Village Ocelandes » Excursions

Pyrenees

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:49:08 +0000

You can make beautiful car trips through the northern part of the Pyrenees. A visit to Lourdes can be excellently combined with a tour on the Tourmalet.

When the weather is nice you can take the cable car from the ground station to the Pic du Midi (the Bigorre) at an altitude of nearly 3000 metres. From the Pic du Midi you have a magnificent view of the Pyrenees.

Pic du Midi
Rue Pierre Lamy de la Chapelle
65200 La Mongie
Tel: +33 (0)8 25 00 28 77
Pic du Midi

Photos

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The Caves of Bétharram

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:25:00 +0000

The Caves of Bétharram are undoubtedly among the most beautiful caves of the Pyrenees. They are situated at about 15 kilometres from Lourdes.

These stalactite caves consist of 5 levels. The caves have splendid stalactite and stalacmite formations in beautifully illuminated halls with names like Le Chaos and La Salle des Lustres.

During your visit you make a boat trip and you are brought back outside the caves on a small train.

The Caves of Bétharram
65270 Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre
Tel. +33 (0)5 62 41 80 04
Grottes de Bétharram

Dune du Pyla

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:24:38 +0000

North of Village Ocelandes and near Arcachon lies Dune du Pyla. This enormous bare sand mountain with its height of 117 metres, its length of 2700 metres and its width of 500 metres is the largest dune in Europe.

Dune du Pyla is a ‘walking dune’, moving every year as much as 4 metres. The dune has a very steep slope. There are stairs in the summer months. The summit of the dune looks very much like a moon landscape.

Dune du Pyla
Avenue de la Plage
33115 Pyla-sur-Mer
Dune du Pyla

The Caves of Sare

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:23:48 +0000

In the extreme west of the Pyrenees and close to the Spanish border lie the caves of Sare and the Parc Préhistorique.

The caves are enchantingly illuminated and every fifteen minutes guides take care of a 900-metre-walk under the ground. In the caves you find paintings dating back ten to fifteen thousand years.

The fossil remains of the sea to which the caves own their existence are a first rate attraction. The nearby village of Sare is among ‘Les plus beaux villages de France’.

Caves of Sare
Route Grottes de Sare
64310 Sare
Tel. +33 (0)5 59 54 24 16
Grottes de Sare

Le Petit Train de La Rhune

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:23:14 +0000

At a seven-mile distance from Saint-Jean-de-Luz lies the mountain La Rhune. On top of this mountain you have a splendid view across the valley. The trip up the mountain can be made either on foot or by train.

The train from La Rhune takes you to an altitude of 905 metres, to the top of the Basque country-side. The train with its beautiful wooden carriages climbs across slopes with a 25% gradient.

During the trip discover the botanic life of the Basque mountains and the sources of the 3 fountains as well as the Pottoks (small wild Basque horses), the sheep and the vultures.

Le Petit Train de La Rhune
Col de Saint-Ignace
64310 Sare
Tel. +33 (0)5 59 54 20 26
Le Petit Train de La Rhune

Marquèze Ecomuseum

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:21:07 +0000

On a surface of as many as 175 acres the ecomuseum of Marquèze with its regional architecture, old crafts, a mill and a special orchard gives a good impression of life in the former boggy terrain behind the coast of Les Lanes.

Also the resin workshop of Vidal in Luxey is part of this museum, just like an agricultural domain near Hostens and a church in Belhade

Marquèze EcoMusée
40630 Sabres
Tel. +33 (0)5 58 08 31 31
Marquèze EcoMusée

Amusement Parks

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Between the basin of Arcachon and the forest of Les Landes de Gascogne lies the charming town of Gujan Mestras.

In the surroundings of this town you find various Amusement Parks like ‘Aqualand’ with nine acres of water attractions, Recreational Park ‘La Coccinelle’ and the mini-attraction park ‘Kid Parc’ for two to twelve-year-old children.

Aqualand
145 Route des Lacs
33470 Gujan Mestras
Tel. +33 (0)5 56 66 39 39
Aqualand

La Coccinelle
La Hume
33470 Gujan Mestras
Tel. +33 (0)5 56 66 30 41
La Coccinelle

Kid Parc
Parc de la Hume
33470 Gujan Mestras
Tel. +33 (0)5 56 66 06 90
Kid Parc

Zoos

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:50:47 +0000

In the district of Aquitaine you can find various zoos like Pinède des Singes (a monkey colony) in Labenne or Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon in La Teste-du-Buch with its many wild animals.

Also Musée de la Mer with its marine aquarium and tanks with seals and pelicans is definitely worth seeing.

Pinède des Singes
Route Nationale 10
40530 Labenne
Tel. +33 (0)5 59 45 43 66
Pinède des Singes

Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon
Route de Cazaux
33260 La Teste-de-Buch
Tel. +33 (0)5 56 54 71 44
Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon

Musée de la Mer
Plateau de l’Atalaye
64200 Biarritz
Tel. +33 (0)5 59 22 33 34
Musée de la Mer