Mailloueyre, Protected biological reserve in Mimizan, France

Mailloueyre is a protected forest reserve located near the Atlantic coast in southwestern France, combining coastal dunes, pine woodlands, ponds, and marsh areas. The landscape shifts from sandy terrain to wetter zones that host a range of plant and animal communities adapted to these changing conditions.

The area was officially established as a protected reserve in 2014 through cooperation between French government agencies focused on environmental conservation. This designation reflected efforts to safeguard the natural ecosystems found along France's Atlantic coast region.

Mailloueyre lies in the Landes de Gascogne, the pine forest shaped by resin tapping and grazing. The name refers to the local lieu-dit, and the reserve is part of a network of biological reserves managed by the Office national des forêts with the Ministry in charge of ecology. Visitors notice the grid of firebreaks and drainage channels cut through the pines.

Mailloueyre lies in the Mimizan commune of Landes, near the Atlantic beaches and the courant de Mimizan. Access is on foot along forest tracks; the sandy soils and wet marsh edges can be soft after rain, so wear suitable footwear. The National Forest Office (ONF) manages the site, and parts of the reserve are closed to the public to protect sensitive habitats, so follow posted signs at the entrances.

Mailloueyre is a réserve biologique dirigée, a strict French protection status that bans hunting and timber harvesting and lets foresters leave dead wood standing. Fallen trunks and snags are left in place on purpose, and this decaying wood is what draws beetles, fungi and woodpeckers that a managed pine plantation does not support.