All the bars and restaurants are currently closed which probably makes you want to skip this Valentine’s day altogether. But during these tedious times, celebrating love is more important than ever and nature could be a magnificent scenery for that. In this article, I gathered a few fun ideas for couples to do together this Sunday on Saint Valentine’s day. So grab your bottle of wine, maybe even a picnic, and follow me to the most romantic places around Bordeaux.
See the sunrise from Plage de la Pointe aux Chevaux
The Pointe aux Chevaux beach in Petit Piquey is one of the most magical beaches in Cap Ferret. Surrounded by pine trees and a few oyster cabanes, it looks like a place taken for a movie. The beach worth a visit any time of the day but if you’re a morning person, I would really recommend leaving the house early that day and go see the sunrise, nothing will give you more romantic vibes than that.
Dune du Pilat
Our beloved Dune cannot is a permanent resident on a list like this. The panoramic view of the forest and the ocean is quite hard to compete with. Of course, the ultimate pleasure would be to see the sunset from the top, but as there’s a curfew at 6pm, you’ll have to do with a romantic picnic on the top of the dune instead.
Saint Croix du Mont
This is one of my personal favorites in the region. Saint Croix du mont is a small village located in the south of the Entre Deux Mers region and is known thanks to its excellent white sweet wine. There’s not much to do there but the view from the top of the village is absolutely stunning. During the summer there is a nice bar there but currently, you’ll have to bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy the view. You can also do a little hiking trail from the top of the village.
Visit a winery
Did you know that many of the wineries in the region are open for visits? They are allowed to have up to 6 visitors but as there aren’t any tourists here, you’ll most likely be alone and have a romantic wine tour and tastings just for yourself. The choice, of course, is enormous so you’ll have to do some work to see which are currently open. Here are a few suggestions of wineries to visit in Saint Emilion.
Go biking together
There are plenty of beautiful biking paths in the region. If you want to stay in the city, you can cycle on the promenade from both sides of the Garonne. But if you don’t mind getting a little farther away, Roger Lapébie Bicycle path can be a great romantic adventure.
You can start your path from Pont Pierre in Bordeaux and cycle on the right side of the river until you get to Latresne, where the official path starts (follow the river bike path to Latresne). The official path is 57km long and it goes through the Entre Deux Mers region until it gets to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne. Here’s an article with more instructions.
Visit the smallest village in France
There’s something cute and romantic about being the smallest village in a country and in our case the smallest village in France is located in Gironde and called Castelmoron d’Albret.
There’s not a whole lot to do there, the town is simply very cute and you can have a picnic while enjoying a beautiful view. If you want to visit another place in that region you can stop by Duras or Sauveterre-de-Guyenne. For more info about villages to visit in Gironde read this article.
Go hiking
There are plenty of beautiful hiking routes in this region and if the weather is good, it can make a perfect Valentine’s day activity. Hostens is definitely one of the best hiking trails in this region but if you prefer going to Arcachon over the Landes forest, The Domain of Certes-Graveyron is a perfect place to spend the day.
For more experienced hikers, go to Saint Emilion and challenge yourself with more hilly trails. Here’s an example of a medium level hiking trail in Saint Emilion – https://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com/bdd_fichiers/file_1564493621.pdf
For hiking ideas in Bordeaux, be sure to check out my article.
Do a fun street art day
If you love street art there are many places to discover in the region but nothing can be compared to Angouleme, the street art and comics capital of France. Tens of beautiful mural and funny comics decorate the city walls and it will take you hours to spot them all, a full fun, and romantic day :). It’s only 1.5 hours drive from Bordeaux and you can even reach there by train. Check out my guide to the street art of Angouleme before going.
Go to the Pyrenees to see snow
There’s so much snow this year, you must go see it before spring starts. Spend the day in one of the lovely ski towns in the Pyrenees and enjoy the tranquility created by the beautiful white powder. All the ski facilities are closed this year but you can go to Cauterets and enjoy this charming ski resort town. Then drive up the mountain to Pont D’Espagne for a hike in the snow.
That’s it for our romantic weekend!
I hope you find it useful and if you travel to one of these places don’t forget to tag me in your stories on Instagram @lost_in_bordeaux.
You can also get plenty of tips on things to do in the Southwest of France via lost in Bordeaux’s social media accounts and email list, check them out here:
