If you’re planning a trip to France and want to go beyond the usual routes, this is a simple place to begin.

This guide brings together a selection of villages, markets, drives, and places I return to often—shared exactly as I would with friends coming to the region.

Inside, you’ll find a slower way of traveling through southwest France:

• Hidden hilltop villages made for wandering
• Local markets worth lingering in
• A scenic drive through the landscape at its best
• Restaurants I return to again and again
• And my favorite way to spend an unhurried afternoon

These aren’t “must-sees”—just places that feel good to return to, time and time again.