The forest of Les Landes de Gascogne

The largest forest in Europe

What a natural adventure playground !

Today, there are 2.75 million acres (1 200 000 ha) of pine forests ! But it has not been always like that: you have to go back to the nineteenth century to see the forest expanding. The trees have had to battle aginst the forces of nature : the moisture in the ground, the encroaching sands.

The forests are a factory!

The foresters of Les Landes, the area around Biscarrosse, have cultivated these pine trees over a vast area. Over the years, the foresters have harvested resin from the trees (they cut notches into them and collect the resin in pots) for use in the paper industry.

Experience nature, observing and moving

Bathed in sunlight, the forests are pleasurable for all to enjoy, with their extensive irrigation that has drained the soil. A network of marked-out footpaths and cycle tracks provide a vast playground for the delight of walkers, cyclists and lovers of nature. For example, if you get up early in the morning, you will be able to surprise antlered male and female deer, accompanied by their baby fawns, on their way to drinking water in one of the many forest lagoons.