Mimizan, a commune in southwestern France, Landes department

Mimizan (Occitan: Mamisan) is a commune in southwestern France, located in the Landes department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It belongs to the Pays de Born (Gascony) and is located in the area of the Landes forest.

The commune is divided between two distinct hubs: Mimizan-Bourg and Mimizan-Plage, the latter being one of the main seaside resorts on the Côte d’Argent.

Tourism

Mimizan has ten kilometers of beaches. The ocean beaches, from north to south, are:

Remember Beach, Ailes Beach, and Garluche Beach (north of the current);
Goëlands Beach, Mouettes Beach, South Beach, and Lespecier Beach (south of the current).

The other beaches are Courant Beach and Lake Aureilhan.

*The town features numerous clean beaches but is not advised for tourists because of the nearby Gascogne Papier factory, which is situated just 1 km from the coast. This factory is a leading producer of natural kraft paper, and its operations result in significant air pollution within a 2 km radius, contributing to an unpleasant odor in the town.

Mimizan has a state-owned forest managed by the National Forestry Office, the Malloueyre Hunting and Wildlife Reserve, and three Natura 2000 sites (SCI/pSCI):

“Dunes of the Landes Coast from Arcachon to Mimizan-Plage”;
“Dunes of the Landes Coast from Mimizan-Plage to Vieux-Boucau,” including the Malloueyre ponds and the Tirelagüe lagoon;
“Wetlands of the Back Dune of the Pays de Born,” including the Aureilhan pond.

The town owns the bell tower-porch of the former priory church of Mimizan (11th-13th centuries), partially listed as a historical monument in 1903 and fully in 1990, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 as part of the Route of Santiago in France.

The town also has the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (1887-1891).