The estate once reached all the way to Lake Aureilhan; since the French coastal protection law, a public path runs along the whole shore. So you walk down the allée de Darricau, cross the gate, and come out onto the path and its little beaches.
Fresh water, and warm, for the whole family
This is the first argument, and it counts above all for children and for anyone who finds the Atlantic a little bracing. Lake Aureilhan is shallow, so it warms up quickly and holds a pleasant temperature for a good part of the year. In July it is a bath, not an ordeal — safe, and with a magnificent view.
There are no breakers, no baïnes, no current. For a family with young children, the difference in peace of mind compared with the ocean beaches is considerable.
What you can do there
- Paddleboarding, solo, in family versions for two or four, or even a giant board if there are enough of you and you are game.
- Canoeing and kayaking, on the lake or down the courant, on routes of two to ten kilometres.
- The Hawaiian outrigger canoe, on a supervised outing: a local curiosity that teenagers love.
- The electric boat, silent, no licence needed, to see the lake from the middle of the water.
- Sailing and rowing, with the Cercle Nautique.
- Fishing, with the appropriate permit.
And if you would rather do nothing at all, there is still the shoreline path: about 13.5 kilometres in total, flat, with benches and shaded stretches. You walk a section, you sit down, you come back.
Following the shore to Mimizan
In summer you follow the shore on foot or by bike to Mimizan’s flowered promenade, and on to the château where the Duke of Westminster entertained, among others, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin and Salvador Dalí.
