Situated between the villages of Léon and Vielle-Saint-Girons, 10 km as the crow flies from the campsite, the Etang de Léon is one of the great lakes of the Landes. Here are 5 ideas for things to do at Lac de Léon during your Landes vacation!
Lac de Léon boasts a number of bathing beaches. The Lac à Vielle beach offers a bucolic setting for a swim in the heart of the Landes forest. The bathing area is supervised in summer, shallow, sheltered from the wind (so no waves), perfect for families with young children!
With a surface area of 340 ha, Lac de Léon forms a veritable inland sea. On the north shore of the lake, the Club Nautique Léonnais welcomes windsurfers, optimists, dinghy sailors, catamarans, stand-up-paddleboarders, canoeists and pedal-boat enthusiasts. The program includes private lessons, mini-classes, sailing discovery sessions and boat hire.
The Etang de Léon is also a popular spot for anglers, renowned for its fish-filled waters. It’s a delight for anglers teasing white fish and predators: carp, pike, perch, pike-perch, bleak, roach, bream… But watch out for the lake monster… Before you go fishing, find out more about the legend of “Lou Boum”. Not even afraid? All you have to do is buy a 7-day vacation fishing pass, specially designed for occasional anglers.
Your camping holiday near Lac de Léon is the perfect opportunity to take a trip along the Courant d’Huchet, which links the lake to the ocean at Moliets. Nicknamed the “Amazon of the Landes”, this small coastal river is famous for its nature reserve and lush gallery forest. You can choose between a boat trip with a boatman or a hike along the reserve’s trails.
Classified as a nature reserve and part of the Natura 2000 network, the Etang de Léon is home to a rich and remarkable flora and fauna. A stroll along the western shore of the Etang de Léon reveals a rich and often surprising diversity of plant species: royal osmonds, pink hibiscus, sundews, bald cypress, as well as many mammals such as otters and mink. of Europe or the coypu, cistude turtles, numerous insects (Cordulia, Agrion de mercure), a host of colourful birds such as the Little Bittern, Grey Heron, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier… Nature lovers won’t be disappointed!
The Eurosol campsite is located in the Landes forest which is spread over three departments: the Landes, the Gironde and the Lot-et-Garonne. With nearly one million hectares of forest, it is the largest cultivated forest in Europe and its history is equally impressive.
At the origin of this pharaonic project, two issues specific to the territory. Before the 19th century, the Landes had to cope with a constant advance of sand of several dozen metres per year over the land. Added to this were difficulties in evacuating rainwater on the flat sandy soil, which led to the development of mosquitoes and numerous diseases such as malaria.
To counteract these effects, the first companies began to operate in the 18th century. Following his own observations, the road and bridge engineer Chambrelent had the idea of planting maritime pine seeds on a marshy plot of land. The success was not long in coming and the number of hectares cleared increased over time. In view of the results obtained, Napoleon III later decided to pass a law to sow the area. It was then necessary to wait several decades before the dunes were fixed by oyat and the swamps cleaned up by the forest.
This new forest had beneficial effects on the local economy. Firstly, thanks to gemmaging, which consists of recovering resin from the pines. This work made it possible to help waterproof ships and maintain the ropes. Subsequently, the resin will be used as turpentine for the manufacture of various products such as paint or varnish.
In the 20th century, the resin was abandoned in favour of wood, which was used to make posts in French and English mines.
In the 1920s, a new economy was born, with the birth of the Papeteries de Gascogne created in Mimizan. Their success was such that they are still today leaders in the kraft paper market.
Taking a spa treatment in the Landes means filling up on good energy and taking advantage of the benefits of the mud and hot water, known for their therapeutic effects since ancient times. Here is a small overview of the Landes spa towns to discover during your camping holiday!
40 km from the Eurosol campsite, on the banks of the Adour river, Grand Dax (Dax and Saint-Paul-lès-Dax), is the first spa town in Europe, known since Roman times. The quality of its thermal water, its mud with medicinal virtues called “Peloide” and its thermal treatments have made it THE destination par excellence for people taking the waters. The symbol of the spa, the Hot Fountain, or Nèhe spring, named after a Celtic water goddess, was built at the beginning of the 19th century on the site of the old Roman baths in the centre of Dax. Renowned since antiquity for its therapeutic properties, the water rises from the ground at a temperature of 64 degrees between the arches of the Tuscan-inspired portico.
45 minutes from the Eurosol campsite, on the banks of the Adour, the charming spa village of Préchacq-les-Bains attracts many curists and visitors. Located about ten kilometres from Dax, facing the forest, the resort has no less than five naturally hot springs, rich in sulphur and calcium. Rheumatism and respiratory tract ailments are treated there, thanks in particular to a vegetal-mineral mud deposited by the Adour floods.
In just a few years, the small Landes resort of Saubusse has reinvented thermalism. Located 45 km from the campsite, this former trading port on the Adour is now a very soothing spa destination, appreciated for its “Zen” and family atmosphere. The thermal waters of the spa village are particularly effective in treating rheumatological and phlebological ailments. Try the Landes massage, the speciality of Saubusse!
Nestled in a very natural setting, at the crossroads of the Landes, the Gers and the Béarn, Eugénie-les-Bains is a spa resort that appeals to lovers of sport, history, heritage and gastronomy, thanks in particular to the talents of the starred chef Michel Guérard. If you didn’t know it yet, Eugénie-les-Bains is THE Landes village that invented slimming through care, nature and…food! As for the thermal baths, they treat arthritis and rheumatism, as well as urinary and digestive problems.
Coming to the Landes is also an opportunity to visit the region’s many lakes. Most of the large lakes in the Landes region have beaches (often supervised in summer), hiking trails and one or more watersports centers. You’ll be able to try your hand at windsurfing, wakeboarding, water-skiing, towed buoys, stand-up paddling, canoeing, pedal-boating and more. A great way to spend time with family and friends!
Each lake has its own special features to suit every taste:
A trip to the Basque Country means discovering a region with many different facets: sea, mountains, culture and traditions. Just one hour from our Landes campsite, change of scenery and explore the Basque coast and its hinterland.
Situated in the north of the region, Biscarrosse has many assets to spend pleasant moments with your loved ones on the Silver Coast.
Coming to Biscarrosse means being able to enjoy 3 km of fine sandy beach. To do so, you can go to the South, North and Vivier beaches or to the Trencat surfing spot.
Les Landes, it is also many lakes to relax, exercise, have fun and swim. Biscarrosse is no exception as the seaside resort alone has three large lakes nearby.
You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the activities on offer: water park, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, beaches, walking or cycling, etc. Whether you come as a couple, with friends or family, take advantage of the idyllic setting during a lake outing.
Holidaymakers in search of cultural discoveries can go to the Lac de Biscarrosse and Parentis, which also has the particularity of being a hydrobase. It is also on the shores of this lake that you can visit the hydroviation museum.