Arcachon and the Dune of Pilat: oysters and ocean an hour from Bordeaux

The Dune of Pilat, Dune du Pilat in French, is a giant sandy hill at the southern entrance to Arcachon Bay:

• height: around 107 metres, according to 2018 figures; it changes;

• length: around 2.7 km; width: around 500 m;
• volume: around 60 million m³ of sand.

On one side lie the Atlantic Ocean and sandbanks; on the other, the endless Landes pine forest. The dune slowly moves inland, burying forest, roads and even Second World War Atlantic Wall bunkers.

How to climb it. The slope is steep, taking around 15–20 minutes through sand. Steps are installed in season. At the top is one of the best views on the French coast, especially at sunset. Bring water and a hat, and remember that descending towards the ocean is easy, but climbing back is hard.

Arcachon grew in the 19th century as a resort for visitors from Bordeaux and Paris. It has four districts named after the seasons:

• Winter Town, Ville d'Hiver: Belle Époque villas on a pine-covered hill, built for holidaymakers seeking the health benefits of sea and pine air. Simply wander among carved balconies, turrets and colourful façades.

• Summer Town: the seafront, beaches and pier.
• Autumn Town: the harbour, fishermen and oyster boats.
• Spring Town: parks and beaches to the west.

Arcachon Bay is a triangular lagoon covering around 150 km² at high tide and only 40 km² at low tide. The ebb exposes vast flats where oysters are grown. At its centre is Bird Island, Île aux Oiseaux, with the cabanes tchanquées, stilt huts that symbolise the bay. Since 2011, the bay has been a protected wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Where to eat oysters

Arcachon oysters are eaten in oyster huts right beside the water, in villages around the bay and at the harbour:

• oysters with lemon and shallot vinegar, rye bread and butter;

• accompanied by white Bordeaux, a fresh Entre-deux-Mers or Graves;
• in the villages, oyster growers sell directly from their farms.

Oysters are available all year, but are best from September to April. Read more in “Oysters in France”.

Across the bay lies Cap Ferret, a long sandy peninsula between bay and ocean. One side has calm water and oyster villages; the other, wild Atlantic beaches and surfing. Its lighthouse overlooks the whole bay and the Dune of Pilat opposite. Boats run from Arcachon to the cape.

• By train: regional TER trains from Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Arcachon, around an hour.

• By car: around 60 km, an hour without traffic. On summer weekends the road to the dune jams up, so leave early.
• To the dune from Arcachon: around 10 km by bus or car; parking at the dune is paid.
• With a driver: a day from Bordeaux, visiting Arcachon, oysters for lunch and the dune at sunset.

• May–June and September: warm, fewer people, with swimming possible in September.

• July–August: peak season, full beaches and traffic to the dune, but long evenings and sunsets.
• Autumn to spring: quiet, with the best oysters, but cool and windy.

Climb the dune in the morning or at sunset; the sand becomes scorching during the day.

Arcachon and the Dune of Pilat form the second half of the “Bordeaux and Ocean” itinerary: two days in the city, a day in Saint-Émilion and two days on the coast. Staying overnight in Arcachon lets you climb the dune in the morning before the crowds. → Five-day Bordeaux and Ocean itinerary

Oysters suit fresh, dry whites with a saline character:

• Entre-deux-Mers: fresh white Bordeaux from Sauvignon and Sémillon, the most local pairing;

• white Graves and Pessac-Léognan: slightly fuller, with warm oysters and fish;
• Muscadet from the Loire: the classic oyster pairing throughout France;
• Chablis and Brut: for a celebratory touch.

Read more about white Bordeaux in “How to Choose Bordeaux Wine”.

Arcachon is one of the most convenient family resorts: calm bay water, sandy beaches and boat trips, while the Dune of Pilat is a giant sandpit for children. Bring sun hats and water, since there is no shade on the dune. Young children may find the climb hard; the seasonal steps help.

• Arcachon: seaside hotels and Winter Town villas.

• Pyla-sur-Mer: beside the dune, with pines and ocean.
• Cap Ferret: quiet, with oyster villages, but farther from everything.
• Bordeaux: if visiting for one day.

Until the mid-19th century, the bay's shores had only fishermen's huts and a pine forest planted to hold back the sand. The railway arrived from Bordeaux in 1857, and the Pereire brothers, bankers, built the resort: first Summer Town beside the sea, then Winter Town on a hill among the pines. Doctors of the time advised lung patients to breathe sea and pine air, drawing visitors from across Europe. Hence the villas with turrets, carved balconies and names instead of numbers.

Arcachon Bay is one of France's main oyster nurseries: spat are especially plentiful here and are subsequently grown in other regions too. Growers place collectors on the flats for larvae to settle on, then raise oysters in bags on tables in the tidal zone for two to three years. Rows of tables appear at low tide. Many farms welcome visitors, explain their work and open oysters on the spot to serve with a glass of white wine.

Behind the dune begins the Landes forest, one of Europe's largest man-made pine plantations, planted in the 19th century on sandy, marshy land. Cycle paths run through it from Arcachon to the dune and farther south along the ocean. In summer, cycling is the best way to avoid traffic to the dune.

• Arcachon's beaches: calm water inside the bay, convenient for children.

• Pyla-sur-Mer: at the foot of the dune, at the bay's entrance.
• Ocean beaches south of the dune and at Cap Ferret: wild, with waves and strong currents. Swim only in supervised areas with lifeguards.

1. Visiting the dune at midday in August. Traffic, heat and scorching sand.
2. Descending to the ocean without water. The climb back is hard.
3. Eating oysters only at a seafront restaurant. The best are in growers' huts beside the water.
4. Not checking tide times before walking on the flats or taking a boat trip.
5. Only visiting the dune. The bay, Winter Town and Cap Ferret deserve another day.

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