Les Landes is a lovely region of South West France that is not overrun by tourists. Although the beaches at Moliets sur plage and Labenne were quite busy, the Atlantic beaches in general are less crowded than those on the Mediterranean. There are plenty of nature reserves on the former marshlands with large étangs (water areas) – a birdwatcher’s paradise & great for walks. We stayed in a gite near a little town called Pouillon surrounded by pleasant farmlands and woods. We ate at a lovely restaurant, sitting on the terrace overlooking the Lac de Lucq. We visited Dax which is a thermal spa town and has a bullring too (for the popular local sport of jumping over bulls). There is so much to do for all ages, families or just adults in the countryside or on the beaches. There are buses and trains of course around the region but we had our own car and drove everywhere. History lovers will love the abbeys such as Abbaye Saint Jean de Sorde that we visited that has an underground passage down to the river where the monks used to receive taxes in goods. I recommend this less touristy area of France for people of all ages.
