Walking and cycling in the Seignanx and along the Adour

The Seignanx is an area of gentle hills, woodland, "barthes" (wet meadows along the Adour river) and cycle paths that run to the ocean. Even without a car, you can enjoy some lovely outings straight from the studio.

The Vélodyssée along the coast

The Vélodyssée is the long-distance cycle route along France's Atlantic coast. Its Capbreton – Bayonne stage (about 29 km) runs through Labenne, Ondres and Tarnos. Between Labenne and Ondres it follows a greenway and quiet streets; between Ondres and Tarnos beach, a path runs through the pine forest. Through Tarnos and on to Boucau and Bayonne, part of the route is on the road with car traffic, which makes it the least pleasant section.

For an easy outing, the Seignanx beaches route (about 20 km on a dedicated cycle path, with no real difficulty) links Ondres beach with the Tarnos breakwater via the Plage du Métro. In Ondres, pine roots have damaged the surface in places, so take care with a trailer or cargo bike.

Our tip: cycle to Ondres beach, follow the path towards Tarnos, then stop for a swim. See our guide to the beaches.

The Adour riverbanks and the barthes

South of the village, the Adour and its barthes create a unique landscape: flood meadows, ponds, oak woods and plenty of birds. In winter you may see common cranes flying over.

The trails start near the CPIE Seignanx et Adour (an environmental education centre) on Route d'Arremont, about 5 km from the studio: a quarter of an hour by bike, or around ten minutes by car. Several waymarked loops of 4 to 7 km pass through, for example around the Puntet pond and Lac de Naciet.

Good to know: some of these trails are closed during the wood pigeon hunting season in October and November. After heavy rain, some sections flood or get very slippery.

Seignanx hiking trails

Other waymarked trails cross the Seignanx villages, through woods, hillsides and pine forest. In Ondres, for instance, the pine forest has three loops marked in red, green and yellow. For maps and trail conditions, ask the Seignanx tourist office in Ondres (seignanx.com), which also opens an information point in Tarnos in summer.

Hiring a bike

There are bike hire shops in Ondres, Tarnos and Anglet, some of them with e-bikes, which make light work of the Seignanx hills. The Seignanx tourist office can tell you which ones are open during your stay.

Distances from the studio

• Ondres beach: about 11 km, 40 to 50 minutes by bike, mostly on cycle paths and quiet roads.
• Plage du Métro, Tarnos: about 14 km, 50 minutes to an hour.
• The Adour wetlands (CPIE, Route d'Arremont): about 5 km, around 20 minutes.
• The village and its market: about 500 m, a 7-minute walk.

Our tips

• Set off early in summer: the forest paths stay cool in the morning.
• Take water: there are few water points on some sections.
• Bring a lock for beach or market stops. In summer, Ondres beach and the Plage du Métro in Tarnos have free supervised bike parking.
• On Saturdays, finish at the village market to stock up on local produce: see our article on the market.

For more ideas, see our day trips. And for a quiet place to park your bike at night, take a look at the studio.