I am back in the Landes after many years, and this time I came with my favorite photographer to discover the Bas-Armagnac territory (one of the 3 production zones for the spirit of the same name) or Landes d’Armagnac. We visited the area at the end of November/early December 2024. This region is rich in forests and is also home to large properties with mixed farming and, of course, vineyards. Because this is also and above all the land of Armagnac, which is the name of a brandy, but also of this region of the Landes that is located not far from the Gers (a department we also love very much and about which we have already written on the blog several times), with which it shares a fondness for foie gras and the eponymous brandy.
This beautiful, hilly, and wooded region, located in the east of the Landes department (in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region), contrasts with the rest of the territory, which is rather flat and better suited to pine forests. It is therefore the ideal place to discover Armagnac and its famous and unique continuous distillation (which takes place between November and mid-December depending on the estates), while tasting this delicious and traditional brandy at the various Armagnac producers’ estates. This ancient spirit is protected by an AOC, and its 3 main grape varieties are: Baco, Ugni Blanc, and Folle Blanche. Its production volume is much more exclusive than that of Cognac, for example, which is also a grape-based brandy, but is made with double distillation in Charentais stills.
Below, as usual, I offer some ideas of things to see and do in the Landes d’Armagnac, as well as my selection of great addresses, particularly regarding wine tourism.
Practical Information
- Getting there by train from Paris: for our part, we took the train to Dax (about 3.5 hours by direct TGV from Paris Montparnasse station), then we rented a car in Dax, as it is very complicated to get around the region without a car otherwise.
Landes Tourist Office
Table of Contents
What to see and do in the Bas-Armagnac region of the Landes?
Below, as usual, I offer a small selection of things to do and see if you come for a stay in the Landes d’Armagnac or the region.
Landes d’Armagnac Tourist Office
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Discover the village of Roquefort
I recommend taking a walk in this former fortress built on a rocky outcrop above the confluence of two rivers, which reveals nearly a thousand years of history on the roads to Santiago de Compostela through interesting ruins. If you are there on the weekend, don’t miss the typical market on Saturday morning (Avenue des Arènes), which will allow you to buy good local gourmet products (we notably bought some very good duck sausages at the Charcuterie Le Rosier sur le Toit).
To discover: the 12th-century Benedictine church of Sainte Marie, the 14th-century St. Joseph chapel, the Gothic bridge, the Place des Cagots, the old towers of the Marsan and Foix castles, the ramparts, the classified bullring…
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Visit Labastide d’Armagnac
The Armagnac territory is also the land of bastides and the most emblematic and beautiful of them is Labastide d’Armagnac. Created in 1291, this bastide has kept its medieval appearance, with its magnificent Royal Square (also the heart of the market), its half-timbered facades, its narrow alleys, and its covered passages. Its imposing fortified church, which merged with an old watchtower after the Hundred Years’ War, houses a magnificent trompe l’oeil, created in 1831 by the Italian artist Céroni, which was recently restored. The Royal Square served as the bastide’s bullring and hosted the famous course landaise, a very important tradition in the region. You can walk around it alone or discover the bastide through a guided tour organized by the tourist office (located on the central Square), as we did.
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Great shopping address: Astéria, calabash artisan
This art artist is specialized in making light fixtures from calabashes and her workshop/boutique is located in the heart of the bastide. Christine Garnier recently joined the Cercle des Imaginaterres, a sustainable tourism initiative. If you stop by to pay her a little visit in her shop, she will tell you the story of her material, the calabash, whose primary use is for food. However, it is also used for many other purposes, notably for making musical instruments. Here, Christine dries them for a year before turning them into light fixtures (each calabash/light fixture requires between one week and one month of work). Her creative process, to which she gives a lot of meaning, aims to create a link between our origins and the modern world of today.
Atelier calebasses / Asteria – Christine Garnier
17-19 rue de Notre Dame, 40240 Labastide-d’Armagnac
Tel: 06 03 88 91 43
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Great Armagnac address: Ferme de Labouc
The ferme de Labouc is located in the heart of the Bas-Armagnac terroir on a farm comprising 20 hectares of vines. It is a true Landes farm, comprising a typical house with half-timbering, a fixed still that has been there for 34 years, an aging cellar, and a beautiful vineyard around the estate with a terroir of fawn-colored sands, colored by iron oxides. Connoisseurs say this terroir produces the best brandies in the area, notably because there is more rainfall than in the Gers. The estate only produces vintage Armagnacs, qualified exclusively by the year of a harvest (with a minimum of 10 years of age), and its oldest barrels date from the 80s. The farm also uses Basque bottles with a very recognizable shape. During our visit, the distillation had just finished. Here, the house distills for 6 days (between 1/3 and 1/4 of the harvest): Folle Blanche and Baco in terms of grape variety.
Good to know: the farm is located about 5 minutes by car from the center of Labastide d’Armagnac, but the estate also has a pretty boutique on the central square of the village if you want to do some shopping without going through the estate.
Ferme de Labouc
40240 Labastide d’Armagnac
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Domaine de Laballe
This estate perpetuates a family history (for 8 generations) by focusing on artisanal know-how, while bringing a contemporary touch with a conversion to organic farming and with their famous slogan: “Armagnac is Back!“. Producers of Armagnac, but also of wines, they receive and organize various events throughout the year. During our visit, we had the chance to participate in a bistronomic meal around the still in operation at the time of distillation, organized in collaboration with the Chez Flo restaurant (price €65 per person) in Parentis-en-Born. It was a super convivial experience that we really loved!
Their still dates from 1947 and it operates with a wood fire (which is quite rare). At the time of our visit, the estate was distilling Folle Blanche (one of the iconic grape varieties of Armagnac). At Laballe, distillation lasts about 12 days and then the brandy continues its aging in old barrels. The house works with wine merchants and restaurateurs and also makes collaborations with fine products (notably with the Brasserie 3 Fontaines in Belgium, which I already told you about, but also with Edwart Chocolatier, whom we love very much).
Domaine de Baballe
Château de Laballe, D37, Parleboscq
My favorite addresses in the Bas-Armagnac region of the Landes
As usual, you will find below my selection of great addresses in the Bas-Armagnac region of the Landes (one accommodation and several restaurants, boutiques, and Armagnac addresses) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with the favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you come to the Landes.
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Where to buy good local products? Fantaisies Gasconnes Boutique
This boutique, opened in 2021 during the lockdown, is located in Saint Justin, which is also a bastide. Dominique Dejean knows a thing or two about local producers and her boutique is overflowing with good products that she has a knack for uncovering. She tries to work with as many products from the Landes and Gascony as possible. Her guiding principle is to offer products that cannot be found in supermarkets, and she also has a desire to take the time to explain the products and their origins to her customers. Throughout the year, the boutique organizes workshops, tastings, and events.
To taste and take home: the Floc de Gascogne, the local aperitif made at harvest time from fresh grape juice and Armagnac in two colors (white and rosé) which has been AOC since 1990 and AOP since 2009; duck foie gras (we tasted the one from La Sourbère, which was delicious); some local beers and wines; the Landes pastis, a delicious cake flavored with orange blossom, rum, and Armagnac, and the “plump” version from Saint-Justin that we tasted was succulent.
Fantaisies Gasconnes
2 Place du Chêne Rond, 40240 Saint-Justin
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Where to dine at an Armagnac estate? Domaine de Marquestau
In the heart of Gascony, nestled between Gers and Landes, the Domaine de Marquestau is located in an exceptional Bas-Armagnac terroir on an 18th-century property. The beautiful story of Domaine Marquestau is a company created in 2013 by 4 childhood friends determined to perpetuate the legacy of Martial Darraba, an Armagnac producer in Hontanx, from whom they also bought the estate and the stock (with the oldest brandies dating back to 1983). They wanted to come together on a common project that tells a story: that of the region’s iconic product. Domaine de Marquestau only produces cask-strength spirits, without rotating barrels. They export their Armagnac to the USA, China, and the Asian continent, as well as to Germany and Spain. We had the opportunity to taste their XO and the 2001 vintage (which won an award at the Salon de l’Agriculture) and we really appreciated their products.
In the authentic atmosphere of the old cellars, the Domaine de Marquestau welcomes visitors to its former stables, renovated into a restaurant (but while keeping the stalls for the authentic feel) for gourmet moments discovering local flavors in collaboration with a chef, in a warm atmosphere. This estate, which produces wine and Armagnac, therefore offers a gourmet table on Thursdays and Fridays and also a brunch on Sundays! For our part, we tested a dinner in the context of the Friday gourmet nights and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Domaine de Marquestau
1095 route de Marquestau – 40190 Hontanx
Restaurant l’Etable open Thursday and Friday lunch for standard service + Friday evening + brunch
Price: Démognac beer €3.50; Portagayola cocktail with Armagnac €5; Floc de Gascogne €3; glass of estate wine €3
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Where to have lunch at the Bastide d’Armagnac? Au Bastignac Restaurant
The restaurant Au Bastignac is installed in the center of the Bastide d’Armagnac, with a charming terrace that offers a beautiful view of the pretty central square of the city with the fortified church that I told you about in my paragraph on the village. Here we find home-cooked cuisine with local products, and I warn you, the quantities are more than generous. Be careful, however, you must book because it is only open for lunch and the address is often fully booked.
We tasted: whole duck magret and its side dish (€22); confit duck leg and its side dish (€16); wines by the glass between €3 and €6.
Restaurant Au Bastignac
29 Place Royale, 40240 Labastide-d’Armagnac
Price: dishes between €16 and €24 / desserts between €5 and €9 / Landes menu €35
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Where to stay in the Bas-Armagnac? Le Poutic Bed & Breakfast in Créon d’Armagnac
Nestled in the heart of nature, very close to Labastide d’Armagnac, which I told you about a little higher up, Le Poutic is a character guest house that consists of four rooms and a gite to rent, all renovated with great taste by a charming couple, Isabelle and Florent. This beautiful traditional farmhouse of the Landes Armagnac, dating from the 19th century (its date of construction would be around 1820), with exposed woodwork and stones, is the ideal place to spend peaceful holidays and explore the Landes Bas-Armagnac. The accommodation has a large wooded plot of 6,000m², which is also called an ‘airial’ in the Landes, and from June to October, you can also enjoy the heated swimming pool (which was unfortunately not our case given the season).
Le Poutic Table d’hôtes
The address also acts as a table d’hôtes for its guests, which is very practical if you want to enjoy the place and eat quietly without having to take your car. We really appreciated this service because in winter it gets dark very early and it was very pleasant to be able to stay at Le Poutic in the evening. Moreover, Florent is an excellent cook and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Go for a bike ride around Le Poutic
If you want to take a short bike ride around the guest house, you will find a nice loop to do via this link, which passes exactly in front of the accommodation. With electric bikes, it made for a short ride of about an hour. This itinerary will have you taking country roads that wind between crops and meadows, and you will also notably pass by a pond, very popular with fishermen. For bike rentals, you can go through Vélo Labastidien.
Le Poutic Guest House
Lieu-dit Pouticq, 10 Rte de Saint-Julien d’Armagnac, 40240 Créon-d’Armagnac
Room rates starting from €90 per night
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Thanks to the Landes Tourist Office and Marilys for organizing this great stay in the Landes.
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to visit the Landes and Bas-Armagnac, and if you also have your own favorite addresses and tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
