Arjuzanx and Commanday Lakes

This route goes around the two large lakes of Arjuzanx, Lake Commanday and Lake Arjuzanx.
The track is on a gravel path and is suitable for mountain bikes.

Details

4638575
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 40 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 43 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 91 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 61 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the park house.

(S/E) Take the path and quickly turn right to walk along the edge of Lake Arjuzanx. You will reach a crossroads between the two lakes.

(1) Continue straight ahead, following the map, walking along the edge of Lake Commanday until you reach its northern shore.

(2) Continue along the shore of this lake until you reach a crossroads.

(3) Here, access to the direct path to the lake is closed. Take the path on the right, which initially runs alongside the Barreyre stream. Then turn left to take the path along the edge of a road. You will reach a crossroads with a barrier.

(4) Turn left, then you will come to more barriers. Make two turns, one to the right and the second to the left, and you will reach the Belvédère de Commanday viewpoint.

(5) Turn right onto the path to enter the Miocene Gardens. You will soon reach the Belvédère du Fond des Dépôts, which is the starting point of the Discovery Trail along Lake Arjuzanx. Continue to the crossroads at the end of the gardens.

(6) Stay on the path along the lake, making a large circular loop to reach the hamlet of Barreyre.

(7) Continue along the edge of the lake until you reach a muddy area in wet weather.

(8) Note: in wet weather, it is preferable to take the higher parallel path. However, stay on the lake shore to easily find the Maison du Parc car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 75 m - Parking at the park house
  2. 1 : km 1.96 - alt. 81 m - Passage between the two lakes
  3. 2 : km 5.07 - alt. 81 m - North shore of the lake
  4. 3 : km 7.51 - alt. 77 m - Path closed
  5. 4 : km 9.54 - alt. 69 m - Barrier crossroads
  6. 5 : km 10.59 - alt. 76 m - Commanday Viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 11.77 - alt. 62 m - End of the Miocene Gardens
  8. 7 : km 13.6 - alt. 62 m - Small water sports centre in Barreyre
  9. 8 : km 14.16 - alt. 62 m - Muddy passage
  10. S/E : km 15.93 - alt. 75 m - Parking at the park house

Notes

(1) Here you can shorten the route. Turn left to go around Lake Arjuzanx and rejoin the trail at (5).

(2) Lake Commanday is wilder and access is prohibited as it is a refuge for cranes from October to February.

(5) Bicycles are not permitted in the Miocene Gardens. Take the opportunity here to learn about the life of cranes. The Discovery Trail is built over the water like a pontoon. It offers beautiful views of the lake and explains the flora that can be observed.

Worth a visit

(7) Barreyre: a small water sports centre offering paddleboard hire.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Belluteau
Belluteau
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A somewhat monotonous walk at the start in the forest, without meeting anyone, long and without a view of the lake, then prettier and more pleasant along the shore of Lake Arjuzanx, which is a little busier. Very easy.

Machine-translated

JCB85320
JCB85320

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike around the lakes. The lower path is muddy at this time of year but still very pleasant. All you need is a good pair of shoes.

Machine-translated

jmfourniat
jmfourniat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Due to time constraints, we didn't complete the entire route, but only the lake located in the southern part. No difficulty in navigating. A little mud at the start and in the middle of a hill! Lots of migratory birds in the sky. A beautiful hike between Christmas and New Year's. JMF

Machine-translated

kiki70
kiki70

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, refreshing walk, perfect for a gentle return to exercise. Much more interesting in the second half, with beautiful views of the lakes.

Machine-translated

yannherbert
yannherbert

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A gentle walk, a little monotonous at first (pine forest) and with no view of Lake Commanday.
A bit more pleasant from point 3 (deciduous forest) onwards, then along the shore of Lake Arjuzanx, which is a bit busier
Very easy path

Machine-translated

Gravette
Gravette

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Part 1 along the magnificent Lake Arjuzanx with flocks of cranes and frost. The tour of the second lake is much less interesting at this time of year.
Visit to the superb Miocene gardens.

Machine-translated

robert adam
robert adam

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice, but no birds or animals except for two ducks. However, the site is pretty and you can take a dip on your return.

Machine-translated

Floormoom
Floormoom

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Even in cloudy weather, this is a very pleasant walk, dotted with mimosas here and there to add a touch of colour!
However, the tour of Lake Commanday is mainly through woods and there is practically no view of the lake at this time of year, as the paths leading to it are closed. I was hoping to see some cranes, but there wasn't a single one to be seen. They must have been packing their bags for their journey... Since returning to Bordeaux, I've been seeing them in the sky and thinking that perhaps they come from Arjuzanx!
The paths that run along the southern shore of Lake Arjuzanx to the west are almost impassable at the moment (very muddy, you sink in, it's slippery...), so it's better to follow the track that runs parallel to them.
I'll have to do it again in the spring, it must be magnificent with the trees in leaf!

Machine-translated

Lo cordior
Lo cordior

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

8:15 a.m.: on a typical early morning in the Landes region: damp and cool under a thick fog,
a lovely wooded hike around the lakes, with vegetation still submerged by the recent storms in the Landes region...
Nature awakening with cranes flying overhead in large numbers...
the path became more difficult after the sailing school (closed); very muddy, almost impassable.
At the end of the route, around 11 a.m., the sun came out to warm us up...

Note the musher with his dogs pulling a wheeled cart...
Very nice! The six dogs (Malamutes? Huskies?) seemed happy to be out and about...

0V6A8781.JPG
IMG_5414-preview.jpg

Machine-translated

sergemartenot@orange;fr
sergemartenot@orange;fr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant route

Machine-translated

Barrouillet
Barrouillet

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike around the lakes.
I often do it.

Machine-translated

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.