With the longest beach in Europe, numerous hot springs, dozens of inland rivers and large lakes in abundance, it is no surprise how the Aquitaine region got its name. Many visitors elect to stay in Aquitaine apartments and are attracted to the area for its surfing, swimming, water sports, therapeutic healing, boating or simply lazing on the beach. Covering the whole of the south west corner of France, Aquitaine is the country's third largest region and takes in such well-known places as Gascony, the Dordogne, Bearn, Basque Country and the western side of the Pyrenees. Sitting on 270km of Atlantic coastline, the region's western edge consists of one long expanse of sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see.