The Gironde estuary is formed by the merging of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne near Blaye just north of Bordeaux and continues from their confluence at the Bec d'Ambes, to where it meets the Atlantic ocean at an imaginary line drawn from the Point de Grave on the Medoc to Pointe de Suzac at Royan. Its entry into the Atlantic is also marked by the lighthouse the Phare de Courdouan, boat trips to and around that wonderful lighthouse run from Meschers and Royan. Some 150km long and up to 11km wide it is the largest estuary in Europe!
There is a regular roll on roll off ferry service from Royan over to the Medoc on the other side and as from 2005 there is a summer passenger boat which makes one or two, depending on the season, return trips from the nature reserve at Vitrezay to Pauillac on the opposite bank. These are sometimes linked with a coach pick up on the other Medoc side and a visit to a famous wine chateau and an optional meal (telephone the Vitrezay nature reserve 05.46.49.89.89 English spoken).
The estuary provides a subtle mixture of land and water and in rythym with the tides, the seasons and the weather it offers a huge variety of countryside. It has been occupied and exploited by man for thousands of years and has for centuries been the subject of intense maritime activity with the transport of wine,cognac, porcelain before becoming an  access to Bordeaux for container ships, cruise liners and more recently wings for the A380 Airbus which you may well see during your stay.
ESTUARY PARK - The newly opened Parc de l'Estuaire (Estuary Park) at St Georges de Didonne, is the northern estuary reserve and information park and complements its southern sister nature park at Vitrezay. It provides wonderful views of the estuary near Royan, especially from the 60 metre high observation tower, as well as walks and cycle paths and the opportunity to learn more about the estuary and to sample and buy some of the local produce. The exhibition centre there is equipped with many interactive bornes to please young and old alike and allows you to take a Jules Verne type visit to the heart of the estuary. There is also a restaurant and snack bars with terraces overlooking the estuary and a multimedia orientation table.
Between Royan and Meschers the estuary is lined with superb sandy beaches, both lifeguard protected which of course tend to be busier and more secluded sandy coves. Parking is plentiful and free to provide easy access on foot to the beaches themselves.
MESCHERS - The town of Meschers is very lively with shops, restaurants, markets including evening markets with entertainment in the season. The port area is very attractive again with plenty of restaurants and boat trips both on the estuary and out to Courdouan lighthouse. There are delightful walks along the cliff tops and you can visit the two sites of troglodyte cave dwellings Regulus and Matata. The caves dug out of the soft limestone have had many uses over the years, a place of refuge for sailors and also for protestants persecuted during the wars of religion. Another more sinister story is that fires were lit on the cliff top during storms in order to lure in unsuspecting ships which were then wrecked on the rocks below enabling their cargo to be looted.
TALMONT - Just the other side of the bay from Meschers is Talmont, this is a beautiful little village with its church of Ste Radegonde perched out on a rocky outcrop and is well known throughout the world. You can explore the village on foot, full of artists and craftsmen, the narrow streets and alleys are ablaze with flowers especially hollyhocks which grow in abundance throughout the village. Many events and entertainments take place there throughout the season.
'CARRELETS' - Talmont is also one of the many places on the estuary where you can get a close up look at the carrelets the traditional fishing cabins with their suspended nets. You can often see fishermen using the smaller hand held version in the bay at Talmont. Along the estuary the great storm in December 1999 destroyed hundreds of them but happily there are still plenty left and many damaged or destroyed ones have been repaired or replaced.
BARZAN - As with much of the estuary there are many, many marked walks and cycle tracks. Barzan Plage is linked to Talmont by a very easy, attractive cliff top walk and another cliff top walk leaves the parking in the bay in the opposite direction towards Les Monards.
LE FA (BARZAN) - This gallo roman archeological site will be in the future a major place of interest and site to visit on the estuary with visitor centre etc. On an area of almost one hundred hectares there are the remains of  a ancient city comparable in size to that of Saintes or Bordeaux and these are slowly being excavated. People farming that land never realised that beneath the tractor wheels lay thermal baths, a sanctuary, a public square, houses, streets and even an amphitheatre. They realised even less that it operated as a major port when the level of the Gironde was much higher than it is today.
LES MONARDS - Another small port with a very popular auberge restaurant and also a smaller bar restaurant both serving local dishes.
ST SEURIN D'UZET - Our local village and again another port mainly local fishing boats. There is a mini market here and in 2006 the bar restaurant is due to re-open together with its caviar museum. In the 1920's St Seurin was reknowned throughout france for the production of caviar.The story is that a Russian  aristocrat was visiting St Seurin and she saw local fisherman who had landed their catch of sturgeon cut open the females to clean the fish and promptly threw the eggs to feed the ducks. She shouted to them 'messieurs you can't do that, it is a crime', and she told them that she would send someone to show them how to prepare the caviar. Having fled the Russian revolution she went to live in Paris and married a man named Scott who was a former bodyguard to the Czar and was also experienced in the process of making caviar. As promised she sent him to St Seurin to show the local fishermen how to produce a quality product and it became the most prized and sought after caviar in France. the boom was relatively short lived and due to overfishing stocks of sturgeon declined in the estuary and sturgeon fishing  has been banned for a number of years.
L'ECHAILLER - This our local hamlet and provides several excellent viewpoints of the estuary, of course you would not need to stray further than the balcony terrace to enjoy the view! A walk will take you down a path through the cliffs and then along the marais to port at Mortagne, you can easily see all the way along the estuary from Meschers how the water level has changed over the years shown by the cliff which are now up to 400 metres from the waters edge. There is much wildlife in the area and apart from the huge array of birds to delight bird watching enthusiasts, the estuary being a major route for migratory birds, there are apart from the expected foxes, badgers etc, you could easily see several varieties of deer and sanglier (wild boar). In fact we regularly see wild boar in the fields adjoining the property, especially during the autumn,winter and spring and even more so if the fields next to the house have been planted with maize. One of our neighbours installed a storks nest on his property 3 years ago and although it has received a lot of interest from passing storks in the spring they have yet to make their home there, however we are hopeful that 2006 will be the first year it will be occupied and if so the view of the nesting storks from our balcony will be unforgettable. The moulin (mill) in Echailler which is now a house was, like the chateau in St Seurin, occupied by the Germans during the 2nd World War as it gave a superb defensive view of the estuary. Ironically it is still occupied by Germans!!
MORTAGNE SUR GIRONDE - With its picturesque port below and the town with shops, P.O., tourist office etc above Mortagne is a pleasant little town. The port area is very lively in the season with numerous events, themed shows and fetes together with brocantes etc and of course has several bars and restaurants. There is also the opportunity for horse riding and hiring kayaks and boats. The Hermitage is also well worth a visit.Apart from its pleasure port aspect Mortagne is a busy fishing port as fishing on the estuary is still a very intense activity linked both to the seasons and to the migration of the fish population. Previously the caviar from the migrating sturgeon and now in winter la pibelle or civale which are elvers or baby eels and these are caught along the edges of the water with a very special type of fishing boat with nets on either side of the front of the boat. In spring it is the lamproies which looks like an eel but is in fact a fish with pointed teeth and from May to July it is the turn of the maigre which is fished from a boat called a yole and is much sought after because of the quality of its meat. Many of the restaurants feature these fish on their menus as and when they are in season.
PORT MAUBERT - Another small port with an excellent restaurant and a marked walk down to the edge of the estuary with orientation table. Between Mortagne and Port Maubert on the low road which hugs the estuary there are several storks nests, all of which are occupied from spring, giving a superb and priveliged view of nesting storks at close quarters.
VITREZAY - Fully opened for the first time in 2005 the nature reserve at Vitrezay makes for a marvellous day out. Paths lead out into the marais through the wetlands with observation hides. There is also an exhibition centre and throughout the season various different entertainments and special events are laid on. there is a restaurant-bar with a panoramic view of the estuary, you can take a boat trip over ot Pauillac on the other side of the Gironde and these are often linked up with a coach pick up and visit to a famous wine chateau and optional meal. There is the opportunity to try your hand at a number of activities including fishing in various forms, canoeing , sailing or going out in a sea kayak. trips out in the daytime and evening trips on a gabare and you can even rent a genuine carrelet by the hour, day or night! If you need to telephone Vitrezay for further information English is spoken (05.46.49.89.99).

The Gironde as we have said continues on down to the Bec d'Ambès and with its ever changing landscape there is something of interest throughout its course of which this is just a taster from the area around our home.