Population - 327,000    (1,067,000)

Area - 9,243 km²   (1,663)

Population density - 35   (642)

(comparative figs - Surrey UK)

Towns with over 3,000 people

Aire-sur-l'Ardour   6,003

Biscarrosse   9,281

Capreton   6,659

Dax   19,515

Hagetmau   4,403

Labenne   3,345

Mimizan   6,864

Mont-de-Marsan   29,489

Morcenx   4,383

Ondres   3,650

Parentis-en-Born   4,429

Peyrehorade   3,017

Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx   3,903

Saint-Paul-les-Dax   10,226

Saint-Pierre-du-Mont   7,164

Saint-Sever   4,455

Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse   5,360

Soorts-Hossegor   3,292

Soustons   5,743

Tarnos   10,076

Main town
Mont-de-Marsan

630 miles - 9.5 hours - from Calais

What it is really like for holidays in the Landes

The Landes often appears to be one huge pine forest

It is not exciting to drive through because mile after mile is continuous woodland with very little habitation

However, for holidays, it has Europe's largest continuous sandy beach

The inland towns of Dax and Mont-de Marsan ouze with regional (and rugby) history

For families and for youn people this is real camping holiday country

Nowhere on earth can have a better balance of cool woodland with quality camping sites and simply wonderful vast vast expanses of sandy beaches

No wonder the French use the Landes as their comfortable place to be during those hazy summer months

Must visit places

The main coastal towns of Biscarrosse Mimizan Soustons Hossegor and Capbreton are all worth a visit

Each has their own character though all are dominated by the sea sand and pine forests

The coastal lakes make wonderful warm water playgrounds

Mont-de-Marsan

Mont-de-Marsan is worth a visit as a thoroughly modern town yet historically isolated

Rugby freaks will be bound to go where the 1963 champions came from when the likes of Andre Boniface were playing

Landes Holidays - b&b
Landes Holidays - cottages

Landes Holidays - tourist info