Things to do in Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx and the Seignanx

Most visitors drive straight past the Seignanx on their way to Biarritz or Hossegor. This small area of eight villages lies between the Adour river and the Landes forest, 20 minutes from Bayonne, at the southern tip of the Landes. Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx, where the studio is, is its main village. Here is what there is to see and do when you are not on the beach.

Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx village

The village has two centres about 2 km apart: the old village (church, town hall and Place Jean Rameau) and the Quartier Neuf.

• Saint-Martin church, in the old village: a barrel-vaulted nave, a porch tower and, inside, wall paintings by Louis Augier and Léon Millet. About 650 m from the studio, an 8-minute walk.
• The Quartier Neuf chapel, once the chapel of the Château de Vincennes (late 19th or early 20th century). It is no longer used for worship and now hosts exhibitions and concerts. About 2 km, 3 minutes by car.
• The Saturday morning market on Place Jean Rameau: see our guide to the Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx market.

The Adour wetlands

South of the village, the barthes (wet meadows that flood along the Adour) are the most unusual landscape in the area.

• Lesgau observation tower overlooks an 85-hectare reserve in the wetlands where 143 bird species have been recorded. Bring binoculars. About 6.5 km, 14 minutes by car.
• The Adour viewpoint, on the edge of the wetlands, looks across the river to the Basque mountains on a clear day. About 6 km, 10 minutes by car.
• The Saint-Martin wetland trails start from Route d'Arremont: four waymarked loops of 2, 4, 5 and 7 km. About 4 km, 8 minutes by car. Some trails close during the autumn hunting season: see our walks and cycling guide.
• The Fontaine des Saints, a spring built around 1850 that was once believed to cure infertility, near the wetlands.
• The Jardin buissonnier on Route d'Arremont, a 2.5-hectare natural garden open in summer (in 2026, 15 July to 28 August, Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 6 pm). About 4 km, 8 minutes by car.

Village churches of the Seignanx

The neighbouring villages have a quiet heritage that makes a good half-day loop by car or bike:

• Saint-Barthélemy: a church founded in the second half of the 12th century, with its original doorway and a view of the Pyrenees. A 12.6 km waymarked walk along the Adour starts here. About 9 km, 14 minutes.
• Biarrotte: the 12th-century church of Saint-Étienne, listed as a historic monument in 2008. About 11 km, 13 minutes.
• Biaudos: Saint-Pierre church, with a bell wall flanked by a round tower and its conical roof. About 9 km, 11 minutes.
• Saint-André-de-Seignanx: a church with an old "cagot door" (a separate entrance once forced on an outcast group), and a wash house restored in 2023. About 5 km, 8 minutes.
• Nearer the coast, in Tarnos, the Cité des Forges is the late-19th-century workers' housing estate built for the local steelworks. About 15 km, 18 minutes.

Local produce

The sweet pepper of the Basque Country and Seignanx is the area's only Label Rouge product (a French quality label); it is grown in Biarrotte, among other places. The Seignanx tourist office also features other local producers:

• an Ouessant sheep farm with a wool-felting workshop in Saint-André-de-Seignanx (free visits);
• saffron grown in Saint-André-de-Seignanx;
• a chocolate maker in the Quartier Neuf of Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx and a microbrewery in the village;
• local honey and mushrooms grown in Ondres.

Opening days change with the seasons, so check with the tourist office before you go.

With children or on a rainy day

• Ondres crazy golf, open April to November on Sundays, public holidays and school holidays, and every day in July and August. About 12 km, 16 minutes.
• Indoor activities in Tarnos, including an indoor leisure park and an escape room. About 12 km, 14 minutes.
• For wide open spaces, the beaches near Bayonne are less than 20 minutes away.

Festivals and markets

• The Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx village fête, in late August (20 to 24 August in 2026): course landaise (a traditional Landes sport in which athletes dodge and leap over cows), an agricultural show, a concert and fireworks.
• Festimai, in late May: shows in the villages of the Seignanx.
• Nearby markets: Tarnos on Tuesday mornings (Place Alexandre Viro) and Ondres on Sunday mornings (Place Richard Feuillet), as well as the Saturday market in Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx.

The full events calendar is published by the tourist office on seignanx.com.

The Seignanx tourist office

The main office is in Ondres, on Avenue du 11 Novembre 1918, about 10 km from the studio (12 minutes by car). It is open all year: Monday to Saturday from April to December, and Monday to Friday from January to early April. From mid-June to mid-September, a summer office also opens in Tarnos, near Plage du Métro. Trail maps, events and guided visits: seignanx.com.

From the studio

• Saint-Martin church: about 650 m, an 8-minute walk.
• The wetland trails (Route d'Arremont): about 4 km, 8 minutes by car.
• Lesgau observation tower: about 6.5 km, 14 minutes by car.
• Saint-Barthélemy church: about 9 km, 14 minutes by car.
• The tourist office in Ondres: about 10 km, 12 minutes by car.
• The Cité des Forges in Tarnos: about 15 km, 18 minutes by car.

For a quiet base between outings, have a look at the studio and our direct booking rates.