The protected Marais d’Orx area includes the commune of Orx and is open to the public. For travellers, the wetlands, birdlife and several trails are the main features connecting the place with nature; the Église Saint-Martin adds a distinct architectural dimension. You can therefore treat nature watching, outdoor activities and a cultural highlight as different focuses for your stay.
The Marais d’Orx and its habitats
The Marais d’Orx includes aquatic habitats, meadows with varying levels of moisture, and mixed forests. The area is particularly significant for ornithology and is home to rare, protected and threatened species. Its habitats and birdlife together define Orx’s nature focus: you can make the wetlands the centre of your visit or combine them with one of the walking and hiking trails.
In Orx, you can explore the discovery trail at the Marais d’Orx independently or accompanied by a nature guide. This gives you a clear choice between exploring on your own and a guided nature discovery. Anglers can fish at Espace Robert Dicharry.
Choose trails by distance and duration
The Marais Burret loop is 6 kilometres long in total (out and back). Marais Burret features numerous aquatic plant communities and habitats that complement those of Marais Barrage. The Circuit du Moulin de Tey passes through riparian forests along waterways. It is an easy 7.1-kilometre walk with an average duration of about two hours.
The Randonnée découverte is a guided hike of about 9 kilometres and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. In terms of distance, Marais Burret is the shortest of the three options. If you are planning by duration, the Circuit du Moulin de Tey takes an average of about two hours, compared with approximately three and a half hours for the guided hike.
The route details for the Circuit du Moulin de Tey may be revised; the programme of guided visits is also updated. Check the latest route and guided-visit information before planning.
Entrance, wildlife watching and getting there
The Maison Béziers serves as the entrance to the Réserve Naturelle du Marais d’Orx. The first observation point is 500 metres from the start of the trail and can be reached by people with reduced mobility via a wooden boardwalk. Accessibility information was updated in 2026.
The Marais d’Orx can be reached by train, car, bicycle or on foot; access information was updated in 2026. The different travel options give you flexibility when planning. The Maison Béziers entrance and the first observation point along the trail are also useful landmarks for finding your way around.
Architecture at the Église Saint-Martin
The Église Saint-Martin adds a distinct cultural highlight. It has a bell tower over the portal, with a gallery. Inside the church, four arches separate the nave from a side aisle; the columns support figurative capitals dating from the 15th century. Fragments of frescoes were also found on the jamb of the triumphal arch.
When looking at the church, you can take in its features from the bell tower over the portal to the layout of the nave, the capitals and the fresco fragments. Orx therefore offers a range of themes to consider when planning a trip: the habitats and birdlife of the Marais d’Orx, trails of different lengths and durations, a fishing spot, and a church with distinctive architectural details.
Discover more destinations: Castets, Labatut, Saint-Sever, Pontonx-Sur-L'adour, Narrosse, Morcenx, Eugénie-Les-Bains, Léon.
For the regional travel overview: Landes.
