Arcachon Bay and Cap Ferret

Tidal Bay On The Atlantic Coast Famous For Its Oysters, The Belle ÉPoque Ville D'Hiver Of Arcachon And The Pine Covered Cap Ferret Peninsula, With The Dune Du Pilat At Its Mouth · Arcachon, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

The Bassin d'Arcachon is a large triangular tidal bay on the Atlantic coast south-west of Bordeaux, almost closed off from the ocean by the long, pine-covered finger of the Cap Ferret peninsula. Twice a day the tide fills and empties it, leaving wide mudflats, channels and sandbanks, and the bay is one of the main oyster-farming areas of France. Arcachon, on the south shore, grew up in the nineteenth century as a resort reached by railway from Bordeaux; its Ville d'Hiver is a hillside quarter of ornate villas built for winter visitors among the pines. Across the water, Cap Ferret is a string of oyster villages, wooden cabins and holiday houses, with calm bay beaches on one side and wild ocean surf beaches, with dangerous currents, on the other. Boats cross the bay and circle the Île aux Oiseaux with its huts on stilts. The Dune du Pilat, which has its own row, stands at the bay's mouth. In July and August the area is extremely busy, and the single road down the peninsula jams.

Arcachon and the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, Gironde, Arcachon, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

The beaches, the promenades along the Arcachon seafront, the streets of the Ville d'Hiver and the cycle paths are public and open at all hours. The Ville d'Hiver villas are private homes, seen from the street; guided walks through the quarter have been run by the tourist office in the season, so confirm dates. The passenger boats that cross between the Arcachon piers and Cap Ferret run all year, very frequently in summer and much less often in winter, and the tour boats around the Île aux Oiseaux and to the Banc d'Arguin depend on the tides and the season, so check the day's timetable before planning around them. Oyster huts in the villages usually open for tastings from late morning into the evening in summer, and many keep shorter hours or close for part of the week out of season. The Cap Ferret lighthouse opens for climbing on a seasonal timetable with longer summer hours, and the Le Teich bird reserve opens daily with hours that change with the seasons. Lifeguards watch the main ocean and bay beaches in summer only. The Arcachon covered market is busiest in the mornings. In July and August, cars queue for long periods on the peninsula road in both directions, especially on weekends and changeover days.

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