The Bay of Arcachon is a vast bay of 174 km², almost closed by the Cap Ferret peninsula. The Leyre, a river of the Landes and Gironde, flows into a magnificent preserved and protected delta. Numerous channels drain this vast basin offered to the play of the tides. The Bird Island is enthroned in the middle of this changing landscape, flanked by two tchanched huts, symbolic sentinels of this exceptional place. A spot which has everything from the ideal weekend at a time when tourists are becoming rarer. And not so much anymore.
Long live the end of summer!
The Arcachon basin is a country to be discovered along its 80 km of coastline, dunes, forests and salt meadows or by boat, from one sandbank to another, from one beach to another ... It has magical landscapes that inspire a large number of artists, all disciplines combined. Very popular in the summer season, a very lively period during which the many campsites and hotels fill up, it can be very pleasant to discover this area out of season, once the summer crowds have disappeared, to fully appreciate all its richness, sometimes unsuspected... Discover the whole palette of colours of this little corner of paradise located about fifty kilometres from Bordeaux.
Wonderful sites
The Little Sea of Buch, its former name before the creation of Arcachon, a little more than a hundred years ago, opens onto the ocean at the very dreaded North and South Passages of the Arcachon basin. Dangerous to cross, they nevertheless protect two natural treasures from the open sea: the high dune of Pilat, a remarkable and exceptional sand giant more than 100 m high, and the Banc d'Arguin, a sandy island with the air of a Pacific lagoon, which forms and deforms with the winds and waves. These are two wonderful, but also fragile sites. Between basin and ocean, the Arcachon region is a concentrate of wild beauty that can be explored on foot, by bike or by boat, to discover its ten towns and villages.
La Teste-de-Buch has the emblematic heritage of the Arcachon basin: the Dune du Pilat - the highest dune in Europe! -the Ile aux Oiseaux (Bird Island) and its two no less famous "cabanes tchanquées", the banc d'Arguin, the lake of Cazaux - the second largest freshwater lake in France - and a huge forest of maritime pines, oaks, acacias and strawberry trees. On this territory is the seaside resort of Pyla-sur-Mer with its views of the Arcachon basin and the centre of La Teste with its oyster port and its lively and friendly market . Here, there is something for all tastes, from the reassuring waters of the lake of Cazaux to the long ocean beaches of Pyla-sur-Mer favourable for surfing, as well as the discovery of the maritime and forest environment on foot or by bike
While Arcachon offers a lively town centre all year round, exceptional architecture, charming districts and 7 km of beach, Gujan-Mestras has retained all the charm of port towns, thanks to its seven preserved ports. The city also offers a leisure base for the whole family while the Teich bird reserve is the ideal site for observing hundreds of wild birds. On the wildest bank of the Arcachon basin, between the Leyre Delta and the edge of the immense forest of Gascony, the superb Ornithological Park and its 120 hectares has been a favourite place to welcome wild birds since its creation in 1972. It is located on one of the most important migration routes, so about 250 species can be found there, resting for a few hours or a few months. This migratory stream mixes with sedentary birds in the tranquility of the park. It is more of a bird sanctuary than a park, because people take the time to observe, relax and, above all, not disturb nature
Mythical Cap-Ferret..
Lège-Cap-Ferret stretches along the peninsula of the same name which separates the basin of Arcachon from the Atlantic Ocean and thus protects the basin from the wrath of the Ocean. For a very long time, Cap Ferret was only a point of fall for the fishermen of the basin, a place of pines and dunes... Then, little by little, some fishermen began to settle on the shores of the peninsula and the village gradually took shape. The development of Arcachon as a seaside resort favoured the growth of tourism throughout the basin and it was at the beginning of the twentieth century that the first "tourists" set foot on the peninsula. Even if this territory was for a long time administratively attached to the commune of La Teste, the Ferretcapiens always kept a feeling of independence from their administrative hierarchy... The peninsula kept a wild side for many years, which also contributed to the lifestyle of the inhabitants... a very relaxed and natural way of life compared to the Arcachonnais' style.
But the peninsula is also, for almost half of it, an immense state-owned forest, of which the 7 or so 500 ha offer a wide variety of walks and horse rides, as well as cycling thanks to a network of more than 50 km. The narrow lanes play with the colour of the houses and wooden huts, with the coquetry of the small gardens lined with brightly coloured flowers and exotic plants. The walk, nose in the wind, followed by the tasting of a dozen oysters in an oyster hut takes on the appearance of a precious moment of exchange.
Oyster paradise
Because the Arcachon basin is also oysters in profusion. Conchyliphilia, or the love of oysters, dates back to the highest antiquity and at least to the Roman era if we are to believe the fossilized shells found not only all around the Basin, but also on the islands of the Gironde estuary. Named gravette, the original flat shell of Arcachon has now almost disappeared. Although it remains highly prized by amateurs, the nutty taste of this wild oyster is an exceptional pleasure. For a long time, the gratte was replaced by the Portuguese one. Today, it is the Japanese hollow graostrea gigas that thrives in the Basin. It can be eaten fresh, all natural or with a lemon fillet. The Gironde tradition accompanies it with a small warm and wide sausage called crépinette and truffled for the festivities. Buttered rye bread and a glass of entre-deux-mers are recommended in all seasons. Like wines, or almost, oysters are influenced by their production sectors. Those from the Banc d'Arguin thus have a higher degree of salinity and aromas comparable to those of wild-flavoured oysters. Specialists agree that the most beautiful productions come out of the parks located at the height of the strongest currents and oceanic currents
Finally, the pure air and the sea rich in iodine of the Arcachon basin are the right ingredients for a successful thalassotherapy stay, whether in the centres of Cap Ferret, Gujan-Mestras or Arcachon. In short, no time to get bored in one of the jewels of the New Aquitaine coastline.
Smart Info
When to come? You can go there all year round, even if the arrival of fine weather and September-October are the most pleasant periods.
Getting there. By train (about 2h30 from Paris via Bordeaux with the new high-speed train line), by car (A10, A62, A63, A89), by bus (TransGironde lines) or by plane (Bordeaux-Mérignac airport), everything is possible.
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