If there's a formula for enjoying this region, it would include cultural highlights and relaxing by the sea, but above all tasting wine and indulging in the joys of Bordelais cuisine. The world-famous vineyards of Médoc, Sauternes, Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers, Pomerol, and St-Émilion surround the elegant 18th-century city of Bordeaux, set on the southwest edge of the region near the foot of the Gironde Estuary. As the gateway to marvelous Margaux and superlative Sauternes, Bordeaux—best entered from the south by the river—is 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Paris, 240 km (150 mi) northwest of Toulouse, and 190 km (118 mi) north of Biarritz.