There is a moment, every year, when the estate changes rhythm. The days lengthen, the horses’ meadow turns deep green, and the season’s first guest arrives, stepping out of the car with their arms full. That is June. And if we had to choose only one, it would probably be our favourite month in the Landes.
The forest is at its peak
The fifty hectares of the park are classified Natura 2000, and in June you can see it without anyone having to explain. The ferns have reached their full height, the pines smell of resin as soon as it turns warm, and the roe deer cross the driveway in the cool hours without hurrying. Our guests often tell us at breakfast what they saw the previous evening from the terrace: a fox, a hare, an owl heard more than seen.
Hunting is forbidden on the estate, which changes everything: the animals do not flee, they watch you go past. For children, it is often the first memory of the stay.
Fresh water before salt water
In June the ocean stays decidedly cool: a wetsuit is still called for on a long session, even if the children never seem to notice. Lake Aureilhan, on the other hand, warms up much faster. Ten minutes from the estate on foot through the forest, it is where you go for a dip without thinking twice, to take out a paddleboard, or simply to sit at the end of the day.
The path around it runs about 13.5 kilometres. You can do just a section: set off from the estate, reach the shore, follow the water for an hour and come back. It is flat, it is shaded, and it works very well with children or a dog.
The Mimizan beaches, almost to yourself
Eight kilometres separate the estate from the ocean: ten to fifteen minutes by car, or a fine bike ride on the cycle path. In June, Mimizan’s Plage Sud looks like what it really is the rest of the year: a long stretch of sand at the foot of the dunes, with a few surfers and plenty of room.
One practical and important point: lifeguard cover does not extend across the whole of June. Check the supervised zones and hours before swimming, and always stay between the blue flags. The Landes ocean is magnificent and it does not forgive inattention — we come back to this at greater length in a forthcoming post on the baïnes.
What we ourselves do in June
- The Friday morning market in Mimizan-Bourg, while it is still possible to talk to the producers without queuing.
- A bike ride to Contis along the Vélodyssée, with a picnic in the bag.
- The plancha, every evening. Every gîte has its own on the terrace: sardines, piquillos, peppers, and the evening stretches out until it finally gets dark — around 10.30 pm at midsummer.
- The porch-belfry of Mimizan, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the routes of Santiago de Compostela. Half an hour’s visit, and one of the finest sculpted portals in the Landes.
Why come in June rather than August
The answer comes down to three words: space, quiet, price. The cycle paths are clear, the restaurants of Mimizan-Plage take their time, you can park anywhere, and low-season rates bear no comparison with those at the height of summer. For a couple at La Vigne or a family at Le Grenier, it is the ideal window.
And then there is the thing that is hard to put in a brochure: in June, the estate is not yet full. We have time to talk, to point you to the right stretch of beach, to lend you a map. That is also why we love this month.
Emmanuelle is available throughout your stay: she lives next door, and she knows the area far better than any guidebook.
