For guidance...we think Mimizan Plage is similar to north Cornwall resorts such as Perranporth and Bude because of the huge sandy beaches with rolling surf. These resorts are relatively small, very seasonal and more 'bucket-and-spade' - similar in fact to the resorts along the Vendee coast and less sophisticated than the likes of Biarritz, Cap Ferret or St Jean de Luz.
Five
Reasons to Choose Mimizan
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Popular family resort with a wide range of activities for the whole family
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Superb ocean beaches and Atlantic surf
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The
added bonus of beautiful Aureilhan lake
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Less crowded than some of its more famous coastal neighbours
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Virtually Brit-free! It's more popular with French & Europeans
Mimizan
- a brief introductionMimizan-Plage lies between Bordeaux and Biarritz, on the long, sandy, surf-drenched Atlantic coast of Les Landes. Its landscape offers the combined draw of ocean, vast sand dunes, freshwater lakes, and pine forest. It makes for a very evocative summer setting.
The slogan of the community of Mimizan is “green spirit” and with good reason. The pine forests dominate but there's aslo every conceivable watersport is available in the town, plus cycling, horse-riding, and golf nearby too.
Offering fine, wide sandy beaches as far as the eye can see – Mimizan covers a 10km stretch of the Atlantic coast, and is known as ‘the pearl of the Côte d’Argent”. The view from the top of the dunes is superb – in all directions.
Inland is a gloriously serene freshwater lake - Lac d'Aureilhan - covering 340 hectares. The lake offers sandy coves for safe bathing for younger ones, plus there's fishing and watersports for the more active.
Mimizan
- Our Personal Favourites
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A long, leisurely walk at sunset along the southern beaches – watching the surfers catching their last waves of the day
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An early morning kayak on the lake at Mimizan
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A
family bike ride along the pine forest cycle paths
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Sample forest life - an auberge meal in at St-Paul-en-Born, followed by meeting the farm animals at La Journée Grandeur Nature, or a visit to the Ecomusée
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A half-day body-boardingsans wetsuit!
Mimizan - Out of Season
French resorts tend to be very seasonal and this can often come as a surprise to visitors who are less familiar with France. Owners of seasonal business such as bars and restaurants can often get by simply by operating in two months of the year - July & August - and are happy to shut down the rest of the year.
Mimizan Plage is one of the more seasonal resorts, buzzing in July & August and quiet during other times of the year. There's usually just one or two bars/restaurants at the beach open outside the summer, although the main town of Mimizan Bourg has a more permanent population and the shops are open there all year.
Of course, if you just want to relax, surfor go for long walks on the beach, or enjoy the tranquility of the lakes, then this is an ideal place to stay.
Find out more in our Mimizan tourist information guide.
Topics covered include beaches, activities including golf
and horseriding, kids' attractions, restaurants, cultural
attractions and more...
