Taxi Bordeaux → Lesparre-Médoc

Lesparre-Médoc is the sub-prefecture of the Gironde and the administrative capital of the Northern Médoc, the part of the Médoc peninsula beyond Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. While it lacks the viticultural prestige of its southern neighbours, Lesparre has interesting medieval heritage centred on the Tour de l'Honneur, an imposing 14th-century square keep, remnant of the castle of the Lords of Lesparre who controlled all of Northern Médoc. The town is above all a strategic crossroads for exploring the Northern Médoc: the Pointe de Grave (30 km north), where the Gironde estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean, offers a striking panorama and the ferry to Royan (20-minute crossing). The Cordouan lighthouse, 'Versailles of the sea', a listed monument and UNESCO site, is accessible by boat from Le Verdon-sur-Mer (25 km from Lesparre). The Northern Médoc marshes, wetlands of remarkable ecological richness, shelter exceptional birdlife (herons, storks, snipe). The Médoc appellation (distinct from Haut-Médoc) produces powerful, full-bodied red wines, less well-known but offering excellent value. Lesparre also hosts the Thursday market, one of the Médoc's most important, where wine producers, oyster farmers and local market gardeners come together.