Much like the landscape and culture, property prices vary hugely across the Aquitaine region. As a general rule, property becomes significantly cheaper the further inland you go, especially towards the north-east of the region. The west coast commands extortionate prices, thanks to its booming tourism trade, beautiful coastline, clement weather, proximity to the Spanish border and good transport links.
For this reason, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department is the most expensive, with prices averaging out at €2,670 per square metre in 2007 – and this figure is only getting bigger, with 17% growth over the year. New-builds are steeper still at €3,260 per square metre.
Along the coast, Biarritz is a tourist hotspot, but because of this can feel slightly contrived, extremely busy and low-rent in places, despite its wide avenues, large squares and long beachfront. With more character, St Jean de Luz is a delightful and more compact resort, with old character stone houses, shops and restaurants aplenty and a calmer, more relaxed feel. Between the two resorts, beaches are virtually deserted and as yet not built-up and it's easy to find an isolated spot to relax in. Both resorts come under Bayonne's administration, hence the district's high property prices – €3,390 – compared to the departmental average.
Bayonne boasts a TGV train link with Paris and various Spanish stations, as well as an airport serviced by low-cost carriers easyJet and Ryanair. Further inland, departmental capital Pau also boasts an airport as well as a funicular railway connecting the mountains with the valley below. The district is decidedly cheaper, with average property prices of €1,750 per square metre.
Neighbouring Landes offers marginally better value for money but, thanks to its popularity with surfers, also boasts a booming tourism trade. Property prices here average out at €2,500 per square metre, rising to €2,890 in Dax.
Dax is a bustling market town known for its thermal spa, which has reportedly used water and silt from the Ardour river to cure medical complaints since Roman times.
Regional capital Bordeaux helps to keep property prices high in Gironde, to the east of Landes. The lively city has benefited from a number of initiatives to improve quality of life and transport in the city, most notably with its high-speed TGV link to Paris, and property prices have risen accordingly, growing 14.9% over 2007. Still, prices here are a more modest €2,350 per square metre, comparing favourably to the departmental average of €2,320.
To the east, the Dordogne is one of Aquitaine's cheapest departments, with property prices hitting an average of €1,440 in 2007. This rural department offers rolling green hills carpeted with forests as well as chalky plateaux riddled with rivers and is a confirmed favourite with Brits looking for a home from home – some 20,000 Brits were reportedly living permanently in the Dordogne in 2006.
Stone properties requiring renovation still exist, but thanks to the resident British community, stocks are diminishing fast. Périgueux is a delightful town, with narrow cobbled streets linking open squares and courtyards. Shops and restaurants range from the big chains to highly specialised artisans and a weekly market is held in the main square. The old white stone used in construction is typical of the Périgord Blanc's limestone plateaux.
Around Périgueux, a series of pretty villages and towns are clustered along the Dordogne's many rivers and streams, St Jean de Cole and Brantôme are particularly picturesque.
Commercial flights have resumed at nearby Périgueux Bassillac airport, with Twin Jet offering flights to Paris and the airport at Bergerac is well served by low-cost carriers, making access to the department quick and simple.
Lot-et-Garonne, the Aquitaine's cheapest department property-wise, averaging €1,180 per square metre, is more rural still, with many acres dedicated to the department's main economic activity: agriculture and food production. Villeneuve sur Lot, in particular, is known for its plum harvest and employment in this area centres around food preservation, such as tinning.
Prefecture town Agen is the prune capital and boasts one of France's few churches with a double nave. At just an hour's drive from both Toulouse and Bordeaux, property here offers seriously good value for money – the average house costing just €159,400.
With so much choice on offer in the Aquitaine you'll be hard pressed to decide where to buy, let alone what to buy. Still, whatever you decide, you can rest assured that the lifestyle and landscapes on offer in this beautiful region will keep you satisfied for many years yet.
Source: French Property Buying Guide - French Property News
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