Hossegor - out and about
Hossegor offers a variety of activities and attractions
for the holiday visitor.
Beaches
This exciting stretch of golden Atlantic beach
can be pounded by the famous rollers, so be sure to only
swim in the areas protected by lifeguards, designated by
flags, and look out for rips. You may choose to avoid, or
you may choose to actively seek, the Plage des Naturistes
– for naked bathing.
The gentle beaches on the side of the inland Lac
d’Hossegor are much calmer, and are perfect
for young children, the warm salt water creating tiny waves.
There's sandy coves and a play area for young ones.
But if you’re in Hossegor, there’s a good chance
that you’ve come to surf. There are
several places to pick up good waves here including Les
Estagnots, Les Culs Nuls (“The Bare Bums”!)
the mighty La Gravière (for tube-riding) and L’Epi
Nord. The last two are strictly for those who know what
they’re doing, which rules us out. Being such a renowned
surf location, Hossegor can get busy, so be prepared to
wait your turn.
It’s a good idea to check with the local surf schools,
to get an idea about conditions and local rules. The following
surf schools are a good place to start:
Hossegor
Surf Club
Surf Solutions
Surf School
Kevin
Olsen Surf School
Capbreton
Surf Club
If Hossegor’s too busy (or too big) for surfing, there
are plenty of other breaks nearby. See our guide to surfing in Aquitaine
for more information.
Activities
Along one side of the Lac d’Hossegor,
a seemingly endless list of watersports
competes for your attention. You can hire equipment and
take lessons in: windsurfing, yachting, kayaking, sailing,
kite surfing, wake-boarding (a surfboard pulled by a motorboat)
and more.
For watersports requiring less effort, there's a marina
at Capbreton from where there are excursions and deep-sea
fishing trips.
For golfers, there's the nearby monster Seignosse Golf Club
- one of Europe's finest, plus Hossegor Golf Club,
another fine course. For more information visit our golf
in Aquitaine page.
Hossegor is a great place to see ‘Pelote Basque’.
Similar to but more lethal than squash, the most dramatic
variation of the game is played on giant courts - opponents
fire a hard ball at a high wall using a huge hooked glove,
causing the ball to travel at incredible speeds. Other variations
of the game include bare hand, which is played throughout
the Basque country. In Hossegor there are two courts near
the casino, and another in the Parc Municipal des sports,
with weekly games to watch at Sporting Casino.
Another rare sport to see near Hossegor (at St Vincent de
Tyrosse) is ‘Course Landaise’,
fortnightly throughout July, and weekly in August. Course
Landaise is similar to bull-fighting, but more humane. Cows
are used rather than bulls; and it is not a fight to the
death. The object is to annoy the beast and survive - instead
of fighting and killing the beast, the idea is to dodge
and even jump over it. Sometimes members of the audience
can be invited to participate!
Ask at the Hossegor Tourist Office
about street events (which are planned almost daily). If
you’re around in late April you may catch the weekend
kite festival, late August sees the Hossegor
Rip Curl Pro World Surfing Championship and in
September it's the Quiksilver Pro surf
event.
Children’s
Tourist Attractions
Bike rental is a nice relaxed way for the
whole family to get to know Hossegor and neighbouring Capbreton
early in your visit, while you consider activities for the
week ahead.
The Pinède des Singes is a wooded
area 8km south of Capbreton, where monkeys imported from
Java walk around freely. Our monkeys had great fun when
we visited.
The Atlantic Water Park
in nearby Seignosse (to the north) has
water games, slides and whirlpools for all ages from 3yrs.
Near Vieux-Boucau, Tropica Parc is an open-air
tropical garden with a distinctly Asian flavour. Birdsong
is everywhere, as is the scent and sight of Asian plants
and spices, even Indonesian bicycles and Balinese houses.
There are also animal enclosures with animals
including dwarf zebras and donkeys.
Shopping
There are several market days in Hossegor
during high season. The generally young crowd means that
there are pletny of fashion shops and surf boutiques
to choose between including factory outlets
at Soorts.
Eating
Out
The maritime heritage of the region ensures some excellent
seafood is to be had. Neighbouring Capbreton
is actually the better place to find good restaurants -
the fish market means there's plenty of
fresh seafood at the hotels and restaurants.
These are some of the better-known restaurants.
Comments in quotations are provided by our clients and local
holiday home owners.
Bellevue,
ave G Pompidou - our favourite in Capbreton, superb
seafood |
Le
Cottage, 1 ave Jean Moulin, Seignosse - at
the northern edge of the lake |
Degustation
du Lac, 1830 ave du Touring Club, Hossegor
(drive to Seignosse on the east side of the lagoon
and it's on the right - red & white, lots of tables
and parking opposite) - sea-food is a speciality.
"Good all-round fare at good prices although
you will wait a long time in August (where won't you?)." |
Le
Hittau, rue Nouaou, St Vincent de Tyrosse
- converted sheep barn now a charming restaurant! |
Le
Napoli, 40 bvd de la Grande Dune, Hossegor
(just before the roundabout, top of the Place de Landais)
- "very popular with the locals but has changed
hands recently". In fact, this venue has
received several positive mentions by clients in 2007
so things are clearly still ok there - AA |
Le
Pave du Port, La Pêcherie II Mille
Sabords Port de Plaisance, Capbreton - quality seafood
and highly rated by locals |
Pavillon
Bleu, 1053 ave du Touring Club, Hossegor
(on the left just as you head out of Hossegor towards
Seignosse) - "Michelin-ish standard and EURO
45 menu is good" |
Pêcheries
Ducamp, 4 rue de Port d'Albret, Capbreton
(walk up the port towards the headland and it's off
a sidestreet to the left) - converted fishmongers,
beautifully prepared dishes. "You have to
queue but excellent fruit de mer" |
Le
Pizzaïol, ave du Touring Club, Hossegor
- the best pizzas and pasta & open until 1m in
mid-summer |
Regalty,
Port de Plaisance, Capbreton - excellent fish dishes
in the heart of the fishermens' quartier |
Rock
Food, Place des Landais, Hossegor - bar-restaurant
and surfer-dude hang-out |
Hôtel-Bar-Restaurant
du Rond Point, 866 ave du Touring Club, Hossegor
(on the roundabout as you exit Hossegor towards Seignosse,
has a big car park) - famous for its oysters.
"Great steaks and the best frites in France
- enjoy dining with the locals in an old-fashioned
diner" |
Sporting
Grill, 119 ave Maurice Martin - located at
the casino, enjoy food on the terrace |
The above list has been compiled with the help of the Lonely
Planet Guide (South West France), The Green Guide
(Atlantic Coast) and the Cadogan Guides –
always an excellent and informative read. “Gascony
and the Pyrenees” is the one to buy to cover la
Côte Landaise.
Nightlife
The Place des Landais is the main focus for night-owls –
a square by the sea where everyone gathers throughout the
day and evenings. Bistros, bars, ice-cream parlours, restaurants
and wine-bars plus nightclubs too. Dick's
Sand Bar is the best-known of all.
Further up the coast in nearby Seignosse, Lou Traouc
is another popular nightclub (Route du Vieux Boucau). This
vast club boasts big bay windows and an outdoor pool (closed
Oct-Mar). Another favourite in Seignosse at Plage Bourdaines
is Cream Café
- this place features some great live music and you can often
see surf pros hanging out here.
For a more mature crowd, try Le Tilt, a charming
cellar-bar run by a couple of lively Brazillian women (366
ave du Touring Club de France).
The Casino Barrière d’Hossegor
is open until very, very late, and features 50 slot machines,
tennis courts, mini-golf, and a nightclub, amongst other things.
Arts
& Culture
The Écomusée de la Pêche et de
la Mer concentrates on the marine geology and the
history of fishing industry around Capbreton. It contains
an aquarium, model ships, fossils, and shells. The terrace
has a fantastic panoramic view of the area.
Nature
See excursions (below) for lake walks and
nature reserves including the Réserve Naturelle de Marais D’Orx,
offering great opportunities to see wildlife, particularly
migratory birds.
Excursions
For day trips to explore the region, there’s
a number of other resorts, towns and villages worth visiting.
» In the French Basque Country, there's
Biarritz,
St Jean de Luz,
Bayonne, Bidart & Guethary and
the pretty villages of Sare, Ainhoa,
Ascain and Espelette.
» The proximity of Spain is a real
bonus. A day in San Sebastian sampling its beaches, shopping
and superb cuisine is a must. There’s the Guggenheim
museum in the up-and-coming Bilbao,
plus the infamous streets of Pamplona to
explore.
» Explore the lakes of la Côte
Landaise. Travelling just north of Hossegor towards Soustons,
look out for the charming Étang Blanc
(‘White Lake’ – due to its fine sandy bottom),
bordered by fishermen’s huts. The narrow road takes
you through wonderful countryside and along the tempting shoreline.
The smaller Étang Noir (‘Black
Lake’ – named after its black mud) is classified
as a nature reserve. Elevated walkways give you a closer look
at the many varieties of fish and migratory birds. The delightful
Étang de Soustons (Soustons Lake)
is surrounded by reeds and thick pine woods, where you can
enjoy a light walk and picnic by the water’s edge.
»
A short drive to the south east of Hossegor, inland from Labenne
is the Orx Marsh nature reserve - Réserve Naturelle de Marais D’Orx.
This nesting site for migratory birds covers 800 hectares
of marshland, meadows and farmland. The area is most dramatic
in October and November, when thousands of birds call in on
their way south, including geese and teal who stay for the
winter. In Spring you can see spoonbill, heron and egret.
Through the visitor centre, you can access a number of walkways
to see a corner of the reserve.
For further tourist information about the local areas beyond
Hossegor, please browse our region guides:
»
la
Côte Landaise
»
la Côte Basque
»
Pyrénées
Travel
advice
Lastly, here’s a few words of travel advice when you’re
holidaying in Hossegor…
Parking is very difficult in July and August especially. The
main route north-south (RN10) is best avoided in the summer,
particularly on Saturdays. You’ll soon discover the
back roads and miss the worst of the traffic. Our advice is
get on your bike!
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