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Head to Pessac, Avenue des Provinces, between numbers 78 on one side and 91 on the other.
The lake car park is on the odd-numbered side, right at the junction with Avenue du Parc d’Espagne.
The lake park is in fact called the Parc d’Espagne.
(S/E) Head towards the lake. As you walk, you’ll see sculptures shaped like large shells on your right. Continue to the lakeside, running alongside the Bamboo Forest – which is actually a large copse of thick, reed-like plants that you’ll leave on your right.
(1) Walk along the lake on the left.
At the far end of the lake, the path continues to a footbridge over the Peugue. Do not follow it, but turn right and walk along the lake to enjoy the view, then return a little further on to reach this footbridge.
(2) Cross the Peugue via this footbridge and immediately turn right onto the track which runs alongside the Peugue, making a wide bend to the right.
At another footbridge, which you’ll leave on your right, turn sharply left, cross Rue des Trembles, then Avenue de Magonty. There, after crossing a footbridge, a sign describes the Bourgailh estate. Take the track that runs alongside the cypress hedge and continue along it, passing through a wooded area, until you reach Avenue de Beutre. Here, you’ll find yourself in front of the entrance to Parc du Bourgailh. Walk alongside the car park towards the viewpoint.
(3) At the end of the car park, take the track on the left which runs alongside a ditch and goes round the BMX park; shortly afterwards, there is a right-angle bend to the right.
At the end of a straight stretch, you’ll come to a gate with a ‘No Entry’ sign. Turn right, cross the ditch and follow the fence towards the viewpoint.
Climb to the top of the Belvédère des Collines to take in the view, particularly of the hill.
Head back down from the viewpoint and cross a flight of steps, then a footbridge.
(4) After the footbridge, turn right towards the greenhouses to visit the Bourgailh Exotic Garden.
After your visit, retrace your steps and take the tarmac track that passes in front of a service building.
Walk past the ‘Tronc Creux’ suburban refuge, then continue straight on along the woodland path, which often runs along a dirt track. Join the tarmac track, the Bourgailh track, just before it turns sharply right and reach a new viewpoint. Climb to the top of this viewpoint to admire the surrounding forest, and in particular a small pond known as ‘La Lagune’.
Continue along the track until it is joined by another track.
(5) There, take a path on the left which curves in a semicircle through the woods until it rejoins the tarmac track. This track leads to an open area where it crosses a canal.
On the other side of the canal, pass under a high-voltage power line and head deeper into the woods.
(6) As soon as you emerge into a clearing, look for a path on the right which heads off through the woods again to reach the Peugue floodplain.
Go round this floodplain to the left, following its entire perimeter, and you’ll find yourself almost back where you started but on the right bank of the Peugue. Follow the Peugue upstream towards the third viewpoint.
Climb up to this viewpoint to take in the scenery, particularly the floodplain to the east and the Peugue to the west.
Continue along the right bank of the Peugue until you reach Rue des Frères Rouyère. Turn right onto it, pass the Domaine des Fougères housing estate, and just as the road bends, carry straight on along a footpath. After about 100 m, turn left onto a track which, after another 100 m, leads to some houses. Then turn right at a right angle, and 100 m further on you’ll reach the tarmacked track at the junction you passed earlier.
(5) Opposite, take the long straight stretch running through the middle of a large grassy area, with the forest on your right and the housing estates on your left. Carry on as long as there are houses on your left.
(7) Just before a fence, you’ll come to a cul-de-sac in the form of a roundabout: this is the end of Rue Lino Ventura. Take this street and head towards Avenue de Beutre.
Once on this avenue, turn right and continue to the roundabout.
(8) Turn left onto Avenue des Provinces, heading south, until you reach another roundabout.
Cross the Peugue and, immediately afterwards, take the path that follows it upstream on the right bank.
250 metres further on, you’ll reach a wide footbridge where you turn left to return to the lakeside at the Bamboo Forest.
(1) Walk past the shell-shaped sculptures again and return to the car park (S/E).
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