Best time to go to the Landes for a perfect weather and where to go?
Julie Parment and Tony Samson last update: 16/04/2024When is the best time to go to the Landes?
The best time to visit the Landes region extends from early April to late October. However, thanks to its southern location and the Azores anticyclone, the department experiences very pleasant weather in March and November, with a mix of sunny days and rainy but mild episodes.
When to visit the Landes based on your interests?
- For hiking: it is best to avoid the hottest months of July and August. Walking can be challenging during this time, unless sticking to the coast where temperatures are milder. Spring and autumn are then the ideal seasons.
- For swimming and enjoying the beach: the ideal period starts in early June and ends in late September. The coolness of the Atlantic Ocean is welcome on a hot summer day!
- For surfing on the legendary waves of Hossegor or Biscarrosse, there isn't really an ideal season. Enthusiasts can practice this sport all year round, although it is more enjoyable in good weather: between April and October.
- For thermal spa therapy in the beneficial springs of Dax and its surroundings, around fifteen establishments welcome spa guests all year round.
- For cycling along the Landes coast, on the "Vélodyssée" route from Roscoff to Hendaye, it is better to go in May, September, and October: the weather is pleasant, not too hot, and rainfall is lower than at other times of the year.
Annual weather in the Landes
For information about the climate and the weather city by city in the Landes for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:
| Month | Our opinion | View Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F to 52°F | bad weather* | |||
| February | 41°F to 54°F | bad weather* | |||
| March | 43°F to 61°F | tolerable weather | |||
| April | 49°F to 67°F | good weather* | |||
| May | 56°F to 72°F | good weather | |||
| June | 61°F to 79°F | good weather | |||
| July | 65°F to 85°F | good weather | |||
| August | 63°F to 85°F | perfect weather* | |||
| September | 72°F | good weather* | |||
| October | 52°F to 70°F | good weather | |||
| November | 49°F to 59°F | tolerable weather | |||
| December | 43°F to 56°F | bad weather* |
Best time to travel to Landes by cities
Climate and Weather in the Landes
As in the neighboring Gironde, the climate in the Landes is of the Aquitaine oceanic type, as it is the Atlantic Ocean that regulates temperatures and precipitation.
It has the following characteristics:
- Precipitation occurs throughout the year, with a significant decrease during the summer.
- The coast is rainier than the inland areas: there is more rainfall in Cap-Breton than in Mont-de-Marsan.
- Sunshine is abundant with over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.
Summer in the Landes
It can get very hot in the Landes department during the summer. Inland areas are more affected by heatwaves with temperatures often exceeding 30°C (86°F) in Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, or Aire-sur-l'Adour.
These high temperatures lead to frequent thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, and sometimes hail. However, they are brief and mainly occur in the late afternoon.
On the coast, the heat is less intense: temperatures hover around 25°C (77°F) in August in Cap-Breton or Biscarrosse.
Autumn in the Landes
Autumn weather in the Landes has two periods:
- From late September to late October, it's the Indian summer! The weather is pleasant, with averages around 20°C (68°F) during the day, and rainfall is scarce. Moreover, the ocean has been warm all summer and offers great swimming opportunities.
- From November onwards, the weather deteriorates: it starts to get quite cold with minimum temperatures around 10°C (50°F) in Dax, and rain is common throughout the department. Inland areas often experience heavy frosts as early as the beginning of December.
Winter in the Landes
Overall, winters in the Landes are mild but rainy. January is the coldest month, with temperatures struggling to reach 10°C (50°F) at the warmest part of the day.
Significant precipitation from the Atlantic can lead to flooding, and strong winds can cause damage along the coast and in the forests.
In the eastern part of the department, snowfall is not uncommon, especially near the border with Gers.
Spring in the Landes
During spring, the climate in the Landes is generally rainy and cool until the end of April, with occasional beautiful days.
From the beginning of May, although it still rains a lot, temperatures gradually rise, reaching summer temperatures in June, with averages around 26°C (79°F) in Mont-de-Marsan and Aire-sur-l'Adour.
On the coast, this temperature increase is slightly more modest, with averages around 22°C (72°F) in June in Biscarrosse.
Temperatures and rainfall in the Landes
On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Landes and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Mont-de-Marsan, Biscarrosse, Capbreton, Dax and Hossegor, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in the Landes
Find out when Landes has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in the Landes
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December. The number of visitors to Landes is high in: July and August.
- Very low season in the Landes: January and February.
- Low season in the Landes: March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December.
- High season in the Landes: July.
- Peak season in the Landes: August.
Figure: Visitor index for Landes month by month
Where to go in the Landes?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Mont-de-Marsan | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Biscarrosse | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Capbreton | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 63°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Dax | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 54°F |
| Hossegor | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 63°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Messanges | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 54°F |
| Mimizan | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Saint-Julien-en-Born | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Seignosse | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 54°F |
| Aire-sur-l'Adour | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Eugénie-les-Bains | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Labastide-d'Armagnac | 50°F | 54°F | 59°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 83°F | 85°F | 79°F | 68°F | 58°F | 52°F |
| Labenne | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 63°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Lit-et-Mixe | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 54°F |
| Moliets-et-Maa | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 54°F |
| Roquefort (Landes d'Armagnac) | 50°F | 54°F | 59°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 83°F | 85°F | 79°F | 68°F | 58°F | 52°F |
| Sainte-Eulalie-en-Born | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 76°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Contis-Plage | 52°F | 54°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 77°F | 70°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Labrit | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 79°F | 70°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park | 52°F | 54°F | 59°F | 65°F | 68°F | 76°F | 79°F | 79°F | 76°F | 68°F | 59°F | 54°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
bad weather
very bad weather
About Landes
What can I do in the Landes?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Gastronomy
Is this weather information for Landes reliable?
Climate data for Landes has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Landes allows us to determine the average for each month in Mont-de-Marsan, Biscarrosse, Capbreton, Dax, Hossegor, Messanges, Mimizan, Saint-Julien-en-Born, and 24 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.