First pick
La Teste de Buch
Wood or forest
3,854 ha23.9 km of path
5 h 20 minto walk all 23.9 km of path
6.9 km southfrom the center
Piste Cyclable La Teste de Buch - Biscarrosse Plage
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Bdx · CC BY-SA 4.046%of the land protected
Outdoors in La Teste-de-Buch · protected areas, woods and footpaths
La Teste-de-Buch is on the coast
46% of La Teste-de-Buch’s land lies in protected areas. Mapped woodland covers 56% of La Teste-de-Buch. Waymarked hiking routes add up to 8 km in La Teste-de-Buch. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
46%
of the commune’s land
Compared town: 0.1%
Woodland
56%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
195 km
1.1 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
7.5 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
14
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: La Teste de Buch
The sea
On it
the commune touches the coast, 2.6 km from its center
Throughout this page, the Gironde median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is La Teste-de-Buch?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
On the coastThe commune touches the sea; the coast is 2.6 km from its center.A wooded commune56% mapped woodland, more than in 94% of compared French towns, against 13% for the median compared town.Protected countryside46% of the land lies in protected areas.
What sets La Teste-de-Buch apart: the sea, then its woods.
Against French towns
How La Teste-de-Buch compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas46%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
86out of 100
Woodland56%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
94out of 100
Footpaths1.1 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
34out of 100
Hiking routes0 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
27out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
La Teste-de-Buch has the 3rd fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (26,214 to 28,909 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Paris 4e (12.9 km per km²) to Bergerac (1 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris 4e Paris | 12.9 | 0% | 0% | 150 km |
| 2 | Lyon 1er Rhône | 11.3 | 1.1% | 0% | 253 km |
| 3 | Taverny Val-d'Oise | 10.5 | 33% | 0.4% | 129 km |
| 4 | Champs-sur-Marne Seine-et-Marne | 9.6 | 36% | 0.1% | 160 km |
| 5 | Grigny Essonne | 8.7 | 7.2% | 0% | 170 km |
| 6 | Le Plessis-Robinson Hauts-de-Seine | 8.6 | 13% | 0% | 153 km |
| 7 | Élancourt Yvelines | 8.2 | 26% | 3.5% | 138 km |
| 8 | Vanves Hauts-de-Seine | 7.3 | 3.4% | 0% | 150 km |
| 9 | Cormeilles-en-Parisis Val-d'Oise | 7.2 | 14% | 0% | 133 km |
| 10 | Gradignan Gironde | 6.8 | 17% | 0% | 26 km |
| 11 | Yerres Essonne | 6.6 | 36% | 0% | 169 km |
| 12 | Sannois Val-d'Oise | 6 | 17% | 0% | 135 km |
| 13 | Bussy-Saint-Georges Seine-et-Marne | 5.9 | 31% | 2.3% | 167 km |
| 14 | Charenton-le-Pont Val-de-Marne | 5.9 | 0.7% | 0% | 155 km |
| 15 | Armentières Nord | 5.9 | 3.8% | 0% | 50 km |
| 16 | Sucy-en-Brie Val-de-Marne | 5.7 | 31% | 0% | 165 km |
| 17 | Blagnac Haute-Garonne | 5.6 | 5.4% | 7.5% | 152 km |
| 18 | Cenon Gironde | 5.4 | 8.9% | 0% | 18 km |
| 19 | Limeil-Brévannes Val-de-Marne | 4.8 | 29% | 0% | 165 km |
| 20 | Lambersart Nord | 4.7 | 3.4% | 0% | 59 km |
| 21 | Bois-Colombes Hauts-de-Seine | 4.6 | 0% | 0% | 141 km |
| 22 | Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire Loire-Atlantique | 4.5 | 9.9% | 23% | 41 km |
| 23 | Orvault Loire-Atlantique | 3.9 | 17% | 0% | 37 km |
| 24 | Illkirch-Graffenstaden Bas-Rhin | 3.9 | 30% | 26% | 454 km |
| 25 | La Garde Var | 3.8 | 7.6% | 25% | On it |
| 26 | Dieppe Seine-Maritime | 3.3 | 2.9% | 2.7% | On it |
| 27 | Vertou Loire-Atlantique | 3.1 | 19% | 0% | 41 km |
| 28 | Sens Yonne | 3.1 | 4.6% | 0% | 249 km |
| 29 | Brétigny-sur-Orge Essonne | 3 | 9.5% | 0% | 169 km |
| 30 | Montfermeil Seine-Saint-Denis | 2.9 | 8.2% | 5.5% | 155 km |
| 31 | Soissons Aisne | 2.7 | 7.5% | 0% | 148 km |
| 32 | Aurillac Cantal | 2.7 | 2.9% | 0.2% | 195 km |
| 33 | Rambouillet Yvelines | 2.6 | 48% | 74% | 139 km |
| 34 | Maubeuge Nord | 2.6 | 2.2% | 0.1% | 129 km |
| 35 | Lunel Hérault | 2.2 | 0.4% | 0.6% | 14 km |
| 36 | Gonesse Val-d'Oise | 2.1 | 4% | 0% | 141 km |
| 37 | Villeparisis Seine-et-Marne | 1.9 | 13% | 0% | 153 km |
| 38 | Saumur Maine-et-Loire | 1.5 | 15% | 100% | 133 km |
| 39 | La Teste-de-Buch Gironde | 1.1 | 56% | 46% | On it |
| 40 | Étampes Essonne | 1 | 12% | 0% | 172 km |
| 41 | Bergerac Dordogne | 1 | 14% | 1.9% | 86 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around La Teste-de-Buch
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: La Teste de Buch leads, at 3,854 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Lycée général et technologique Grand Air
Wood or forest · 280 m outside the commune
11 ha
4.5 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks, gardens and woods
La Teste de BuchWood or forest · 3,854 ha · 23.9 km of path
DirectionsPetit bruléWood or forest · 38 ha
DirectionsSemis propreWood or forest · 17 ha
DirectionsDunes de l'égliseWood or forest · 17 ha
DirectionsLycée général et technologique Grand AirWood or forest · 11 ha · just outside
DirectionsDunes de PlumiousWood or forest · 11 ha
DirectionsCabeil rondWood or forest · 7.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSemis des postesWood or forest · 8.7 ha
DirectionsNotre-Dame des MontsWood or forest · 8.5 ha
DirectionsPépé le grandWood or forest · 7 ha
DirectionsBateauWood or forest · 5.7 ha
DirectionsBoignéWood or forest · 5.4 ha
DirectionsLes plaquesWood or forest · 4 ha
DirectionsPalettesWood or forest · 3.8 ha
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
46% of La Teste-de-Buch lies in protected areas
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Nature reserve
Banc d’Arguin nature reserve
0.6% of the commune4.7 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Forêts dunaires de la Teste-de-Buch
30% of the commune0.6 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Zones humides de l’arrière dune des pays de Born et de Buch
13% of the commune9.5 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Bassin d’Arcachon et banc d’Arguin
1.9% of the commune2.6 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Bassin d’Arcachon et Cap Ferret
1.9% of the commune2.6 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Dunes modernes du littoral landais d’Arcachon à Mimizan Plage
1.6% of the commune8.9 km from the center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area46%
Nature reserve0.6%
Natura 2000 site46%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
46% of La Teste-de-Buch’s land is protected, more than in 86% of compared French towns; the median compared town in Gironde has 7.7%.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
195 km of footpaths and 8 km of hiking routes cross La Teste-de-Buch
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
195 km
1.1 km per km²
Hiking routes
7.5 km
waymarked: 0 km per km²
Woodland
56%
about 100.4 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
La Teste-de-BuchGironde medianFrance median
Footpaths1.1
Hiking routes0
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
La Teste-de-BuchGironde medianFrance median
Woodland56%
0%50%100%
That is less than in 66% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 94% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. 99% of La Teste-de-Buch’s residents live within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, close to the typical town.
A named hiking route within 2 km
Other named walk
SLR Longarisse - Bayonne4.2 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in La Teste-de-Buch: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Cazaux, 9 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | 11 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 12 |
| Rain (mm) | 99 | 74 | 67 | 73 | 63 | 66 | 44 | 61 | 76 | 88 | 128 | 109 |
July is the driest month (44 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 27 °C). 128 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 35 nights a year. The climate in La Teste-de-Buch →
Neighbors
Next to La Teste-de-Buch
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
ArcachonGujan-MestrasLe TeichLantonAudengeBiganosLa Teste-de-Buch
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
Le Teich, Lanton and Audenge have at least twice as much protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in La Teste-de-Buch
Is La Teste-de-Buch in a national or regional nature park?
No, but 46% of its land is in a nature reserve or a Natura 2000 site.
Are there good walks in La Teste-de-Buch?
OpenStreetMap maps 195 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 1.1 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 8 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of La Teste-de-Buch is woodland?
56% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is La Teste-de-Buch near the sea?
Yes: the commune touches the coast, 2.6 km from its center.
When is the best time for walking in La Teste-de-Buch?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.