Landes: surf, pine forest and hidden lakes
Surf towns, a jungle-like river, an old forest hamlet and lakes behind the dunes, from Hossegor to Arcachon.
- Distance
- 217 km (135 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 00 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 7
- Countries
- France
- Updated
- August 24, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 217 km (135 mi) with 7 stops, from Hossegor to Arcachon. About 3 h 00 min of driving in total.
Route description
Hossegor is one of Europe’s surfing capitals, with a saltwater lake behind the beach and cycle paths through the pines. The D652 runs north behind the dunes to Léon, where boats take you down the Courant d’Huchet, a river through cypress swamp to the sea.
Mimizan has a wide beach and a quiet lake, and from here it is worth a detour inland to Sabres for the Marquèze ecomuseum, reached by a little train. Back towards the coast, Biscarrosse sits between two large freshwater lakes where families swim in calm water.
The D218 leads north through the forest to the Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe, and on to Arcachon, a resort of Belle Époque villas with oysters and boats to Cap Ferret.
The whole coast is flat and full of campsites and aires, and a long cycle path runs through the forest between the resorts. July and August are busy; June and September keep the warm water without the crowds.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Hossegor
France - 232 km
Courant d’Huchet
NatureLéon, FranceA small river that winds from the Lac de Léon to the ocean through a jungle of cypress and ferns. Traditional flat boats take visitors down it from the lake.
- 345 km
Mimizan
France - 449 km
Marquèze Ecomuseum
HistorySabres, FranceA 19th-century farming hamlet in a forest clearing, reached by an old train from Sabres. It shows life in the Landes before the pine forest was planted.
- 554 km
Biscarrosse
France - 628 km
Dune du Pilat
NatureLa Teste-de-Buch, FranceEurope’s tallest sand dune, over 100 m high, between pine forest and the Atlantic.
- 711 km
Arcachon
France
