Nouvelle-Aquitaine is France’s largest region, and it shows in what it offers on a bike: the country’s most iconic Pyrenean climbs in the south, an almost entirely flat Atlantic coastline in the north, and Périgord limestone plateau country in between. This selection deliberately crosses all three rather than sticking to one corner.
1. Col d’Aubisque, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
One of the Pyrenean climbs most regularly featured in the Tour de France since 1910, with a road cut into the cliffside on its final kilometres that’s striking even from a car. A demanding climb, best left to riders already comfortable in the mountains.
2. Col d’Ispéguy, Basque Country
A shorter, more approachable profile than the Aubisque: 10.5 km and 500 m of elevation gain from Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, through the green Aldudes valley. The pass marks the border with Spain, with a sharp change of scenery between the two sides.
3. Périgord Noir gravel, from Sarlat
Périgord’s limestone plateau mixes forest tracks with golden-stone listed villages, with Sarlat itself well worth the visit at either end of the ride. Terrain alternates between smooth and rocky without reaching the demands of the big southeastern gravel routes, built for a manageable day out.
4. Île de Ré for families, Charente-Maritime
Around a hundred kilometres of cycle paths fully separated from traffic on an almost flat island, with salt marshes and green-shuttered villages along the way. Still one of the most reassuring stretches of the Atlantic coast for children still riding with limited independence.
5. Marais Poitevin for families, from Coulon
The “Green Venice” can be explored by boat or by bike, on flat towpaths tracing the waterways between Coulon, Arçais and Damvix. Around 30 km with no notable elevation, a good alternative to Île de Ré for a quieter, more intimate setting than the coast.
Planning the trip
The Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Aubisque, Ispéguy) form a coherent mountain hub, possibly paired with a stop along the Basque coast. Further north, Île de Ré and the Marais Poitevin combine naturally across Charente-Maritime and Deux-Sèvres. The Périgord, more central, works well either as a stopover or as a standalone trip.
