The hinterland that backs the wild Atlantic beaches of the Landes department sports a few tranquil lakes nestling among the pine and cork oak forests. Seignosse has its Etang Noir as well as a Lac Blanc; this delightful hotel is set beside the canal that connects the two.
The panoramic views over the lake from the glass-walled restaurant are what give the Villa de l’Etang Blanc its unique cachet. It is here that you can enjoy a particularly refined cuisine that relies principally on the day’s catch of line-caught fish from nearby Capbreton.
The beaches and coastal resorts are just a short drive away and there are three golf courses within 9 miles or so. Closer to home, you can take a boat out on the lake or just relax with a book on the pretty terrace beside the canal.
The charming young couple who run the place offer a choice between the junior suites, which are very swish with their own sitting room, and the simpler rooms which are also decorated in soothing pastel tones. Hence, at the Etang Blanc, you get the best of both worlds: a haven of peace, where water and land combine in harmony, and the contrasting animation of the lively summer destinations just down the road.
(The hotel escaped damage from the hurricane that wreaked such devastation on the area in January 2009.)