![]() ![]() In complete contrast the west coast is lined with sand beaches and dunes, and in fact the tallest sand dune in Europe stands here in the Arcachon Bay the Great Dune of Pyla (or Pilat). Interspersed with small hilltop villages and abbey ruins, there are plenty of walks,bike rides and beauty spots to be explored. The rolling hills, pastures, woodland, orchards and vineyards of the Entre-Deux-Mers area makes this one of the prettiest and most beautiful parts of the department. The Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge is of course an area of beauty but some parts are also still fairly industrial due to the fact that this is one of the main ports in France. The slightly boring landscape is however contrast with the appearance of numerous majestic châteaux, some of them world famous! In the north the Medoc peninsula is flat and littered with vineyards that stretch out before you in neat rows. With an area of 10,000 km², Gironde is the largest department in metropolitan France. The landscape through the department varies dramatically. ![]() Black redstarts and swallows are amongst the other residents, with the marshes being home to apwings, blackwinged stilts, ringed plovers, shelduck, citrine wagtails, herons and egrets during the spring and summer months.Īlong the coastline and rivers you are likely to find mink slinking around, families of otters and if you are lucky some green turtles! The estuary is a migration highway in spring and even more so in autumn. From March to May you will see numerous migratory birds passing though, including storks, spoonbills and ospreys. It was also once know for the vast numbers of wild sturgeon that provided not only fish but also local caviar, although numbers are now greatly decreased through overfishing. Saltwater mixes with the river borne fresh water and strong tidal currents and sediments mean that the sandbanks and islands in the estuary are constantly changing.įish commonly found in the estuary include flounder, mullet, salmon and sea trout, however other aquatic animals include white shrimp, eels, sea and river lampreys. The Dordogne River runs alongside glorious golden-pink limestone cliffs and passes the walnut groves and truffle woods of the Perigord an area rich in history and striking views. Covering about 635 square kilometres, 75km in length and in some places reaching up to 11km in width, the estuary is the transition zone between river and sea. As you can imagine the Gironde estuary is teeming with wildlife of all sorts, small mammals, migrating and sedentary birds and marine life. ![]()
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