Saubrigues 
A typically French country village offering an insight into rural life in south west France. There's a village restaurant and a very handy tennis centre.

St Vincent-de-Tyrosse
The nearest town and here you will find a supermarket, shops and bars, restaurants, a cinema and a weekly market (Fridays). There are also weekly markets at Capbreton and Saubrigues.

Most of the south west of France is something of an outdoor playground and this southern area of Les Landes is certainly no exception. Take your pick from surfing, watersports, sailing, cycling, tennis, horse-riding and golf to name a few.

Golfers are spolit for choice with the range of excellent standard courses locally: the two nearest courses are the 1930s-built Golf d’Hossegor and Seignosse, a water and forest monster of a course ranked in Continental Europe’s Top 50. Also in 30 minutes drive are Moliets (also in the Top 50), Biarritz le Phare, Makila, Arcangues and Chiberta.

Surfers will now all about the Côte d'Argent and can enjoy the pick of waves at Hossegor and Capbreton - some of Europes's best waves.

Cyclists can enjoy the many safe forest tracks that connect between the villages inland and coastal towns. Particularly enjoyable is to take bikes (and picnic) along the minor roads which hug both the southern and northern banks of the Adour. It’s a scene straight out of Wind In The Willows!

Sailing enthusiasts should head for the Capbreton Marina - 5 kms south of Hossegor.

Being so close to the Pays Basque border, sporting life also includes the legendary game of pelota. You can watch a game at many a village fronton or watch the professionals in action at Bayonne. Another great spectator sport of th the region is course landaise. This is south west France's more human version of bull-fighting where the bull leaves the arena still breathing. In fact, it's more circus than bull-fighting.

A short distance south of Maison Baradet - and easily reachable by bike - is the Adour river and an area known as Les Barthes. The Adour is a vast river fed by the melting snows of the Pyrénées and "Les Barthes" is the name given to the floodplain on the north bank which, each year without fail, fills up with the river’s surplus water. This swampy prairie is home to a secret ingredient used to feed the famous thermal spas of nearby Dax which are so craved for their therapeutic powers.

The ecology of Les Barthes makes it something of a special environment for bird-watching (Marais d'Orx is another prime location), nature studies and spotting the small but friendly poneys barthais. Of course, the Adour itself is fertile territory for fishing enthusiasts; eels, pike and salmon are just a few of the varieties to be found and obtaining a licence to catch them is refreshingly straightforward – and inexpensive.

The Pays Basque and this southern stretch of Les Landes are rich in attractions; here are just a few suggestions for day-trips:

• Biarritz and St Jean de Luz. Less than an hour’s drive south are the sophisticated resorts of Biarritz and St Jean de Luz, the south Atlantic’s competition to the Côte d’Azur. Both provide excellent beaches, cuisine and up-market shopping as well as a good introduction to the Spanish-influenced Pays Basque. If you have time, drop into the regional capital, Bayonne. Famed for its ham and its chocolates, Bayonne was under English rule for 300 years. It is much under-rated and worth a trip to see its cathedral and walk its ancient streets.

• Spa & thalassotherapy. In France, the south west is known for its rejuvenating waters, both salt and fresh varieties. Dax is the official spa capital of France and is a 25 minute drive from les Barthes. The Côte Basque – Hendaye, St Jean de Luz and Biarritz - is home to numerous thalassotherapy centres.

• Lakes. The freshwater lakes that punctuate the forest provide a great alternative to the ocean and safer bathing for children. Rather like the Lake District in England, each lake or etang has its own atmosphere. Try etangs Blanc, Soutsons and Léon; at the latter you can canoe from the lake along the serene Courant d’Huchet to the ocean’s edge.

• Chalosse Country. To the south of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan you start to enter rural Gascony, which means several things: foie gras, floc de Gascogne (a sherry-like aperitif) and a pleasantly slow pace of life. The food is marvellous, the towns are half asleep except for market days, and the countryside is highly relaxing. Montfort-en-Chalosse, Mugron and St. Sever are good stopping points.

• Basque Country. The delightful rolling green hills and picture-perfect villages of the Pays Basque are a must. la Bastide-Clairence, Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette and Ascain all perfectly demonstrate Basque village life. A visit to Cambo-les-Bains is recommended not least to visit the magnificent Villa Arnaga, home of the late Edmund Rostand, author of Cyrano de Bergerac.

• Parc National des Pyrénées. A little further south and you can hike in the mountain air, walk or mountain bike through the Forêt d’Iraty or des Arbailles and try your hand at a variety of life-threatening pursuits such as rock-climbing, parascending or white-water rafting.

• Spain. It’s an hour to the border and only a short distance further to the majestic city of San Sebastian, the Spanish Basque country’s equivalent of Biarritz. The more adventurous could drive another hour or so further along the northern coast to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim.

For further information try the links below. There is an excellent tourist office in Hossegor too. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for the content of third party sites.

Biarritz Tourist Office
Les Landes Tourism
Learn About the Basque Country
Hossegor Tourist Office