Clear blue water, fine golden sand, a couple of kms away from the Central Beach, the Plage Sud of…read moreLacanau is ideal as it is quiet, clean and close to the town centre for shopping & drink. Gotta love walking under the pine trees then the dune until you see the ocean. Summer!!!

A great beach. Lovely sand, protected swimming, lifeguards, play area, table tennis, shaded areas…read morein the trees and food available within 5 minutes of the tram and 10 minutes from Bordeaux City Centre.

Typical "Landaise" beach. Sand dunes will hide the ocean from the city, the street and the parking…read morelot. When you walk to the top of the sand dune on the paved road you will discover the beach and ocean from the look-out. North of "La Piste" you will see multiple dynamited World War II Blockhaus (bunkers). The Northern bunkers mark the limit with the next beach "La Santocha". Usually the swimming zone is right in front of the look-out and is open: - 7 days/week during the Summer season (from end of June to beginning of September) - from 11h00 to 19h00. In Landes département (country subdivision smaller than région), it is not allowed to surf in the swimming zone. It is not really a problem as swimming zones are usually quite small. You should also always surf with a leash. Beware: I am a surfer so my review is a bit biased maybe. I am also a father of 2 girls 3 and 6 years old. Please respect the ocean, the beach and your neighbor. Do not litter, use the trash bins, do not throw your cigarettes on the beach, do not break glass on the beach. The Good: - My favorite beach. I started surfing at "La Santocha" North of "La Piste" but after a year or two of surfing I preferred "La Piste". In Capbreton, the Souther you go (the further from the harbor sea walls), the better the waves are. - Not crowded. Crowd goes to more central beaches closer to the pier and the casino. - Natural and a little secluded. Except the WW2 bunkers, you mostly see the ocean, the beach and the dunes. They are no urban amenities. - In 15 years I have never had my stuff stolen on the beach. Also I am a surfer, so thieves might not steal from a surfer. I guess it would be safer for a thief to steal from a regular tourist. - The swimming zone is secured by French MNS (Maitre Nageur Sauveteur: lifeguard). - Shower available at the sand dune look-out. - Big bike parking lot. So ride your bike! (It could be bigger though). - French style beach with women topless. If you are puritan, you might be shocked a bit. Go to "Culs nus" beaches between Hossegor and Seignosse to have a bigger shock at these naked beaches. - Large and soft sand: make it very competitive to run and play beach sports. I love it to play volley ball and dive on it personally. The Not so good: - Not urban friendly: If you are urban and like to have amenities on the beach, this is not the place for you. There is no snack nearby. The restrooms are on the parking lot (yes you have to walk over the sand dune). - Small parking lot for cars: ride your bike! The parking lot is quite small and does not have any shade (you will melt in your car...). So easy solution: ride your bike. That's what I have been doing for ever. Even with surfboards and 2 young kids with the help of a trailer (with "San Diego" California fake licence plate). - Huge traffic jam to go to the beach in afternoons. This is valid for all beaches in Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse. So guess what? Yes, ride your bike! - Capbreton has narrow beaches, particularly at high tide. This is because of the harbor. Its sea walls generate a current that displaces the sand from Capbreton to Hossegor and Seignosse. In comparison the beaches are huge in Hossegor and Seignosse. Check the difference from the point of view of the sea walls, you will see how far Hossegor's Notre-Dame beach goes toward the ocean compare to Capbreton's beach. The Bad: - Dangerous place to swim. Particularly for kids and adults who do not swim well. Waves and beaches in les Landes are treacherous. Be careful of the shore break () at high tide, it can knock you out on the sand. - Ebb tide and baïnes: South-West of France beaches have the dangerous "baïne" feature. At high tide, high volume of water can accumulate between the sand bar and the beach. And when the tide lowers, this volume has to go out and it generates a strong water current to the sea. When you get caught in any current, don't fight it. Try to signal your situation to people on the beach or boats and swim perpendicular to the direction of the current if you can. - The Norther you go in Capbreton (the closer to the harbor and its sea walls) the less dangerous the beaches are and smaller the waves. Hossegor has a lake if you prefer calm water (but muddier sand).

I think this was my favorite beach experience, ever! I'm not really a beach person. I rarely go to…read morelocal beaches at home because I'm not into tanning nor do I own an umbrella to sit and read a book, and I'd rather swim in a pool. But this place, this was my favorite! As the biggest dune in Europe, it's definitely worth a visit! You get a workout in trekking up and down the dune, not once but twice when you have to do it again to leave, and get to see the beautiful view of the bay and dip in the frigid water as a reward for finally making it to the beach, possibly dripping sweat on the way there. So glad we made it. It was probably at least 45 minutes to an hour from when we left the beach to when we got to the car. The stairs going up make it a bit easier than hiking up the dune from the beach when you're heading out. There is nothing on the beach so definitely bring snacks and water, but don't bring anything unnecessary since you have to carry it all making the climb a little more difficult! Go, enjoy! It was fabulous and I'm so glad we had a beach day when it was in the 80s (Fahrenheit of course). It was a bit crowded but we did go on the weekend when the weather was the most appropriate for the beach. I was also very glad I bought a hat and used the restroom before starting up the stairs and heading to the beach. There's ice cream, food, wine and souvenirs available for purchase between the parking lot and the dune. If you don't need to buy anything, the only thing you'd have to pay for is parking in the lot. Loved it. We did have sunglasses and a cup with lid wash away while having fun playing in the waves when the tide was coming in. We had to move our towels back several times as the water inched closer and closer to the dune!

Okay we have all seen movies, where men, sometimes with camels, scale a sand dune in the dessert…read more But until you are personally there, you can't exactly imagine how big and tall a sand dune can be. This is the largest sand dune in Europe, so yes, it's impressive. Where on earth does all this sand comes from? If I pile all the sand from all the beaches I've been to in my life, it is probably a little molehill by comparison. It's a gentle walk from the parking lot, the climb up the stairs can be tiring but the stairs are wide enough you can rest without being a nuisance. Of course you can climb up the sand the hard way. Either way, your effort will be rewarded with an absolutely gorgeous panoramic vista of the bay. It's lovely to just sit there in the sand and gaze at the view, with the curious feel of being at a mountain lookout and at the beach simultaneously. If you have kids they will have great fun with all the sand. You can walk all the way out to the beach, but it's truly quite far. Pro tips: wear comfortable shoes - ones that can walk in the sand. wear a hat as there is no shade, and bring water, as there's nothing up on the dune.

From the owner: La plus branchée La plage des Sables d'Or a toutes les caractéristiques de la plage urbaine. Elle…read moreest entourée par une cinquantaine de bars, restaurants et surfshop. Bordée d'un long promenoir et d'un kiosque, l'atmosphère y est particulière. Vous pouvez découvrir en soirée, l'océan éclairé.

We love this long sandy beach that just goes on for miles and miles! Great walks, great surf if you…read morelove to watch or participate and lots to do around. What we love is that it's great for all ages and has life guards during the summer months. Fantastic shells to be found when the tide goes out and it beautifully clean too.