Located in the Landes, the marine lake of Port d'Albret could have never existed. Before 1578, Port Saint-Albret was the first port on the Landes coast. The decision to divert the Adour River in favor of Bayonne in the 16th century caused a regular blockage of the mouth, depriving the former port city of access to water.
A young lake
It was in 1966 that the decision was made to remedy this occlusion of the river. It was necessary to create a water reservoir which would reproduce the natural action of the tides by bringing back to the sea the alluvium deposited during the previous flow. This is the main purpose of the dam which protects the waters of the Albret marine lake.
After twelve years of work, the lake was inaugurated in 1978. An ecological masterpiece ( the site is classified Natura 2000 ), its shores are under enormous tourist pressure.
A lake designed for tourism
It is Axel Pawutiak director of the nautical pole of Souston beach, who speaks best about the water on which he welcomes, each year "those who want to enjoy the pleasure of salt water and the comfort of lakes" as he explains in his introduction.
The structure he manages is an association of the 1901 law type which proposes the renting of non-motorized watercrafts ( the boats motorized are prohibited on the lake ). On the program, sailboats, surf, paddle, canoe, kayakeuros Everything that floats, including catamarans and dinghies.
For the less experienced, the nautical pole offers courses in relation to all the rented machines, at 80 euros for 2 hours. But, as Axel explains " the lake is calm and, if you go quietly, there are few risks, even for beginners ". Nevertheless, getting into the water for the first time requires a minimum of support. Such courses will allow you to quickly take pleasure.
" There is no shortage of activities and places of interest around the lake " explains Alex." They are divided into two main areas. In the north, Vieux-Boucau which lives all year long. One finds there all the businesses without any difficulty. In the south, in Soustons Plage - not to confuse with Soustons, situated in about ten kilometers - the activity is mainly estival. "
To facilitate the life of the holiday makers, in summer, a regime of artificial tides is set up. Instead of 2 complete cycles ( 2 ebbs and flows ), there is only one cycle. " The lake is kept full during the day, the dam is opened at night, at the latest low tide, to empty itself. It is then closed at the next high water mark. "A dozen hours, therefore, as nightly as possible, to renew the water of the lake and maintain the action of eliminating the sludge.
These schedules are, of course, posted at various points on the lake.
Navigation on the entire lake is limited in speed. " Here, no more than 10 kilometers per hour (5 knots, we are on a marine lake), it is the ideal speed to have fun "explains Alex.
In this regard, the management as well as the surveillance of the lake is entrusted to a mixed organization, the Syndicat Intercommunal De Port d'Albret ( SIPA ) which is in charge of all the police, environmental, animation and valorization functions of the local water body. In addition to the maintenance of the water body, it is this establishment that maintains the dam and its equipment, vital for the fauna, flora and tourism.
Alex states " There is no VHF watch around the lake. The boaters are therefore invited to respect the normal rules of navigation on a lake (such as the special police regulations). For example, it is forbidden to dive at night or to leave your boat at anchor if you are not on board. "
There are several total exclusion zones on the lake: " the surroundings of the dam on 100 meters, the gully which feeds the pond of Pinsolle (West of the lake), the zone of bathing in the East of the water level and the maritime portion of the current of Soustons. "
Practice of light sailing
Because of its shallow depth ( 3 to 4 meters at the highest coefficients ), the lake does not accommodate large boats. " One can put in water for free on the Soustons side, the parking is free and the slipway is very well thought "explains Alex. We will therefore find a majority of dinghies or small keelboats on the lake.
" The ascent to the ocean is impossible, the dam does not have a lock. It is necessary to leave the water in front of the dam to return to the sea upstream "adds the manager of the nautical center.
" The lake is located 200 meters from the ocean. We therefore benefit from the wind coming from the open sea without the big waves or the strong currents. The practice is thus easy and family, even exploratory. "
Exploratory euro What is Alex hiding? " In the middle of the lake there is an island which can only be reached by boat, by landing on the sand of the beach (by "beachant"). The only option to visit this island is a path that crosses it from one side to the other, which it is forbidden to leave. "Here, nature is observed, practiced and, above all, protected.
" You can of course picnic on the beach, but barbecues are forbidden and you can bring back your waste "adds Alex.
This island, by the way, is not the only place to walk on the lake. " A fully developed path, accessible to all users, goes all the way around the lake, for 4 kilometers. It is a very beautiful walk, quite frequented in summer and very quiet and pleasant to do when the weather is good "The Normandy native, who moved to the southwest about 15 years ago, adds. " I find more or less the same weather, with much longer and hotter summers though "he laughs.
" The bottom of the lake is gently sloping, made of sand. It is possible to run aground almost everywhere, outside of the swimming areas, without any risk "according to Axel. This is why, although there are sanitary facilities in many places around the lake, there are no facilities specifically for boaters.
Nevertheless, a marina project of about a hundred places, widely debated, on the Port d'Albret side.
" Two beaches are opened to the public for the bathing, supervised in summer. In the North in Vieux Boucau, in the South in Soustons. The zones of bathing are marked out and forbidden to the boats, of course. "
The zone in which we find the most current is in the north and in the east of the water, in the bed of what was the current of Soustons. Nothing very violent, but a place to privilege for the sailboats. The zone of 100 meters around the dam ( northwest of the lake ) is forbidden to all users.
Finally, motorboats ( thermal as electric ) are prohibited on the marine lake of Port d'Albret.
A word from the guide
The lake is very touristy, as is the entire region. " Nevertheless, if we move away from the two main cities " explains Alex " we can easily find, especially on the Atlantic Ocean side, particularly quiet wild areas, because they are less accessible by car. "
This possibility of calm is undoubtedly realized during one of the countless walks in the forest around the lake: " Here, you have to like both boating and hiking "adds the manager of the nautical center.
There is no shortage of tourist activities for all ages. Campgrounds, vacation villages, golf courses, and high-end residences follow one another on the shores of a lake that may be a little too built up in places, in our opinion.
" The miniature harbor is to be done in family, it is a calm and restful activity, far enough from the crowd. Ideal for an afternoon all together "explains the guide. This miniature port offers to be, for a few hours, captain of a tanker or a cargo ship. With the security of the lake!
Places to know
As everywhere in France, there is no lack of good times on the shores of Port d'Albret lake. Alex recommends some of his favorite spots. " The restaurant next to the sailing club ( Le Petit Sainte Marie ) offers a local cuisine, with a very friendly owner. Count about twenty euros for home-made dishes with local products. A little more original, the Balian coffee which proposes Indonesian specialities. It is on the side of Souston Plage, you can enjoy it for about fifteen euros. "
To have a drink at sunset while admiring the ocean " opt for the Captain Bar, on the Vieux Boucau side. It's easy, you just have to eat and the bar is located at the top of the dune. In the evening, at sunset, it's great. "
Want to play Robinson?" Go ashore on the island with your picnic basket. In fact, few people land on the island except in high season. And, in the middle of the trees, you will feel very, very far from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding cities. "
It's Alex's favorite place to be, no matter what the season. " The sound of the ocean in the distance, the absence of visitors and the simple noise of the sailboats, it is top "concludes the manager.
Alex finishes " Lake Albret is really a low-risk lake. It is family friendly and its relatively small size means that everyone looks out for each other. We have very few real problems, even at the height of the season. "
