Les Landes: The Endless Shore

South of Arcachon stretches the Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast), 200 kilometers of nearly straight beach backed by Europe's largest maritime pine forest. This landscape, which appears natural and eternal, is actually one of France's great engineering achievements. Until the 19th century, this was a marshy, malarial wasteland where shepherds on stilts tended flocks in soggy meadows. The planting of millions of pine trees drained the marshes, fixed the dunes, and created a forest economy based on resin tapping.

Today's Landes coast offers a different relationship with the sea than France's rocky shores. Here, the Atlantic delivers consistent swells that have created one of Europe's premier surfing destinations. Hossegor, once a quiet resort, now hosts world championship contests and supports a thriving surf industry. The transformation from elite resort to surf capital reflects changing coastal demographics: younger, more international, more focused on active sports than passive relaxation.

Yet traditional life persists. The ports of Capbreton and Vieux-Boucau maintain fishing fleets, though pleasure boats increasingly dominate their basins. The Courant d'Huchet, a coastal river winding through pristine forest to the sea, can be explored only by traditional flat-bottomed boats poled by licensed boatmen, preserving both ecosystem and cultural tradition.