Medoc Vineyard Cycle

On arrival at Bordeaux's train station or airport you will be transferred to Pian Medoc and your hotel. Here you will receive your welcome pack containing tourist information, maps and an itinerary. Your accommodation tonight is a traditional 18-bedroom house with pool and extensive parkland.* * Note that the accommodation description is for our first choice. If this hotel is not available we reserve the right to substitute a similar quality hotel or B&B.

Today's cycle takes you on the 'Road of the Chateaux' from Pian Medoc to Macau along the Gironde towards Margaux, Saint-Estephe and Moulis, where wine and spirit houses await you. You will cycle past vineyards and chateaux that are famous worldwide. Take the time to stop at the little harbours along the route, including St Julien, and imagine in times past the 'gabares' (flat-bottomed boats) that transported wine barrels to Bordeaux. As you head toward the estuary, the landscape is pleasant and diverse. Dinner and overnight in a charming guesthouse in Moulis or Margaux. Ascent: 55m/180ft

Today you will continue along the 'Road of the Chateaux', well known for its chateaux and wine, among hills covered with vineyards and across the marshes that separate them. You can discover the history of Medoc at the archaeological site of Brion in St Germain d'Esteuil, the Chateau of Castera, the Abbey of Vertheuil and at Vauban's Fort Medoc. Cycle to the capital of the Medoc, Pauillac. With its stellar wines - three of the First Growth chateaux are here - and with a charming harbour, this town is an unmissable destination. Continue to your charming guesthouse located among the vineyards near the village of Saint-Yzans. Ascent: 120m/394ft

After passing the marsh landscape you will reach an area between the lake and the ocean, then Hourtin beach, with its wide coast and dunes. Following marked paths you cycle across pine forest and some wild and protected territory with a diverse flora and fauna. The dunes shelter some vast natural freshwater lakes, and you cycle between the Hourtin lake, one of France's largest, and the coastal beaches. The Contaut lagoon, set within the nature reserve, is an ideal stop for a picnic lunch. From Carcans, the paths leads you to Lacanau and your hotel, located in the pine forest. Ascent: 200m/656ft

Your day starts in the natural landscape of forest and between the lake and picturesque beaches. The 'Green Way' of Lacanau Ocean was built on an old railway and goes straight through the forest, where the pine trees create a corridor that can be a little drafty if the wind is blowing from the sea. It's a beautiful and easy ride, and you can stop along the way in a shaded picnic area. At the end of the day you arrive back in Pian Medoc, at the same hotel as your first night, in the heart of the Medoc. Ascent: 60m/196ft

The trip concludes after breakfast with a transfer to Bordeaux's train station or airport.