What to do in the Landes in winter?

Your next vacation is approaching and you are wondering what to do in the Landes in winter? The Landes Guide has put together a program of winter activities : sports, gastronomic discoveries, cultural visits, fun and fun outings to have fun with the family.

This department is a nature destination, which allows you to practice many outdoor sports. Winter is also the most favorable season for taking beautiful walks in nature reserves and observing wild animals and especially migratory birds. Not far from the Pyrenees, you can easily go to the resorts, to enjoy the snow with your family and to practice mountain sports. If you are more of a city dweller, you can also find all kinds of activities, whether you are a lover of culture, well-being, shopping, wine tourism... In the Landes, it's impossible to be bored, even in winter!

Opening photo : @ Loïc / Adobe Stock

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Stroll on the beaches of the Landes coast

Watching the ocean in the distance, strolling in the moor, contemplating the Landes forest and collecting shells… Walking along the water's edge in winter is such a relaxing and exotic activity for the mind. So many benefits for our body too! Breathe deeply in the invigorating sea air, fight against the sand to climb the dunes, run and have fun without risking injury and for the more courageous, dip their feet in the water... It's so pleasant and it makes the whole family happy. Have you been tempted? So we're going to explore the most beautiful beaches in the Landes! If you want more, we've listed them all in our section on Landes beaches.

For a romantic getaway, we reveal the most beautiful spots to admire the sunset on the Landes coast.

Photo : @Lesley Williamson

If you prefer a more dynamic and sporty atmosphere, go to the seaside resorts instead. They line the coast, allow you to practice surfing, even in winter, and offer you the spectacle of surfers who train. Here are our favorites : Mimizan, Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains, Hossegor, Seignosse, Biscarrosse. If you want other ideas for visits, see our article on the most beautiful villages in the Landes.

Our favorite : Moliets-et-Maâ, the Landes dolce vita!

Visit the villages of the Landes, here Labastide d'Armagnac. Photo @Guide des Landes

Watch birds in nature reserves

The Landes bring together diverse landscapes that benefit many species of birds. The dunes and the Landes forest, the wet and marshy zones of the mouths and deltas allow them to find food in abundance, to nest and provide them with living spaces protected and preserved from human activities. In addition, the Landes are on one of the most important migration routes in Europe. To protect birds and their biotope, there are many nature reserves. They also offer you observation points and you can learn about ornithology from guides and associations. The Landes Guide shows you the best sites for bird watching.

Take the binoculars and contemplate the kings of heaven. Photo : @Ryan Magsino / Unsplash

Golf in the Landes

Golf is a very complete sporting activity which requires concentration and skill. These beautiful lawns, punctuated with groves and water points, form a magnificent setting for playing sports, while having fun. The Landes are well endowed with golf courses. To find the one that suits you : our section on Landes golf courses.

The magnificent golf course of Moliets et Mâa, facing the ocean and the forest. Photo @ Moliets-et-Mâa Golf Profile

Enjoy a sports holiday in Capbreton

Capbreton is a dynamic coastal town all year round. Whatever your tastes, you will surely find what you are looking for among the sports on offer : surfing and other board sports, water sports, mountain biking, karting, horse riding, boat or plane rides, ULM... Here is an overview of your vacation in Capbreton !

Go and discover the beach and the seaside resort of CapBreton, a real gem even in winter. Photo : @Catalina Fedorova / Unsplash

Practice a winter sport in the Pyrenean resorts, from Mont-de-Marsan

Do you want to enjoy the snow from the Landes? Several Pyrenean resorts are accessible from Mont-de-Marsan. You will find all kinds of winter activities and mountain sports there, apart from skiing : tobogganing, snowshoeing, Nordic walking, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, horseback riding... We have made the tour for you areas closest to the Landes.

The Béarn stations are about two hours away by car :

La-Pierre-Saint-Martin is an alpine and Nordic ski resort.
Gourette is a traditional resort, with many downhill skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, cross-country skiing or freestyle... It also offers more unusual activities, such as dog sledding, snow grooming, a large winter zip line, Nordic baths and saunas, geocaching with Terra Aventura, or even spending the night in an igloo with l'Aventure Nordique.
Issarbe resort is the ideal place for snowshoeing, Nordic walking, cross-country skiing and sledding.
That of Artouste also, but it offers an unprecedented activity for thrill seekers : an ice waterfall to climb!

Barely further away, here are the Hautes-Pyrénées resorts :

At the Col du Tourmalet, the Cauterets resort offers alpine and Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
Right next door, the Barèges resort stands out with thrilling activities : freeride descent of the Pic du Midi, visit of the snowmobile area...
The resort of Saint-Lary Soulan is very family-friendly, with many spaces reserved for children.
Between Cauterets and Saint-Lary Soulan, the Hautacam leisure park (fr) offers descents on its Mountain Luge all year round.
The main asset of the Gavarnie-Cèdre resort is its breathtaking view of the Cirque de Gavarnie.
The resort of Peyragudes offers new attractions : funslope, lands-game, a ski movie, Inca and Mayan baths in Balnea.

To find out more, you can contact the Capbreton Ski Club (fr)!

If you do not want to travel to learn or improve your skiing, you can always try skiing on pine needles! At the beginning of the ^20th century and until 1970, a dune covered with pine needles formed a true track of 250 meters as skiing enthusiasts enjoyed a lot. It was very trendy in the Arcachon basin!

At the meeting of the snow from the Landes, it's easy! Photo @Patrick Untersee / Unsplash

Cultivate yourself in museums

In winter, when it is too cold to play sports or enjoy nature, museums are a good option. They tell you about the region's past, its traditions and its land, but also its present, through its culture, modern art and crafts. To make your choice, see our full article on museums and cultural visits in the Landes. Here is our top 5 by categories :

History : the Prehistosite of Brassempouy.
Local life and culture : the House of heritage and ancient trades in Mimizan.
Arts : the Despiau-Wlérick Museum in Mont-de-Marsan.
Gastronomy and oenology : the Armagnac ecomuseum.

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Shopping in Hossegor

Thinking about yourself and having fun can also mean a good shopping spree! To enjoy the dynamic and festive atmosphere of seaside resorts, with a variety of shops and interesting boutiques, we recommend Hossegor. This surf capital has a very young, trendy spirit and its creators are at the forefront of fashion. Follow you on our shopping trip to Hossegor...

Come shopping, in winter there are even sales. Photo @Lesley Williamson

Taste Landes gastronomy

We end up greedily with the famous gastronomy of the Landes. Here is a good idea to discover the culinary culture of Landes. To inspire you, we have concocted a menu of king, with the specialties and the essential products of the Landes. It is an agricultural region which offers good local products. To find them and meet producers, artisans and enthusiasts, go to the Landes markets. Before you cook, we reveal the traditional recipes of Landes cuisine. And if you don't have the courage to spend hours in the kitchen, we give you good restaurant addresses.

Eat oysters in Hossegor of course! And to accompany them, you need a good white wine from the Landes. This is the right time to appreciate the delicious wines of the Landes and learn more about its vineyard.

Relax in the thermal baths and wellness areas

The Landes have springs with multiple healing properties. It is the first thermal department in France. Its establishments attract not only numerous spa visitors, but also visitors who want a moment of relaxation in the baths, a massage or a treatment to enjoy the thermal waters. Around Dax, you will find no less than 17 centers, as well as in Eugénie-les-Bains. In cure or just for a day, winter is the ideal period to take care of yourself in the thermal baths of the Landes...

Our favorite : The Saubusse thermal center.

We offer you a whole weekend of relaxation in Dax (fr)!

You are well prepared for your next winter vacation in the Landes. We hope to have made you want to experiment new activities, to see the region differently and to better know the Landes culture.

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