Soulac, there is a permanent activity centre, Cap33,
featuring tennis, volleyball,
rollerblading and diving
for over-15s.
There's also a swimming pool in the town.
For something more adventurous, try Cordouan
Air Club for scenic flights across
this amazing landscape. Also based at the aerodrome is the
local parachuting club.
Children’s
Tourist Attractions
Perfect
for children is the tiny fair in the heart
of town - with traditional stalls, dodgems,
candy-floss and doughnuts. There is also a small arcade
with perennial classics like Air Hockey, pinball machines
and Sega Rally.
To add to the wealth of sports available, there is also
mini-golf, a skate park and a cinema in
Soulac. There is bike hire available at
several locations, including some weird and wonderful machines.
Right on the town beach are two children's play areas, where
you can leave your children, supervised, from half an hour
to the best part of a day. Activities on offer include outdoor
pools and bouncy castles.
Shopping
The
town has a good range of independent shops including all
the staples of French life. There are several jewellery
shops largely specialising in silver, a sprinkling
of boutiques and surf shops,
a good sized supermarket, a wonderful indoor market
for foodies, and a weekly antiques market
(in the car park behind the food market).
St
Vivien (Wednesday) and Lesperre are good options for traditional
markets. In the summer, Soulac and Montalivet (the
next town down the coast) hold daily markets.
Lesperre is your best stop for a hypermarket
en-route to Soulac from Bordeaux, you'll see this on the
side of the main road.
There are a few more boutiques at the Marina in le Verdon,
but if you're serious about boutique shopping, you'll probably
head into Bordeaux!
Eating
Out
A
great option is to buy tapas-type snacks in the food market
and enjoy these on the beach, but you can also eat from
the excellent snack bars and ice-cream
bars along the main drag in the town, or enjoy
traditional fairground food of doughnuts, candy
floss and big marshmallow sweets.
There
is a good choice
of bars and restaurants in Soulac - fish
obviously a speciality - most with outdoor and terrace eating,
perfect for watching the world idle by.
Le
Nautilus offers beachfront pizzas to all
ages, in a relaxed setting.
2 rue de la Plage, 05-56-09-90-38 |
Le
California, again on the seafront, offers
good portions of Tex-Mex and paella.
2 esplanade des Girondins, 05-56-73-65-43 |
Le
Pavillon de la Mer is a bit more sophisticated,
offering good seafood in a pleasant outdoor setting.
19 rue de la Plage, 05-56-09-80-82 |
The
Café le Rallye offers giant sports
screens, if the panoramic views of watersports on
the Atlantic beach aren’t good enough.
70 rue de la Plage, 05-56-09-71-49 |
| We've
also heard great reports of the Brasserie
right on the beach. |
The
above list has been compiled from feedback by visitors.
Nightlife
Soulac is relaxed and European in the evening - you can
walk
around the small town and the adjoining sea frton dipping
in and out of bars, or enjoying table service on the terrace.
A few bars are that bit louder, catering for the more surf-oriented
crowd. Try to catch sunset over the beach if you can.......
Soulac’s
Casino offers slot machines,
roulette, and also boasts a nightclub.
Arts
and Culture
Soulac
has a good Musée d'Art et Archéologie Museum
of Art and Archeology displaying items from
Neolithic and Bronze Ages, as well as the Gallo-Roman period.
This museum also contains the Fondation Soulac-Médoc,
displaying paintings and sculptures by contemporary local
artists.
Soulac
is the site of an ambitious Romanesque Benedictine
abbey. The Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres
(Our Lady at the End of the Earth) originates from the 12th
Century, and is on the World Heritage list.
The
Moulin de Vensac 19th
Century Windmill is now working again. Erected
in 1858, it's one of the oldest in the country, and still
able to produce flour in the old fashioned way.
The Gironde river mouth was a location of immense startegic importance in during WWII.
Verdon was one of the last places in France occupied by
the Germans, and asite of some of the fiercest battles. Pill-boxes
pepper the coastline, providing an extra exciting dimension
to the landscape.
Nature
Close to le Verdon on the banks of
the Gironde river, there is a nature reserve for
migrant birds.
Excursions
The lighthouse
at Pointe de Grave makes a worthwhile destination
- the 10km is suprisingly easy even for youngsters, given
the flat terrain. There is a small museum at the lighthouse, a great view from the top,
and several local bars and restaurants to choose from. If
you're lucky your arrival might also coincide with the arrival
or departure of the Royan-le
Verdon Ferry.
But a more
exciting excursion is a boat trip to the lighthouse
‘Phare de Cordouan’ – once part of the
mainland, but now separated by the moving coastline. During
your time in Soulac you will become attached to Cardouan,
as it is an integral part of the skyline, particularly at
sunset. The
lighthouse is said to be the world's oldest still standing.
Its stone structure dates back to the 16th Century. It was
updated in neo-classical style in the 18th Century and once
contained a royal apartment and chapel.
Wine-tasting
in the Médoc
Naturally, a major draw of the Médoc is wine. The
steep-sided valleys, gravel soils and gentle climate all
combine to create ideal growing conditions - something the
viticulteurs have exploited here for hundreds of years.
You may be surprised to learn that the Médoc's wines
are exclusively red, made principally from the Cabernet
grape. The most highly-rated labels are household names
- Château Lafite, Château Margaux,
Château Latour and Château
Mouton. Pauillac on the
Gironde coast is a place to head for - this lovely market
town and marina has a great market, some fine restaurants
and an appealing, laid-back ambience. There are several
possibilities for wine-tours whether it be by bike or organised
tour.
Two very approachable châteaux are the under-rated
(and relatively inexpensive) Château Maucaillou,
a medium-sized, family-run estate in Moulis-en-Médoc;
there is an interesting museum exhibiting some of the history
of wine-making. Or for a very special visit, Château
Giscours in the Margaux region organises tastings
of various vintages of its grand crus classés, hosted
by a particularly engaging, unpretentious and plain-speaking
'oenologue' (Master of Wine).
City
culture in Bordeaux
- the big city is just over an hour away and is a good option
for a day-trip, whether it’s boutique shopping,
sight-seeing or museums. The town
has been revitalised by its forward-thinking mayor who has
overseen the new tram system and a big
clean up of the city's many fine monuments and buildings.
Walking around the 18th century old town centre (Quartier
St. Pierre), you can begin to imagine the city’s commercial
and maritime past. Leave the car in Soulac and take the train all the way - far more civilised.
A
day at the lakes - Aquitaine is well-known for
its colossal lakes which lie just inland from the Atlantic.
Lac de Hourtin-Carcans is the largest of them all. You can
reach Hourtin-Port (the lake's Northern base) in 45 minutes
for a day of beach activities, watersports, cycle rides,
nature walks and picnic-ing. The lakes have natural
sandy beaches which can be quite a bonus on days
when the Atlantic surf is high.
Visit
Royan and la Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime
Royan took a bit of a battering during Word War II as the
Germans retreated. However, some of its older buildings
remain and the town is a popular, very French resort. Royan
is easily reached by ferry from the Pointe de Grave. You
can even do this trip by bike. However, if you want to head
on up to the lovely fishing port of La Rochelle, we recommend
you put your car on the ferry!
For
further tourist information about the local areas beyond
Soulac, please browse our region guides:
»
Medoc
Bleu / la Côte Girondaise
»
Pays
des Vins
»
Bassin
d'Arcachon
For some pre-holiday research, we propose the Lonely
Planet Guide (South West France), The Green Guide
(Atlantic Coast) and the Cadogan Guides –
always an excellent and informative read. “Gascony
and the Pyrenees” is the one to buy to cover Medoc
Bleu / la Côte Girondaise.
Travel
tips
Bordeaux airport is the closest and is approximately 100
kms south east. If you are driving, try taking the ferry
from Royan to the Pointe de Grave; it shortens the route
dramatically as you avoid circumnavigating Bordeaux, although
in peak season the queues for the ferry do build up. Try
this link for further information about crossings: Royan
- Le Verdon Ferry
