Walk on the suspended footbridges of the Contaut Lagoon in Hourtin

Hourtin
Family Time

We invite you to discover, with your family or on a quiet stroll on a beautiful day, a wetland where water is at the heart of preserved biodiversity ! In Hourtin, the Hourtin Dunes and Marshes Nature Reserve is the largest in Aquitaine. It is a path on stilts that can be covered in 45 minutes (1km). Shall we go?

Photos from the report: Bordeaux Gironde Guide

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A preserved Nature Reserve for observing flora and fauna

Lagoons are places conducive to contemplation : the calm waters are populated with frogs, birds and insects, small mammals , amphibians and fish of course... This one is no exception and if for a time it was attached to Lake Hourtin , today, it is autonomous . Its bottoms and edges are lined with peat (piled up layers of dense and almost fossilized plant matter), it is a calm pond with a fragile environmen.

A wooden footbridge on stilts has been installed for contemplating the landscape, animals and birds. The peat is fragile and populated by thousands of species, the footbridge prevents you from trampling it. This small marsh is surrounded by trees growing on the sandy soil of this coastal Gironde. Birch and willows punctuate your journey. Ferns, water plants, flowers depending on the season: the footbridge is surrounded by nature! An ideal walk in the summer to stay cool!

Observation platform at the Hourtin Lagoon

Read our article on the must-see places in Hourtin : market, village, lake... Prepare your stay!

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Walk around and be curious

Are you looking for a family walk to do in Hourtin ? Before the beach, after swimming or ice cream, free and open all year round, the Contaut Lagoon footbridge runs along the D101 departmental road. There is a car park at the entrance, to park your vehicle. There are information panels to understand the species of plants and potential animals present (you might see a Kingfisher or a European Otter? We only saw a coypu!). Be careful, it's different every season ! 2 viewpoints and a platform with observation binoculars are arranged along the footbridges. You can go there and back (better with children) or do a loop, but be careful when going along the road, it is a busy road.

Look for the coypu in the photo (hint: bottom left)

A word of advice: Come early or at dusk if you want to observe the animals. Be discreet because the footbridges are noisy and send vibrations into the water.

To go further: Seaside resorts near the ocean in Gironde