Surf Camp in the Landes Forest: Wooden Cabins 300m from Le Vivier Beach

A day at Hoya starts with the beach. Le Vivier is 300 metres from the cabins, and the camp runs surf lessons there with qualified instructors who match the session to your level — first-timers learning to pop up in the whitewater, more experienced surfers working on turns. Stand-up paddle sessions run too, with Lac de Maguide and Lac de Latécoère a few kilometres inland when the sea is not the plan.

Lessons are booked online, separately from the accommodation, so you can surf every day or pick a couple of sessions and spend the rest of the week on the campsite. The school's stated values are respect, conviviality and solidarity, and the setup reflects that: shared kitchen, shared picnic table, everyone cooking and eating together after a session.

The cabins are wooden and described as sleeping almost under the stars, with two single beds, pillows, comforters and two electrical outlets. They are not en-suite — you use the campsite's sanitary blocks and showers. Sheets are not included in the cabin rental; you can bring your own or buy a pair on arrival for €5.

What separates this from a standard surf school is the base. Camping du Vivier is a four-star site in the Landes forest, and guests get the run of it: swimming pool, archery, football pitch, pétanque and volleyball courts. Biscarrosse town, with its bars, restaurants and surf shops, is a few kilometres away, and the Dune du Pyla and the Bassin d'Arcachon are within reach for a day off the board.

The camp has been running long enough to be a finalist in the 2019 EVIIVO Awards in the most unusual stay in France category, finishing second at a ceremony on 20 November. It is a relaxed, forest-and-ocean kind of place rather than a polished resort — the appeal is the short walk to the waves and the evenings around the picnic table.

What's included

- Wooden cabin accommodation with two single beds, pillows and comforters - Use of the campsite's swimming pool, archery, football pitch, pétanque and volleyball courts - Access to the shared kitchen with fridge, microwave, coffee maker, kettle, cutlery and cooking utensils - Use of the large shared picnic table - Use of the campsite's sanitary facilities and showers

What's not included

- Surf and stand-up paddle lessons (booked separately online) - Bed linen (€5 per pair of sheets, or bring your own) - Meals - Travel to Biscarrosse - Travel insurance - Personal expenses