A Vielle-Saint-Girons, circuit des Tucs

The sauveté of Saint-Girons was an area limited by 4 columns (2 remain today) around the church which dates from the 12th century. The space of the sauveté, negotiated between the religious authorities and the local lord, was intended to create a zone of exploitation and settlement. Fugitives, wanderers and the disinherited could take refuge there and remain in safety. In the department, only Bougue, Gabarret and Mimizan also seem to have housed rescues.

In the 19th century, the water supply was still provided by dug wells that were liable to be contaminated, particularly by animal excrement, a real public health problem. Henri Crouzet, an engineer from the Ponts et Chaussées, found the solution by installing numerous filtering wells in the Landes. These wells are lined with a smooth lime-based coating that ensures a good seal on the walls. A layer of pebbles and charcoal at the bottom of the well also filters out undesirable organic components. In Saint-Girons, the first filtering well to be built was rediscovered by accident, during work in the town centre. Since then, a glass pyramid has protected this ingenious treasure and displayed it for passers-by to see.

Saint Girons de Lest was located a few kilometres west of the present-day town of Saint Girons. The term Lest is most probably a contraction of the Gascon word "l'estay" which means a lagoon or estuary, perhaps attesting to the presence of a lagoon coast before the invasion of the sands in the 14th century. This cork oak wood sheltered the last farm of the village of Saint Girons de Lest, which disappeared under the sands. The remains of the church of this village, abandoned in 1734, can still be seen at the top of the Tuc de la Capere, a few hundred metres away.