La Teste-de-Buch is located in the
department of
Gironde, in the middle of the
Landes forest, and south of
Arcachon Bay. It is the capital of the
Pays de Buch. Neighbouring communes are
Gujan-Mestras to the east,
Arcachon to the northwest, and
Biscarosse and
Sanguinet to the south. The
Dune of Pilat is a famous landmark on the
Atlantic coast, situated in the western corner of the commune. The seaside resort of Pyla-sur-Mer, the village of Cazaux, the bird refuge and sandbank of Arguin are also part of the town. The
Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet is in the southeast corner, astride the departments of Gironde and
Landes. The rest of the commune area consists of old dunes, where the natural forest has changed little over centuries. During World War I, an airfield was created near Cazaux for airplane pilots training (fighters and bombers). Most of the American volunteers pilots of the
Lafayette Escadrille came to the "Camp de Cazaux" to finish their training as war pilots. When the U.S entered the war, the
36th Aero Squadron was based here. ==Climate==