Mimizan

The seaside resort of Mimizan offers an exceptional living environment: facing the Atlantic Ocean, it stretches over almost 10 kilometers of fine sandy beaches and is nestled in the lush greenery of the Landes de Gascogne forest.

Christened the “Pearl of the Côte d’Argent” in 1905 by its inventor, Maurice Martin, it became the first climatic resort in the Landes region in 1913, and was classified as a seaside resort shortly afterwards with paid vacations and the boom in tourism.

Mimizan Plage had its moment of glory when a French team, including Jean Assolant, René Lefèvre and Armand Lotti, made the 1st North Atlantic crossing. The“Oiseau Canari” ran out of fuel and landed on Remember beach on June 16, 1929. The Ailes monument at the top of rue Assolant Lefèvre et Lotti, inaugurated in 1931, commemorates this first crossing.

The station is crossed by the Courant de Mimizan, a coastal river that flows from the Lac d’Aureilhan – Mimizan (or vice versa!) and empties into the ocean after a winding 7-kilometre course.

These different environments are ideal for relaxing on foot, by bike or on the beach, as well as for invigorating sports and leisure activities such as surfing, wave skiing, canoeing, paddling, longe côte and, of course, fishing!

Whether in terms of natural or historical heritage, Mimizan Bourg hides some beautiful nuggets.

By the lake, you can visit the Promenade Fleurie, the jewel in the town’s crown of flowers, which boasts over 400 different species. Each season has its own character and atmosphere, but whatever the time of year, it’s best to visit in the morning!

Nearby, walkers, fishermen and water sports enthusiasts (canoeing, rowing, pirogue…) can admire Woolsack Castle, with its architecture so singular for our region. A former hunting lodge built in 1911 by the Duke of Westminster on the shores of the lake, it is a replica of Richard Kipling’s South African home. Many celebrities stayed here between 1920 and 1930, including Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, Salvador Dali and Winston Churchill. During one of his stays in Woolsack, the latter painted the entrance to the seaside resort, then called Mimizan les Bains.

Its history begins in the heart of the village, with a priceless testimony: the bell tower-porch of the former Prieuré Sainte-Marie, which in the Middle Ages was a stopover on the coastal route of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this monument boasts one of the finest groups of 13th-century sculptures and 15th-century murals.

Mimizan’s sauveté grew up around this priory, and is marked by five sauveté markers or pyramids dating from the 11th century, which can still be seen in the commune. Four of these markers are still visible.

Mimizan Bourg is also home to commercial, industrial, cultural, sporting and administrative activities.