The essentials to visit in the Landes

The Landes are a popular tourist destination. It must be said that the region offers many leisure activities and there is something to please the whole family. The Silver Coast is dotted with charming seaside resorts, with magnificent fine sandy beaches and surf spots. In the Landes hinterland, you will visit authentic villages and towns with an interesting heritage, such as Mont-de-Marsan. For those who want to take care of themselves, it is around the spa town of Dax (fr) that you will find what you are looking for. Nature lovers will not be left out, with many beautiful natural sites. We have selected for you the essential sites to visit in the Landes to appreciate this beautiful region.

Photos of the article © Guide des Landes unless otherwise stated

Landes seaside resorts

The Côte d'Argent is a long coastline on the Atlantic, about 100 km of fine sandy beaches, dotted with towns on the edge of the ocean. They offer many services and activities to their visitors. Each one has its own atmosphere… From the smallest and most picturesque, to the most urban and lively, there is something for everyone. Here is an overview of the Landes seaside resorts:

• Biscarrosse-Plage (fr) and its large freshwater lakes
• Mimizan, the seaside town with the look of yesteryear
• Moliets-et-Maa, the “Landes Dolce Vita”
• Vieux-Boucau and its marine lake of Port d'Albret
• Seignosse, in the heart of the Landes forest
• Soorts-Hossegor, the capital of surfing
• Capbreton, between sport and gastronomy
• Labenne, a children's paradise
• Tarnos, at the mouth of the Adour

Mont-de-Marsan

Mont-de-Marsan is located in the heart of the Landes. The town is typical of the Landes hinterland and gives you the opportunity to discover a new facet of the region. Its heritage really deserves a visit, especially its historic city center, with its keep and medieval streets. The cultural offerings are varied: museums, theatre, arenas…

It is a green city, with a park and gardens, for charming walks. It is nicknamed the "city of three rivers" because it is home to the confluence of the Midou and the Douze, forming the Midouze! It therefore offers many aquatic and nautical leisure activities. It benefits from a very natural environment, in the Landes countryside and is located on the Voie de Vézelay. You can make beautiful hikes on the Chemins de Compostelle, in the Landes Forest, or on the paths that crisscross the Chalosse.

Dax, a spa town in the Landes

The Landes and in particular the city of Dax are famous for hydrotherapy. The springs in the region have been legendary since antiquity. Many establishments offer treatments to take advantage of the benefits of these waters with multiple virtues. If different pathologies are treated in this way, these aquatic centers are also places of leisure accessible to the whole family.

Swimming and water sports in the Landes lakes

Between the springs, the rivers that crisscross the valleys and the mountain torrents, the Landes is well provided with bodies of water. The lakes and ponds are ideal for introducing you to water sports or taking leisurely strolls on the water in a paddle, canoe or other craft. In addition, their environment is often preserved and offers a pleasant setting for nature outings. Here are some ideas for enjoying the Landes lakes:

• Bathe in the bodies of water and the aquatic leisure centers of the Landes. (fr)
  
• Rent a canoe, a kayak or a boat at the Cercle de Mimizan and take a trip on the water.
• Take a walk around the astonishing marine lake of Port d'Albret in Vieux-Boucau.
• Visit the natural areas of Soustons: its Hardy and white ponds and the Etang Noir nature reserve.
• Enjoy the Landes dolce vita on the shores of Lake Léon.

Go for a walk or observe the fauna and flora of the Landes

The Landes are made up of various extraordinary natural environments: the Landes Forest and its maritime pines, the "Little Amazon of the Landes", dunes with short and unusual vegetation, streams and their mouths, ponds and water lakes sweet or marine. All these ecosystems are protected by nature reserves, biodiversity centers and developed areas. To discover them, we have listed for you the bird watching sites in the Landes. One of our favourites: the Etang Noir Nature Reserve.

Discover the sumptuous Courant d'Huchet

In a preserved natural area known as the "Little Amazon of the Landes", a current crisscrosses which is home to exceptional biodiversity: The Huchet current. You can walk on the forest paths that cross the protected area. But the best way to feel the atmosphere of the place is to board a Galupe and let yourself be guided by a naturalist.

Kayaking on the Leyre

In Pissos there is a leisure area, surrounded by nature, in the heart of the Landes forest and on the banks of the Leyre. This tourist site offers various activities: a tree climbing park in the pine forest, an aquatic and nautical leisure center on the Leyre, a mountain bike rental agency, an archery stand, playgrounds and sports grounds, a equestrian centre, etc. But it is above all a natural area which is home to exceptional flora and fauna. You will rub shoulders with European mink, European pond turtles and many birds...

Stroll through the villages of the Landes

To walk in the villages of the Landes is to pierce the soul of this country. We looked for which are the most beautiful villages, those where the atmosphere is the warmest and the most typical of the Landes. Here is our selection of 10 towns and villages in the Landes not to be missed. Authenticity, generosity, moments of life and celebration await you there for an unforgettable holiday.

We hope to have made you want to discover these unmissable tourist sites in the Landes to appreciate this beautiful region in all its facets.

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