France Seignosse Travel Information
Overview
To experience the town and beaches of Seignosse in southwestern France is like
encountering the incongruous blending of a Brother's Grimm fairy tale (the dark
and spooky ones, mind you) with the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello classic,
Beach Blanket Bingo. The town lies nestled in the woods, just a half-hour from
the Pyrenees mountains, and is typical of the older Landes coastal villages, with
a church, some small bars and hotels, and a smattering of old-fashioned Landes
farmhouses that look straight out of Little Red Riding Hood — thatched roof, shuttered
windows and exposed timbers.
Just when it seems the Big Bad Wolf is lurking
around the next forested glen, the beach comes into view at the foreground of
the village, and it's culture shock — nothing but floral board shorts, Ray Ban
shades and waxed longboards. The beaches at Seignosse have been drawing surfers
for years; the sands are sparkling white, the waves are big, the water's clean,
and best of all — surprisingly few souls have discovered this magnificent haven.
The beaches are lined by enormous, mountainous, man-made dunes, created in the
1840s to protect the village from the potential wrath of the Atlantic Ocean. The
beaches are sprawling and wide, with breathtaking views of the Pyrennes in the
distance.
The town remains remarkably quiet, with little in the way of night
life other than a sprinkling of restaurants and bars. For those looking to rock
the night away, a quick trip to the town of Hossegar, some 2.5 miles away, will
give access to bars, piano bars, discos and even a casino.
Getting There
By Air: If you plan to arrive by plane, the nearest airport is Biarritz-Parma
Airport (www.biarritz.aeroport.fr), located about 20 miles from Seignosse. Three
daily Air France flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (1 hour, 10 minutes) service
the airport, as do flights from Paris Orly (Air France), Paris Orly Sud (AirLib
Express), Lyon (Air France) and London (Ryanair).
By Train: Arrive
by train at the Bayonne or Dax train station, approximately 15 miles from Seignosse.
You can find more information on train schedules at www.voyages-sncf.com.
By
Bus: Local bus service to Seignosse is available with the local carrier RDTL
Voyage (www.rdtl.fr).
Airport Transportation
The best way to
get from the Biarritz airport to Seignosse is to rent a car.
Timing
A trip to Seignosse is ideal during the summer months, as it's primarily a beach
destination. Of course, you and scores of other tourists here on holiday will
be sharing space on the sands, so be sure to book your accommodations well in
advance, particularly in August, when many Europeans plan their vacations.
Lodging
A popular accommodation option for visitors to Seignosse is to rent a house or
cottage through an estate service, such as Seignosse Immobilier (click here),
which offers holiday rentals in apartments or villas. For visitors who prefer
the comforts of hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts, plenty of those can be
found in the area, as can standard campgrounds and "vacation villages,"
which are enormous camping resorts.
Cuisine
Meals from the southwest
of France are generally known for incorporating pungent, rich flavors and ingredients
like duck fat, porcini mushrooms and gizzards. The region is also noted for the
popularity of foie gras. This controversial dish of fattened duck livers involves
force-feeding the animals. Another regional specialty is the cassoulet, a stew
or casserole of white beans, and meats like mutton, pork sausage or goose. For
a taste of regional cooking, pay a visit to Restaurant Lou Sourey Landais. Or,
if you need a break from French cuisine, grab a bite at the local Pizzeria Le
Vésuvio.
Travel Tips
Once they've arrived in Seignosse,
travelers can find more information about the town and its environs by visiting
the Office du Tourisme de Seignosse
While You Are Here
The beaches
at Seignosse are unforgettable and truly some of Europe's finest. But once you've
had your fill of sand and surf, explore some of the town's other offerings. Seignosse
lies on the outskirts of the heavily forested Pyrenees, and just north of the
village are two large lakes, the Black Lake (Etang Noir) and the White Lake (Etang
Blanc). The lakes are tucked into the woods, where travelers can find some good
hiking and excellent views from a few of the wonderful restaurants dotting the
lakes' shores.
Between the Black Lake and the village is a sprawling sports
complex with tennis courts and bicycle rentals and tours, though many other outfitters
in the region also offer biking tours. Horse lovers can also visit the Centre
Equestre L'Appaloosa, an equestrian center that offers horseback riding trips
into the forest.
To Fake You've Been Here
Chat casually about
how you rode a longboard frontside on the wave shoulder and into the barrel, until
you wiped out on the beach break. (Translation: You rode a board more than 9 feet
long while facing front, on the unbroken part of the wave and into the center
of the wave, until you fell when the wave broke on some sand beds). |
