Villages of the Gironde

Get out of the city of Bordeaux to spend the day in the countryside villages of the Gironde. You meet Anne in Langon and explore one of the best open-air markets along the banks of the Garonne River. At the market, you enjoy tastings guided by Anne, a chef who lives in the surrounding countryside, regularly shops here, and knows the producers and vendors personally. Together, you purchase a selection of products to share later for lunch. After the market, Anne takes you to Bazas, the most important town between Bordeaux and Toulouse for nearly 2,000 years. Here, you walk through the village’s historic center, following Roman traces and learning about its links to Henry IV and Château Haut-Brion. For lunch, you can choose to enjoy what you bought at the market with Anne as guests in a local hotel’s dining room, or sit at a restaurant on the cathedral square. After lunch, you have some time to continue exploring the village, before returning to Bordeaux.

This day is built around places that sit outside the usual visitor routes — working villages where the market still sets the rhythm. It is common to find yourself as the only international visitor, making the experience especially meaningful for travelers drawn to French life, history, and a quieter way of engaging with a place. Bazas adds depth beyond “pretty streets.” Its cathedral — a UNESCO-listed site on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela — anchors the town’s status as a historic place of passage and authority. You discover the Gironde through the point of view of a local chef with deep knowledge of the region’s food culture. Anne introduces local products by linking ingredients to the land they come from and to the people who produce them. During the drive between Langon and Bazas, the landscape comes into focus through farms and vineyards. Anne has lived in Bazas for over ten years, and her husband’s family roots in the village add lived context to what you are seeing.

Anne Jordan, chef and guide with over thirteen years of experience, has lived in Bazas since the very moment she and her husband visited the village and decided to stay, a decade ago. She has cooked in private yachting and in Michelin restaurants in Paris before making her home in the French countryside. Her training as a chef and her work as a guide shape the way she leads you through the flavors of the region around Bordeaux. She cares about seasonal and local food and has met many of the people who grow and prepare it, approaching each encounter with genuine curiosity and interest in food as culture and conviviality.

Weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes. A backpack or shopping bag for any purchases. A bottle of water, especially in warmer weather. Cash for small personal expenses at the market.