A Rich and Varied Natural Environment
The Courant d’Huchet connects Lake Léon to the Atlantic Ocean. The only waterway in Gascony whose mouth has remained natural, the Courant d’Huchet is home to incredible biodiversity, which has earned it its classification and protection as a Nature Reserve. The Reserve’s boundaries include the western bank of Lake Léon and the banks of the Courant, as well as the Huchet, Pipe, and Cout de la Mountagne marshes. It encompasses territories belonging to the communes of Léon, Moliets-et-Maa, and Vielle-Saint-Girons.
Varied landscapes characterize the Courant d’Huchet Reserve: the waters of Lake Léon, their aquatic plants, their many fish species and banks populated by migratory birds, the marsh with its alders and reeds, the pine forest once exploited by resin tappers, the dune area, the Courant d’Huchet and its gallery forest, and the back-dune marshes; an essential visit during your holidays at our Vielle-Saint-Girons campsite.
Discover the Courant d’Huchet
The nature reserve has two public reception buildings: the Maison de la Réserve located on the lake’s banks in Léon, and the Pichelèbe chalet on the edge of the Courant near the D328. Several marked walking routes allow visitors to discover the Reserve’s various landscapes: loops connecting the Pichelèbe bridge to the Nasse dam, to the Pipe marsh, or to Huchet beach. The trails are freely accessible and dotted with observation points that allow visitors to observe the bird species inhabiting the wetland.
Since the 1920s, the boatmen of the Courant d’Huchet have been navigating from Lake Léon to the ocean. They offer guided tours of the reserve, during boat trips through the gallery forest. From April to October, 35 boatmen take turns on the waters of the Courant to allow visitors to experience this unique and rejuvenating experience in the reserve.
Guided walking tours are also organized in the reserve. Lasting 2 to 4 hours and covering 1 to 8 km, they focus on themes such as the mouth of the Courant, the beach marshes, the Courant and the pine forest, or the Nasse.