Seignosse, Les Estagnots - A Pocket of Calm

The villages of Seignosse, Hossegor and Capbreton merge with one another to form one thriving seaside resort with many aspects. Known for its long, sandy beaches and its proximity to the forest, Seignosse itself is loosely made up of 4 communities; ‘Les Estagnots’, ‘Le Penon’, ‘Seignosse golf’ and ‘La centre ville’.

When the area is thriving with tourists during the peak of summer, les Estagnots is a unique pocket of calm. It benefits from being bordered by the ocean, the forest, the lake and the golf course. The main housing in les Estagnots are large vacation homes with gardens all nestled amongst pine trees, and this lends itself to a quieter atmosphere.

Enjoying the beach and the opportunity to surf Europe’s finest waves are the main reasons why people flock to the area each summer. The coastline in this area stretches for over 100 kilometres and contains both famous surf spots and hidden gems. In particular, the beach of les Estagnots is one of the more famous surf spots in the region. It hosts the annual World Surfing Contest when it visits France in September each year. At that time, the beach is transformed into a surf stadium, complete with bleachers, VIP tents, big screens and thousands of fans. During the rest of summer, it’s a large, expansive space that welcomes families, sunbathers and surfers alike, and is kept under the watchful eye of lifeguards.

The ‘Golf de Seignosse’ is a world-class course, popular throughout the year, and it has been designed so that it is protected from the ocean by the forest of pine and oak trees that it winds through. It has been voted best golf course in France by the Association of British Tour Operators to France and 15th European golf course by the magazine Golf World.

Les Estagnots is the closest of the Seignosse communities to the village of Hossegor, and therefore many of the closest restaurants, cafes and shopping are to be found in Hossegor ville. However, les Estagnots itself offers some of the best, and most eclectic, dining in the entire area. Located near the Hossegor Lake, on avenue Jean Moulin, is ‘Loom’ which offers a very modern and sophisticated atmosphere and menu, and is open for cocktails and champagne until late. Beside it is ‘Chez Monette’ which is known for its tapas-style menu with flavours from around the world, and sprawling outdoor dining beneath the pine trees. Located near the ocean at avenue de Penon is a small shopping village that is open during the summer season with a small supermarket, newsagent, bakery, café, surfboard and bike hire shop, and the restaurant ‘La vie en rose’ which offers a French-fusion menu and free wi-fi.

Open air markets are prolific during summer, and these are to be found in the centre of Hossegor and near the beach at le Penon, 3 times during the week. Apart from all the usual market offerings, they have a good selection of local produce and authentic souvenirs. The village of Hossegor does offer some pretty up-scale shopping for both the young and older, but some of the best shopping to be had is in the ‘zone de artisinale Pedebert’ in Soorts-Hossegor. Also known simply as ‘the zone in Soorts’ it is where all the top surf brands and retailers of local produce have outlet stores. Every Easter, ‘the zone’ acts as an annual pilgrimage point for around 100,000 bargain hunters at the grand ‘braderie’. It is transformed into one massive market place for the surf brands to get rid of last season’s product at hugely reduced prices.

Written by Melanie Butler – Owner of Property 401676 in Seignosse les Estagnots, France.