Cycle The Landes In Southwest France

The Landes is a huge stretch of pine forested dunes in the southwest of France

. The forests are the largest in France and are almost exclusively conifers. There are excellent cycling paths which wind their way through the forests and along roads which do not have much traffic outside the July-August peak tourist season. It is possible to cycle all the way from Arcachon in the north of the Landes to Bayonne in the south along these paths, stopping off in towns and villages en route to pick up supplies. There are a large number of hotels, campsites and bed and breakfasts available along the bicycle path or close by.

The journey can be done in three days for an average of 80km per day. The paths are in good condition so any kind of bicycle should be able to make this trip, however, some sections are poorer than others and there are a lot of pine needles on the path, which are more than capable of puncturing the tyre of a road bicycle.

The bicycle path hugs the coast for the most part, passing through beautiful forests and beside empty stretches of beach that extend further than the eye can see. It also passes a number of interesting sites, including the Dune of Pyla, the largest sand dune in Europe, the oil well of Parentis en Born, the largest oil well in France, the spectacularly ugly paper mill of Mimizan, the attractive town of Soustons and finally the port city of Bayonne, gateway to Frances Basque region and home to very attractive architecture and a rich Basque flavoured cultural life, including the opportunity to run with the bulls in one of the main squares during the Bayonne festival in July.

It is a mostly flat area, so makes for fairly easy cycling, though there are some rolling hills to tackle along its course. The most difficult stage, which is the longest and has the most hills, is the first one, from Arcachon to Mimizan, the most attractive because it is almost exclusively in the forest is the second, from Mimizan to Vieux Boucau les Bains and the easiest, because it is the shortest and the flattest, is the final stage from Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains to Bayonne. There are train links to Arcachon and Bayonne, easily accessible from Bordeaux, enabling you to start in either town, though if you start in Arcachon, you will get the most challenging cycle over with first. It is recommended to do this trip outside the July-August peak season, to avoid traffic on the roads and also to avoid having too many other cyclists and pedestrians on the cycling paths.

The weather in this part of France is rainy, so check a forecast before you set out on your trip. However, because much of the route is within forests, you will be sheltered for much of the time from the worst of the elements. As the vegetation is coniferous, it is green all year round, and is a perfect trip for a sunny weekend in Spring or Autumn, when you will have most of the route to yourself.

by: didjek

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