Hourtin: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Lac de Hourtin-Carcans is France’s largest natural freshwater lake and is shared by Hourtin and Carcans. Those who choose Hourtin as a holiday destination may want to rent a holiday apartment there.

Nature

The Réserve Naturelle des Dunes et Marais de Hourtin covers 2,150 hectares and combines the landscapes of Aquitaine’s sandy coast: beaches, dunes, pine and holm oak forests, marshes and a lake.

The nature trail at the Lagune de Contaut crosses the marshland via a wooden platform and is accessible to people with motor and visual impairments. Free guided tours of the Réserve Naturelle des Dunes et Marais de Hourtin are offered year-round for school groups and the general public.

Trails

The Sentier des Chênes in the Réserve Naturelle de Hourtin is a 3.2-kilometre moderately difficult hiking trail lasting about one hour and starting in Hourtin. The Boucle des Genêts in Hourtin is a 14-kilometre moderately difficult cycling tour lasting about two hours and starting in Hourtin.

A forest road to the Phares d’Hourtin is closed to cars but open to pedestrians and cyclists. The Plage surveillée d’Hourtin-Plage can be reached via a surfaced path above the dune; a cycle path leads there from Hourtin, and Hourtin is connected to the Vélodyssée.

Water and Coast

Plage de Piqueyrot is located on Lac d’Hourtin and offers shallow water and supervised swimming conditions, as well as views across the entire lake. The Club de Voile d’Hourtin Médoc welcomes children aged five and over and adults for sailing and other water sports activities from March to September.

Culture and History

The Musée Regards sur le passé is housed in Hourtin’s renovated former railway station and traces the geographical, historical and sociological development of the municipality. Visits take place during opening hours with a guided tour by an association member.

The two lighthouses of Hourtin were built in 1860 and lit for the first time in 1863.

Further destinations: Saint-Trojan, Lagorce, Uzeste, Carbon-Blanc, Nérigean, Arès, Saint-Martin-De-Laye, Aillas

For the higher-level travel overview: Gironde.