Soulac has always occupied a unique position, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Landes forest. As early as Antiquity, the area was frequented by travellers, fishermen and merchants making their way along the Gironde coast.
It is an ever-changing landscape: dunes, shifting sands, and the advancing and retreating sea have shaped the coastline and influenced human settlement. As the land gradually became covered by sand, living conditions became increasingly difficult. Some homes disappeared, the dunes advanced, and entire areas were abandoned. With the arrival of the railway and the growing popularity of seaside bathing, Soulac underwent a profound transformation.
Its revival began when people discovered that its oceanic climate, iodine-rich air and exceptional light attracted the first holidaymakers.
The Soulac villas were then built: elegant little houses made of wood and brick. These distinctive villas give Soulac its unique charm, combining seaside architecture with the atmosphere of a traditional village.

Highlights:
- The Basilica
- The town’s distinctive architecture
- Cordouan Lighthouse, visible in the distance

Your first day of cycling on La Vélodyssée begins as you leave the village of Soulac at a leisurely pace, following a beautiful route that alternates between the coastal dune belt and forest trails. The deep, distant sound of the Atlantic accompanies your first few pedal strokes.
You will easily reach the seaside resort of Montalivet-les-Bains, which offers beautiful views of the ocean. From there, the route becomes a kind of green corridor, passing close to Hourtin.
The tree trunks follow one another at a steady, almost hypnotic rhythm, like columns. You’ll ride through the heart of a forest of maritime pines and strawberry trees, immersing yourself in the distinctive landscapes of the Médoc. Your route then takes you towards Carcans, before following a more natural, trail-like cycle path towards the waves of Lacanau-Océan, where the landscape opens up onto the vastness of the Atlantic.

Highlights:
- The Médoc forest
- Montalivet market
- The vast Atlantic beaches
- Jousselin Pond Nature Reserve
- Lake Hourtin
- Cousseau Pond Nature Reserve

From Lacanau, you follow La Vélodyssée deep into the maritime pine forest, with the distant murmur of waves breaking on the nearby wild beaches. Your route is punctuated by long stretches of dunes before the road eventually splits. You will then head towards Cap Ferret, where you can take the boat across the Arcachon Bay.
The crossing is a wonderful opportunity to discover the famous tchanquées huts and catch a glimpse of Bird Island.
Throughout this stage, the landscape becomes repetitive yet wonderfully peaceful, creating a sensation of effortless gliding, almost silent, as if you were floating between the trees. As you approach Arcachon Bay, the light gradually changes and the salty scent of the sea returns. The light becomes more metallic and reflective—the water is now close. The air grows more humid, while the distinctive aromas of oyster farming subtly mingle with the scent of the sea.

Highlights:
- Cap Ferret Lighthouse
- The oyster-farming villages
- Prés Salés Nature Reserve & Piraillan marshes
- Arcachon seafront
- The Ville d’Hiver district
- Mauresque Park
- Bird Island and the tchanquées huts

Leaving a town by bike is always a little challenging, but before long, the hustle and bustle fades away. You follow the road along a protected cycling route and, around a bend, the Dune du Pilat suddenly comes into view. A distinctly Saharan landscape rises above the forest.
The surrounding forest was severely affected by the devastating wildfire of 2022, but nature is gradually reclaiming the land. Here, La Vélodyssée presents a significant climb, sometimes made more challenging by a headwind. But once you reach the top, the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean unfolds before you, along with the Arguin Sandbank and Petit Nice Beach.
Further on, Biscarrosse-Plage awaits. From there, you leave the coast behind and head back into the forest along a cycle path that climbs steadily before descending towards the shores of Lake Cazaux-Sanguinet.

Highlights:
- The Dune du Pilat
- The Arguin Sandbank
- Lake Cazaux-Sanguinet
- The Biscarrosse lakes
- The Musée de l’Hydraviation (Hydroaviation Museum)
- The Dunes Nature Reserve

From Parentis-en-Born, La Vélodyssée now follows the shores of Lake Biscarrosse before reaching the charming seaside resort of Mimizan, skirting the banks of Lake Aureilhan.
In Mimizan, you cross the Courant de Mimizan before heading back into the forest. The route then takes you through the heart of the Landes de Gascogne, a vast region covered by maritime pine forests. This is a peaceful, flat and 100% nature-focused stage, perfect for lovers of wide-open, unspoilt landscapes.
You eventually arrive in the village home to the Landes’ only lighthouse.

Highlights:
- Lake Aureilhan and the Promenade Fleurie
- Sainte-Marie Church and its bell-tower porch (Mimizan)
- The Courant de Mimizan river
- Contis-Plage Lighthouse
- The Courant de Contis

Today, the scenery changes as you travel through very different landscapes, from the peaceful Landes wild coast to the lively seaside resorts of Hossegor and Capbreton.
Before reaching them, you cycle through the forest towards the village of Léon, beautifully set beside its lake. You then continue to Moliets, followed by Messanges, before a succession of seaside resorts sets the pace for your cycling journey: Vieux-Boucau, Seignosse, Hossegor and Capbreton.
Capbreton is the only town in the Landes with a fishing harbour, giving it a unique and particularly authentic atmosphere.

Highlights:
- Cap de l'Homy
- Lake Léon
- Vieux-Boucau Marine Lake
- Vieux-Boucau Canal and Harbour
- Lake Hossegor
- The lively town centre
- Capbreton Harbour
- Nature reserve and lagoons

Welcome to the Basque Country! The atmosphere becomes more urban, but the landscapes remain spectacular and wonderfully diverse. You cycle on to discover Bayonne, an iconic Basque city located at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers.
The architecture changes as the houses become increasingly colourful, with their distinctive red façades. Villages have their traditional frontons, and it is not unusual to hear the rhythmic sound of a pelota game.
La Vélodyssée follows the banks of the Adour before reaching Anglet. Welcomed by the famous Chambre d’Amour, you then continue to the imperial city of Biarritz, whose development was strongly influenced by Empress Eugénie.
After one last glimpse of the Rocher de la Vierge, you continue along the coast through Bidart and Guéthary, home to the powerful Avalanche wave, before reaching the peaceful seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Highlights:
> Bayonne
- The historic centre
- The bridges over the Nive and Adour
- Basque Museum and the History of Bayonne
- Bonnat-Helleu Museum

> Anglet
- Pignada Forest
- The coastal path
- Town centre and market

> Biarritz
- The Rocher de la Vierge
- Hôtel du Palais
- Belle Époque villas
- Sainte-Eugénie Church
- Museum of the Sea
- Asiatica Museum

> Bidart
- Typical narrow streets
- Central square and Saint-Martin Church

> Saint-Jean-de-Luz
- Cobblestone streets and traditional half-timbered houses
- Place Louis XIV and picturesque fishing harbour
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbour
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
- Socoa Fort

End of our services after breakfast