Best market towns for a gîte holiday in France

Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, Southwest France

Market days: Wednesday AM (food market) & Saturday all day (full market)
Best for: Duck specialities, walnuts, seasonal truffles, local cheeses
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: One of France’s most famous food markets, compact medieval centre, excellent access to regional producers from the Dordogne countryside

Dordogne’s markets are among France’s finest, with Sarlat-la-Canéda standing out for size and variety on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In spring and summer, look for Gariguette strawberries, white asparagus and the region’s star ingredient: duck. Snap up jars of confit de canard to warm through in the gite and serve with sautéed potatoes (cook those in the duck fat too, just add garlic and black pepper) and a green salad. Autumn brings walnut harvests, walnut oil and local walnut wine, while a cone of toasted chestnuts makes the perfect street snack. Winter marks truffle season, when a small shaving transforms simple dishes.

Stay at: La Badoussie or Chartreuse de Montfort, with sun-dappled terraces and pools to nap and swim off some of your indulgence.

Looking for more inspiration? Read a local’s guide to the Dordogne’s markets >

Braderie street markets, Biarritz, Southwest France

Market days: Seasonal braderie events (spring & autumn)
Best for: Basque textiles, fashion bargains, regional homewares
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: Combines market shopping with beach culture, lively town atmosphere, easy access to coastal and countryside gîtes nearby

Shopaholics will love the Braderie in Biarritz. The autumn edition of this twice-yearly event takes place on the third weekend of September and sees the town’s shops set out stalls on the street to sell off their summer stock. Bargain-hunters can choose from clothes and shoes as well as homewares including the colourful striped Basque linen. The event also welcomes musicians playing in the streets, and locals soak up the atmosphere from bars and restaurants.

Stay at: the B&B Villa etchiBri in Anglet, just ten minutes away, with a beautiful swimming pool and four stylish guest rooms.

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhone, South of France

Market days: Daily morning food market (Place Richelme)
Best for: Provençal fruit and vegetables, olives, goat’s cheese, calissons
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: Daily access to fresh produce, classic Provençal market atmosphere, ideal for relaxed self-catering

If the Dordogne has a rival for market glory, Provence is surely it. Aix-en-Provence’s daily market in Place Richelme is a colourful display of sun-soaked produce. Browse beneath plane trees for ripe tomatoes, olives, artichokes in olive oil and charcuterie, perfect for low-effort meals. Cheeseboards shine with Banon wrapped in chestnut leaves or Picadon goat’s cheese. Summer brings nectarines, melon and figs, while the local sweet, the almond Calisson, pairs beautifully with coffee. After shopping, settle onto one of the café terraces on Place Richelme or nearby Place de l’Hotel de Ville (where the daily flower market is held), and watch Provençal life drift past.

Stay at: Le Mas des Anges de Flo

La Flotte, Île de Ré, Charente-Maritime, Atlantic Coast

Market days: Daily (peak season), reduced days off-season
Best for: Fleur de sel, seafood, island produce, artisanal cheeses
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: Bike-friendly island lifestyle, small walkable market, perfect for slow food shopping and coastal cooking

On the Île de Ré, cycling is the norm, making La Flotte’s compact market easy to reach. Wooden-beamed stalls frame the cobbled square, selling glossy vegetables, fresh fish and raw milk cheeses. The prized delicate flakes of salt harvested in the many salt pans across the island is a must-buy, either plain or in salted caramel sweets. Pick up ratatouille ingredients, boozy dessert jars from Baba Gourmand, or lemon-filled waffles for the ride home. Local aperitif Pineau de Charentes is another favourite, ideal chilled after cycling back to your gîte and easing gently into the evening meal.

Stay at: Maison Cypres

Bayeux, Normandy, Northern France

Market days: Wednesday & Saturday
Best for: Normandy cheeses, cider products, seafood (seasonal)
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: Long traditional street market, strong regional food identity, easy access to rural and coastal gîte locations

Bayeux’s Wednesday and Saturday markets stretch along Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Saint-Patrice, echoing the town’s famous tapestry in scale. Cheese lovers can sample Normandy’s classics: raw milk Camembert, heart-shaped Neufchâtel, banded Livarot and creamy Pont-l’Évêque. Coastal scallops appear in season and fry beautifully with local butter and lemon. Normandy’s drinks are just as tempting: crisp cider, sweet pommeau, pear-based poiré and warming calvados, perfect for flambéing seafood. Together they create a market basket rooted firmly in Normandy’s rich dairy and orchard traditions.

Stay at: the gîte Domaine de Ravenoville, near Utah Beach, for the history buffs.

Collioure, Languedoc-Roussillon, Mediterranean France

Market days: Wednesday and Sunday mornings
Best for: Anchovies, Catalan specialities, stone fruit (seasonal), local wines
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: Compact harbour town market, strong local food culture, ideal base for Mediterranean-style self-catering

Collioure’s Wednesday market in Place du Maréchal Leclerc showcases bold Catalan flavours beneath shady plane trees. Look for the town’s famous anchovies, plump and juicy, served in olive oil or with garlic and peppers. Lamb cutlets, grilled snails and local seafood fill neighbouring stalls. Inland orchards supply cherries in spring and peaches and nectarines later in summer, ideal for clafoutis or simple desserts. Pair your haul with bottles of Vin de Collioure from hillside vineyards overlooking the coast, then wander the colourful harbour lanes after shopping.

Stay at: Gîte Le Roc sur L’Orbieu for a truly impressive spot to lounge and read.

Rennes, Brittany, Northwest France

Market days: Saturday mornings (Marché des Lices)
Best for: Breton vegetables, seafood, butter-rich pastries, street food specialities
Why it’s great for a gîte holiday: One of France’s largest producer markets, huge regional variety, excellent base for exploring Brittany

While Brittany isn’t famous for markets, Rennes’ Marché des Lices is the exception, having drawn Saturday crowds for over four centuries. Framed by timber-fronted houses, the covered market and surrounding boulevards host around 250 producers each week. Expect Roscoff pink onions, Coco de Paimpol beans, fresh coastal fish and Brittany’s iconic farm butter for crusty baguettes. Cheese stalls offer small-batch goats’ cheeses and tommes. For eating on the move, try the local galette-saucisse, a pork sausage wrapped in buckwheat pancake. Finish with kouign-amann, Brittany’s famously buttery pastry, enjoyed back at the comfort of your gîte with a coffee.

Stay at: the Château de La Villedubois, with living areas perfect for sociable snacking.

 

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