South West France Property For Sale

A property in South West France has been the dream of Englishmen since the Hundred Years’ War of the 14th and 15th centuries. Happily for the ‘entente-cordiale’ between the two nations the English are now prepared to pay in a currency other than blood to own property in this glorious corner of France.

The Plantagenet line laid claim to South West France because of the union of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine – a union which begat that great English king Richard the Lionheart.The English consequently believed themselves to be legitimate owners of this beautiful and verdant corner of France and many of the castles and bastide towns we see today were actually built by the English to keep the French out! The English have been reluctant to leave ever since. The once dreaded cry of ‘Les Anglais ont débarqués’ (The English have landed) now sees estate agents rather than soldiers galvanised into action and the Dordogne in particular has thriving ex-pat colonies in villages such as Eymet.

While the Dordogne is the most popular choice for Brits buying property in South West France, the area also boasts cosmopolitan Bordeaux with its world-famous wine chateaux; the beautiful, pine-fringed beaches of the Landes; the pretty Basque fishing villages around chic Biarritz; the beautiful ‘pink city’ of Toulouse and the skiing resorts of the Pyrénées.

By South West France property we include in these pages property in Midi-Pyrénées as well as in Aquitaine. You can choose to see properties in just one of these regions or stay on these pages to see everything that South West France has to offer!

* If your definition of South West France includes Charente-Maritime, the wider region of Poitou-Charentes or the Limousin then consult our properties in these areas as well.