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If you are coming from Belin-Beliet via the D3, before the sign for Hostens, turn left towards "Domaine départemental Gérard Lagors". If you are coming from Le Barp or Saucats, start by crossing the village and head towards Belin-Beliet to reach the same "Domaine départemental Gérard Lagors" sign at the edge of the town. Enter the estate and park in one of the car parks under the pine trees, not far from the Tourist Office.
(S/E) Walk past the Tourist Office, then past the water sports centre, and on the left you will find a path under the pine trees that follows the edge of Lake Lamothe. Follow this path for 800 metres, still close to the edge of the lake and its reed beds, then along an elongated lagoon at the end of which you will come to a forest track.
(1) Turn right and almost immediately leave this forest track to find a path that goes around and then follows the same lagoon. After 500m, you will find yourself on an isthmus between the large Lake Lamothe and the small Lake Barnadas, with a long island planted with pine trees visible on the right. 900m further along this isthmus, you will find a barrier at the end of a carriageway that ends here with a small car park.
(2) Leave this track and turn left onto the path that leads to the Grand Lac de Bernadas, which you will skirt around on the left. Avoid the forest track that goes around the lake and instead take the narrow, uneven paths that run close to the shore, where you can encounter birds, insects and amphibians and soak up the charm of these wetlands.
When you reach the north-eastern end of the lake, cross a clearing where the trees are planted in parallel rows of hedges. Continue for about 250 metres before crossing the carriage road you encountered earlier.
(3) Cross this track and take the dirt track opposite, which you follow for about 500 metres before finding a path on the right that takes you closer to the lake shore. After 600 metres, you will come out at the top of the northern beach of Lac de Lamothe.
(4) You will pass a sandy, grassy hillock with picnic tables under large oak trees, and continue southwards.
(5) At the end of this beach, you will come to a footbridge that connects to the south beach, crossing the stretch of water that links Lake Lamothe to Lake Bourg. You can take the opportunity to stop at this beach, then turn back.
(4) Take the dirt track on the right to walk along Lac du Bourg and cross its lagoons, which will take you to the road (D651). Follow this road to the left for 200 metres until you reach a car park that extends on both sides.
(6) In this car park, there is a sign describing Lac de Bousquey. Take the path to the right of this sign, first through the woods, then into a long clearing (actually a high-voltage power line crossing), which you follow for about 200 metres to the south-east until you reach a crossroads.
(7) Turn left at a right angle, pass under the high-voltage power line and follow this path, which soon borders a small lake and then joins a forest track.
(8) Turn left onto this forest track for 200 metres, or better still, take the path opposite which winds its way along the water's edge and joins the track at the next crossroads (this path is not shown on the IGN map).
(9) Take the track on the right to go around the lake to the north, admiring the unique landscape formed by the long, fan-shaped islands that converge towards the south-west of the lake. This landscape, which is more easily imagined than seen, is strikingly visible from the air, and I recommend viewing the site on Google Earth before setting off on the hike.
(10) You will find a path that branches off to the right and allows you to walk around a peninsula before returning to the same point and resuming your forest trail towards the east, still along the lake. After about 1 km, you will find another path on the right.
(11) Take this path and walk around another peninsula, which is different in character from the previous one. Return to the forest track, turn right and you will soon arrive at a picnic area, which is the end of a road leading from the village of Louchats. Continue southwards and the track will soon lead you away from the lake.
(12) About 800 metres after the picnic area, turn right at the fork in the track. You will now find yourself in a deforested area, with logs stored at the side of the track. When this track turns left after 500 metres, continue straight ahead along a path to reach a wetland area.
(13) Cross an estey (small canal) and turn left to pass under the high-voltage power line.
(14) Turn right to pass between the ponds towards a housing estate, which you follow to the north, also following the ponds, and you will arrive opposite the stadium by crossing the road.
(15) At the northern edge of the sports field, take the path that runs between the stadium and a lagoon. Go around the sports field and then walk along Lac du Bourg to return to the car park (S/E).
More than half of the route has been inaccessible since the fire in 2022. Only the route around the Lamothe and Bourg lakes is accessible (as of May 2024).
Visorando member
Easy 
