Contis is a village, part of the
commune of
Saint-Julien-en-Born, in the
Landes ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of
southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, on the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, which has an extensive
beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
, ''Contis Plage''.
Overview
The wide beach of fine
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
is popular with
sunbathers,
swimmer
Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
s and
surfers.
A local
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...
is Contis Lighthouse (''Contis Phare''). The
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
stands 38 metres high and has 192 steps. It is painted white with a spiralling dark stripe, like a ''
sucre d'orge''. It is the only lighthouse from
Capbreton to
Cap Ferret.
Contis village also has shops and services fulfilling the needs of holidaymakers.
The French television drama series ''
La Dernière Vague
''La Dernière Vague'' (English: ''The Last Wave'') is a 2019 French television series, from Kwaï Television, Paris, in French with six episodes.
Premise
The setting is the coast of Landes (department), Landes in southwestern France. Eleven su ...
'' was filmed around Contis, making use of the distinctive lighthouse.
See also
*
Courant de Contis
*
Saint-Julien-en-Born
External links
Contis Tourist office of Landes
Contis Current events, reports, photos
Villages in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Landmarks in France
{{Landes-geo-stub