Contis

Contis has long been a popular seaside resort for its soft sand and wild dunes. The Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, a military organisation in the same way as the Knights Templar, set up a commandery here in the 15th century, perhaps more for strategic reasons than to expose their armour to the sun. The lighthouse of Contis is the only one to dominate the waves on the entire Landes coast. Built partly of garluche, an iron-rich stone, it has a spiral painting in the style of a "barber's pole" like some of its peers on the other side of the Atlantic. It can be visited and has been fully automated since 1999. Although the mouth of the Courant de Contis originally resembled that of the Courant d'Huchet, the dyke built there 70 years ago permanently altered its course.