The Landes department is particularly famous for its impressive maritime pine forest.
Covering nearly a million hectares of land, this artificial forest is one of the largest in Western Europe. Formerly exclusively dedicated to resin tapping, today it is also a place for leisure to enjoy during your stay at Camping La Jaougotte in Vielle-Saint-Girons.
History and Geography of the Landes Forest
The Landes forest is so vast that it even extends beyond the borders of this department!
It also extends into the neighboring regions of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne.
There are around a million hectares of maritime pines, but also, to a lesser extent, other tree species such as holm oaks and cork oaks along the coast, alders and willows near watercourses, and pedunculate oaks.
The Landes forest is named pignada or pinhadar in Gascon, which means ‘pine wood’. A large part of this forest is artificial. It was planted by humans in the 19th century to contain the mobile dunes, which were gaining ground from the coast inland.
This area, once dedicated to pastures and the work of the famous shepherds perched on stilts, was then exploited for its resin, and resin tapping became the dominant activity in this region of the Landes. The end of the 20th century marked the end of resin tapping, hit by international competition and the development of petroleum products.
Activities to Do in the Landes Forest
Once entirely focused on professional exploitation, the Landes forest is now a place open to locals and tourists, for walks in nature and fun and sports activities.
Whether you fancy a short family walk or you have the endurance of seasoned hikers, you will find trails suited to all your needs and can venture into the Landes forest for half an hour, an hour, or even longer!
While the dune is prohibited as it is protected, the forest is largely accessible to you, as are its various activities.
Equestrian centers, for example, offer horseback riding. The Landes is the ideal territory for tree climbing, with several leisure areas dedicated to this activity.
The Landes forest is also very well suited for mountain biking.
Nature and wildlife enthusiasts, do not hesitate to be accompanied by a nature guide who will arrange for your group a discovery hike of the pine forest and all its endemic species. To delve into the history of the Landes forest, resin tapping demonstrations are also available to visitors.