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If you are staying in the area for longer than the weekend you will find a lot of things to do. Distances are long in France but roads are good and generally quiet. Pau (views of Pyrénées, Chateau, old town) is 45 minutes, the sea is an hour and the seaside towns of Biarritz, Hossegor, St Jean De Luz, Anglet etc. are about 90 minutes, the Pyrénées are about the same time, Spain is 2 hours (San Sebastian is very much worth a visit), Bordeaux(UNESCO World Heritage Site) 90 minutes and Toulouse 2 hours.
One of the principal local products is wine and there are many opportunities to taste. Bernède is within the "Appellation" St Mont. The Cave de St Mont is in the village of the same name about ten minutes from Bernède. Here you can try many of the St Mont wines as well as a good selection of Madiran and Pacherenc wines. St Mont has a wide range of red, white, both dry and sweet, and rosé and many of them can be found in the UK. Madiran, the town of the same name is about 20 minutes south of Bernède, is typically a tannic red wine while Pacherenc tends towards sweet "pudding" wines. Many of the Madiran Chateaux are open for tasting and some for tours. The Madiran web site - http://www.madiran-story.fr/en/ - has lots of information.
Armagnac is also produced in the area. Unlike Cognac (brandy) Armagnac is mainly produced by small local winemakers. There are hundreds of them and many will welcome you for tasting - look out for signs with "degustation". The centre of the Armagnac area is disputed but the village of La Bastide-d'Armagnac is certainly in the running. This pretty village dates back to the beginning of English rule of the region
Only 15 minutes from Bernède is La Tour de Termes - a high tower being the remnant of a larger chateau. It is open for visits every day except Tuesday morning. - http://www.tourdetermes.fr/visite-tour-de-termes/un-peu-dhistoire/
Aire-sur-l'Adour has a market Tuesday and Saturday which is worth a visit.
There is a lovely relaxed 9 hole golf course close by where a round costs €24 and you can rent a half set of clubs for €7. Please let Stephen know if you are interested in a round on the Saturday morning and we will try and arrange a group.
The small town of Eugénie-les-Bains is about 25 minutes from Bernède. Here you will find the base of Michel Guerard in the Chateau which includes his three star Michelin Restaurant. Within the hotel complex there is a spa where you can have many treatments - herbal, mud, needle, hammam etc. Each is about €40 or 5 for €170 - http://www.michelguerard.com/en/spa-cures/.
The small town of Eugénie-les-Bains is about 25 minutes from Bernède. Here you will find the base of Michel Guerard in the Chateau which includes his three star Michelin Restaurant. Within the hotel complex there is a spa where you can have many treatments - herbal, mud, needle, hammam etc. Each is about €40 or 5 for €170 - http://www.michelguerard.com/en/spa-cures/.If you are of a subterranean turn of mind then Les Grottes de Bétharram should fulfil your wishes. Located about 90 minutes south of Bernède past Lourdes these caves are interesting to visit - the tour takes about an hour and a half. One advantage, if the weather is very hot, is that the temperature in the caves is always 13 degrees celsius - http://www.betharram.com/ .
Many people do not realise that the South-West of France has a strong tradition of bullfighting. In fact, now that it is banned in some parts of Spain, there are more fights held in France than in Spain. Schedules are not yet available but there will certainly be one or two within easy reach while you are here. The "Corrida" is the traditional Spanish bullfight - and yes, I'm sorry, they do kill the bull. The "Course Landaise" does not involve harming the animal. In this local variation the participants do athletic movements around and over the bull. Often, at a Course Landaise, there is a possibility for children to enter the ring with a younger beast and try and pick a ribbon from its head!
