The Domaine de Certes and the beaches of Lanton

This is a walk in the salty air of the Arcachon basin, where land and water intermingle and enrich each other, in a vast area made up of former fish ponds and salt marshes. We did it in 2013, on a beautiful cold and sunny day in December, but don't hesitate to come back in all weathers and all seasons, because the face of these places is endlessly changing.

Fiche technique

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  • trace_mode_pedestrian
    Activité: trace_mode_pedestrian
  • ↔
    label_distance: 8.92 mi
  • ◔
    Durée calculée: 4h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulte: Moyenne

  • ⚐
    Retour point de depart: Non
  • ↗
    label_elevation_gain: + 7 ft
  • ↘
    label_elevation_loss: - 10 ft

  • ▲
    label_highest_point: 16 ft
  • ▼
    label_lowest_point: 7 ft
  • ⚐ Pays: France
  • ⚐ Commune: Audenge (33980)
  • ⚑
    Départ: N 44.692075° / O 1.022455°
  • ⚑
    Arrivée: N 44.723471° / O 1.075643°
  • ❏
    Carte(s) IGN: Ref. 1337ET, 1437SB
  • Météo détaillée heure par heure

Photos

Description of the walk

Coming from Bordeaux via Arès (to the north) or Biganos (to the south), take the departmental road that runs along the eastern side of the basin, and in the village of Audenge, at 47 Avenue de Certes, enter the Certes-Graveyron estate via a roundabout.
Park in the new car park.

(S) Head south, passing the estate's reception and exhibition area, then towards the château, which you go around on the right.

(1) You will pass an annex building of the château and take the path heading west.

After about 500 metres, cross a stream (the Lanton stream) via a pretty bridge and turn left, following the stream, which is now on your left. Continue along the bend in the path until you come to a bridge on your left that crosses the same stream towards the Graveyron estate.

(2) Leave this bridge and continue to the right on theGRP® Tour du Bassin d'Arcachon, marked in red and yellow. Soon the track becomes straight, running between the stream on the left (now much wider) and a canal on the right, then very large basins.

From then on, and all the way to Lanton, the route is very simple: just follow the track on the earth embankment between the Arcachon basin on the left and the reservoirs or marshes on the right.

The track turns right, then left, crossing a path that you leave on your right. After this junction, you pass a hut and the Piquet canal lock. The track then turns right at a right angle, then heads straight north-west, with reservoirs on the right and the Arcachon basin on the left, before turning right again at a right angle.

At a place called Le Pavillon, go around a hut on the right and continue straight ahead towards the north-west. Then, after a sharp turn to the right, the track runs along a gulf at the end of which you can see the town of Lanton.

After a series of straight lines separated by turns to the right and left, you will come to a junction with another track blocked by a barrier, followed by a lock in a right-hand turn.
On the left, in the gulf, you drive alongside large salt marshes, where you can see a large number of hides (fixed posts for hunting waterfowl). Shortly afterwards, the track turns left, then left again after passing close to a hide, and runs alongside marshes on the right.

You arrive at the Braou sports complex, where there is a large building, a car park and, most notably, a swimming pool fed by seawater via a sluice gate. To the left of the track is a narrow sandy beach behind a rockfill dyke.

(3) Continue along theGRP®, turn left and walk along a series of elongated pools behind which you can see a large holiday centre. You then arrive at a beautiful beach (Suzette beach), served by a circular car park.

(4) At the far left of the car park, the track resumes and runs alongside marshes before arriving at Port de Cassy, which you follow to Avenue de la République. Leave this avenue immediately to head back to the other side of the port, passing in front of the harbour master's office, then join Rue du Port. Turn left into this street and you will reach a roundabout at the entrance to a large car park along the beach.

(5) Walk along the beach on this car park (you can also walk on the beach) to the circular car park at the end. Return to the coastal path, which first runs alongside a campsite, then a fish pond, to reach a bridge. This bridge crosses an estey (a canal, the Berle de Cassy), then you are on a short stretch of road at the beginning of a housing estate. Leave this stretch of road and return to the coastal path before reaching another road, the Allée des Cabanes.

(6) Take this street opposite, then continue along Rue des Tamaris. You will reach the small port of Taussat. Walk along the basin to reach the end of the quay. Turn left to reach the beach.

(7) Walk along the beach to reach the Port de Fontainevieille.

(8) Take the path on the right that runs alongside the harbour. At the end of the basin, turn left, pass between the harbour and the houses and you will reach the Allée Jacques Cartier car park on the other side (E).

Points de passages

  1. D : mi 0 - alt. 16 ft - Parking at the Certes estate
  2. 1 : mi 0.22 - alt. 16 ft - Château de Certes
  3. 2 : mi 0.43 - alt. 13 ft - Fork in the road for the Graveyron estate - Bassin d'Arcachon
  4. 3 : mi 5.79 - alt. 13 ft - Braou sports area
  5. 4 : mi 6.66 - alt. 10 ft - Suzette beach car park
  6. 5 : mi 7.35 - alt. 10 ft - Avenue Minardo
  7. 6 : mi 8 - alt. 13 ft - Allée des Cabanes
  8. 7 : mi 8.21 - alt. 13 ft - Return to the beach
  9. 8 : mi 8.72 - alt. 13 ft - Port of Fontainevieille
  10. A : mi 8.92 - alt. 13 ft - Parking at the finish line on Allée Jacques Cartier.

Informations pratiques

The terrain is easy throughout the entire route. Fast walking shoes, possibly walking sticks.
There are no water sources for drinking, but plenty of opportunities to take a dip.
No problem with the tide schedule either, as you can walk anywhere. But the landscape has much more character at low tide.

A proximite

Don't forget to allow an hour (or more) to visit the exhibition area at the Certes-Graveyron estate, see here and here.

From the same starting point, you can also do the Graveyron estate circular, described by bobca

We did the route one way, with a car at each car park. The junction can also be easily reached by bike, taking advantage of the cycle paths between Cassy and Audenge, or even the entire route, as the paths on the Certes estate are accessible to all-terrain bikes.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Fiabilité de la description
4.6 / 5
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire
4.9 / 5
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée
4.3 / 5
stjo
stjo

@Jp9374 Yes, that's THE solution when you have to make a circular route (with a single vehicle, for example). But then you lose much of the appeal of the trip, namely the beaches and the three ports in the second part. That's probably why you rated the appeal of the route as "average".

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Jp9374
Jp9374

Note globale : 4.3 / 5

Date de la randonnée : May 30, 2023
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★☆☆ Moyen
Circuit très fréquenté : Non

We did a circular walk back to the estate car park. At Lanton beach, we turned right to pass in front of the church and cross the D3 road to rejoin the cycle path. There is little shade on this walk.

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stjo
stjo

@Tereda, thank you for your well-argued opinion.

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Tereda
Tereda

Note globale : 4.3 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Sep 18, 2022
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★☆ Bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★☆ Bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Non

Nothing to report

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alainmartine33
alainmartine33

Note globale : 4.7 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Feb 14, 2022
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★☆ Bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Non

A very interesting route, but be careful, at least in spring, if there has been a lot of rain beforehand, as the path is very muddy in places and there are many ruts filled with water. It's fine to walk and push your bike, provided you have good (waterproof) shoes and don't mind getting your bike or yourself dirty.
This trail must be very busy in summer.

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Sencha
Sencha

Note globale : 5 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Feb 14, 2022
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Oui

A very beautiful route, with a feeling of being outside the world when you reach the tip, arriving in the middle of the basin (the tide was high, with wind and waves).
We took a different route because there were a lot of people in the car park at the entrance to the estate (next to the château). We parked a little further north in the car park at the Lanton swimming pool (landmark 3), then walked around the estate, crossed the D3 after the reception to get back on the cycle path, then turned left for about 1 km, then left onto the Route de Blagon. cross the D3 again and continue to Lanton Church (12th century), then after about ten metres, turn right onto a small forest path that leads to the swimming pool car park.

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boule33
boule33

Note globale : 4.7 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Jul 18, 2021
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★☆ Bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Oui

Be careful of the heat, as there is no shade. This hike should be done several times to see the basin at different tides. Our favourite time for this route is an afternoon in November with the setting sun—it's wonderful.

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yvounet
yvounet

Note globale : 4.3 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Mar 05, 2021
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★☆ Bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★☆ Bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Oui

Excellent hike in ideal weather (not too hot), even compared to a hike in June 2019 when it was very hot, despite starting an hour earlier.
Easy trail with no elevation gain, offering a beautiful view of the Bay and Arcachon.
Quite a few different birds waiting to migrate north. Three pairs of swans brooding and building nests.
Walking time from the trailhead in Audenge to Andernos centre: 4½ hours.
Worth doing again! I recommend this hike in a beautiful, peaceful location.

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Ymer33
Ymer33

Note globale : 4.7 / 5

Date de la randonnée : Feb 28, 2021
Fiabilité de la description : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Facilité à suivre l'itinéraire : ★★★★★ Tres bien
Intérêt du circuit de randonnée : ★★★★☆ Bien
Circuit très fréquenté : Oui

A lovely walk on a dry, sunny winter Sunday, starting from the port of Audenge.
Beautiful scenery along the Arcachon basin at low tide.
We will return to finish the route, this time starting from Lanton.
A pleasant hike that is accessible to families with children.

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