Arcachon, situated in a bay – ‘Bassin d’Arcachon’ – is one of the gems of the French Atlantic coast. Its mix of beach, wonderful sea views, extensive Belle Epoque architecture, great atmosphere and excellent food and wine come together to create a wonderful holiday destination.

Arcachon is not the place to come for bags of culture – it’s not known for its museums or art galleries but then Bordeaux is under an hour away – but if you want a relaxing break that’s all about halcyon days of sand and glittering sea, inspiring scenery, memorable meals and the odd bit of shopping and sightseeing, Arcachon is for you.

It’s chic but relaxed vibe is one of its major attractions. It is famous for its oysters and much of the shoreline is marked by the crooked poles that rise out of the in the water, marking the location of the oyster-beds.Take a boat ride and you’ll see the cabanes tchanquées, two small houses standing on stilts in the water. They were originally built so oyster-farmers could keep watch on their beds, protecting their precious harvest from thieves.

The town is divided into four areas, each of which is named after a season, and which broadly has its own character;

‘Ville d’été’ (summer town) is right on the seafront, between the two jetties of Eyrac and la Chapelle. It’s the tourist heart of the town, with the beach and its promenade, plenty of wide shopping streets that fan out from the promenade, as well as the casino and the many cafes and restaurants.

‘Ville l’hiver’ (winter town), to the south of the main beach, is known for its extravagant 19th century villas, a frothy mix of styles including Swiss chalet, Moorish, Neo-classical, and neo-Gothic, all set in manicured gardens on wide pine-shaded streets – these mansions are found elsewhere in Arcachon, but here they are in profusion!

‘Ville d’automne’ (autumn town) is also on seafront, stretching eastwards along boulevard de la Plage, and is about 15 minutes from ville d’ete. It is dominated by the port that has mooring for 2600 leisure boats, as well as being an active centre for fishing.

‘Ville de Printemps’ to the west of the town, is a largely residential area but with a beachfront lined by a shady walkway; here you will find Arcachon’s loveliest beach, Plage Pereire.

History – a Health Resort

Arcachon itself is a relatively new town. It was carved out of the pine and oak forest in the early to mid-19th century, first as a place for the ill folk of Bordeaux to go to take in the sea-air and bathe in the water as part of their convalescence, then as an alternative destination to Switzerland for those with tuberculosis. When the railway was extended, cutting the journey time from Bordeaux from 18 hours to two hours, the town swiftly became popular as a seaside resort for the wealthy of Bordeaux as well as Paris. Arcachon officially became a town in 1857, its deeds signed by Napoleon III who in visiting twice, added to the reputation and allure of the town. Its illustrious residents and visitors include Alexandre Dumas and Toulouse-Lautrec who had a house on the seafront.

What to See and Do

Eating

Arcachon is great for gastronomy – not just oysters but fish and other seafood from the bay, plus the best of the south-west and Basque influences, delicious meals are easy to come by. For us, enjoying a seafood feast as you watch the sun go down is a simple but memorable pleasure.

Lazing on a beach

As it’s situated in a bay, many of Arcachon’s beaches are gentle and so just the thing for families, but travel just a short distance and you reach the wildness of the Atlantic coast and its surf beaches. Arcachon has five main beaches; they are tidal, however, so do check the tide times; when the tide is out, the water is a long way away.

Plage d’Arachon: about 800m long, bordered by Theirs and Eyrac piers, this is the main town beach that’s situated right in front of the seafront promenade and close to the centre of town. Sandy, with calm water, it is popular with families. There are lifeguards from mid-June to mid-September and beach clubs for children such as Club Mickey-Les Mouettes. In summer watch beach volleyball matches.

Eyrac beach: by Eyrac marina with its many small boats moored in the water. It’s a quiet beach with great views of the Arcachon Basin. There are no lifeguards.

Plage Pereire: the loveliest, and most popular, beach in Arcachon (it’s in Ville de Printemps). Three kilometres long, wide, backed by a pedestrianised promenade with pine trees and with views over the Cap Ferret peninsula. At the southern end, Les Arbousiers, there are waves for surfing. Lifeguards from mid-June to September, children’s beach clubs, a scattering of cafes and a free car park.

Abatilles beach: to the south of Pereire, there is plenty of shade making it a good beach to head for when the weather is very hot. There’s a children’s playground as well as beach clubs, but there are no lifeguards. Watch windsurfing and kitesurfing here.

Moulleau beach: actually a couple of kilometres south-west of Arcachon, this beach is a self-contained and quite a chic resort. On either side of the jetty are sandy beaches; behind is the main street of the town of Le Moulleau with plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes. Admire the view of the Dune du Pilat.

Take a stroll…

Walk around Ville d’Hiver: this area of Arcachon is known for its large number of eccentrically designed villas. Built in a style called ‘Mode Pittoresque‘ – essentially mashing together variety of different architectural styles such as Swiss chalet, Moorish, Neo-classical, and neo-Gothic – they sit in landscaped gardens on tree-lined streets. Some are in a good condition, others have seen better days.

Among those to look out for are The Villa Faust (3 allée Faust) with its Moorish-style entrance and tower. Villa Bremontier (1 allée Brémontier ) which was considered one of the most prestigious – its tower and large covered balconies designed so that tuberculosis patients could sit outside and breathe in the sea air. Admire the beautiful woodwork of Villa Villa Trocadéro (6 allée Festal ). For a full list and description (in French) of the villas in Arcachon see here ((Link: www.arcachon-nostalgie.com/villas)). You can walk (there’s also a guided tour in English) or take the little train. Head to the tourist office for more information on both. Head up to Parc Mauresque: this peaceful five hectare park is filled with flowers and trees but its main attraction is the lovely views of the town and Bassin d’Arcachon.

Called the ‘Moorish’ park, it was one the home to a casino that was modelled on the Alhambra Palace in Spain. It burned down in 1977. Whilst here, take in the view from the nearby Sainte Cecile Observatory that was built by Gustav Eiffel (he who designed the Eiffel tower). Climb the spiral staircase for views across the area, including some of the stand-out villas in the Ville d’hiver. Entry is free and it’s open every day from 9am – 7pm.

You can reach both the park and the observatory from the town centre by following the boulevard de la Plage west of Jetée Thiers until you reach the pedestrianised rue de Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny; here a lift will take you up to the park. Or you can walk across the Passarelle Saint-Paul, a footbridge first built in 1863, now restored.

Visit the port

The second largest marina on the Atlantic coast with mooring for 2600 boats, there is also now a heritage quay for the Bassin’s traditional boats including the long, narrow, flat-bottomed pinasses, barges and tall ships. If you’re up early, get there for 6.45am to see the fishing catch being landed. At the entrance to the port is a monument in memory of those who have lost their lives at sea – depending on the angle at which it is viewed, it takes the form of a cross or an anchor. It was created by sculptor Claude Bouscau who was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome in 1935.

Go on a boat trip

A boat trip gives you a different perspective of Arcachon. There are a number of ferries which traverse the bay including the ‘Transsbassin’ boat which runs all year, departing from Thiers pier at Arcachon for Belisaire pier at Cap Ferret. The journey take 30 minutes. Bicycles are allowed on board.

Learn more about boat trips around Arcachon.

If you would like to take the tiller yourself, head to Port de Plaisance and its sailing club where you can hire a boat to sail around the bay.

Bring the children to a marine life museum, or the animal park

The Musée-Aquarium: a small, old-style museum showing the local marine life (seahorses, eels) as well as tropical fish. There are some interesting shark skeletons. Something to do on a rainy day. 2 rue Professeur Jolyet, Arcachon.

La Coccinelle: the first park in Europe dedicated to children and domesticated animals. See animals from all over the world such as llamas, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs and angora goats as well as those closer to home. Children can feed lambs, baby goats, calves and piglets. There are also rides suitable for young children.

Climb the Dune du Pilat: Europe’s largest sand dune

Situated at the entrance to Arcachon Bay and near the commune of La Teste de Buch, the Dune du Pilat (or Pyla as it is also known) is France’s second most visited natural monument with one million tourists a year. Despite the numbers, this is a definite must-see for the experience of ascending, and particular, descending the dune, and the quite breathtaking views you get from the top – the Bassin d’Arcachon, Cap Ferret, the Banc d’Arquin nature reserve and the surrounding forest.

Experience the nature reserve

Le Teich nature reserve: this large nature reserve – 110 hectares of woodland, reedbeds, meadow, salt marsh and fresh-and brackish water – is classified as a Parc Ornithologique.

Go surfing, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, water-skiing or sea-kayaking

Get into water sports: enjoy a huge range of water sports whether as a beginner or experienced. The bay itself is not the place for surfing but head just a few kilometres out and you hit fabulous beaches with excellent waves. There are a number of surfing schools if you would like to learn.

The Leyre river is known as the ‘Little Amazon’ for its flora and fauna. Hire a canoe from Bignos to explore it.

Golf – Arcachon has something for both beginners and experienced

If you fancy teeing off, there are four golf clubs around the bay.

Gujan-Mestras is an 18-holes course known for its attractive layout of pine trees, lakes and bunkers of white sand that also make it demanding for players of all handicaps. The fairways are mainly flat.

Gold International d’Arcachon‘s 18 holes is also set amongst trees, a mix of maritime pines, mimoas, oaks and evergreen strawberry bushes. The fairways are hilly on the front nine and flatter on the back nine, with several water hazards. For beginners or experienced.

Golf des Aiguilles Verte has nine holes, and set amongst trees has lovely views of the bay beyond.

Cap Golf is a new 9-hole course that is good for beginners and has a welcoming atmosphere.

Go walking or cycling on coastal paths

Walking and cycling: getting out on foot or on bicycle is a great way to see the area up close. Paths for both take you beneath forests of pine trees bent back against the wind, along coastal paths with tremendous sea views, as well as past oyster flats and salt marshes. You can also walk or cycle to the Dune du Pilat. There are more than 200km of cycle paths around the bay so you can really get to see the area on two wheels. There are plenty of places to hire bikes if you don’t bring your own.

Around the bay …

Cap Ferret: take the ferry across the bay to Cap Ferret, where cool French folk and celebrities come to holiday. Despite the presence of VIPs, Cap Ferret still manages to retain an unspoilt, yet cosmopolitan, air and it’s a must-visit. Stroll through the oyster villages, enjoy oysters that were harvested just metres from your table, shop the chic boutiques and, of course, take to the beach. Read more…

Gujan Mestres: a major oyster village with seven ports dedicated to oysters – if you want to see the industry up close this a where to come. Visit the Center for Oyster Culture Museum and learn about the industry. When the tide is in, it’s very picturesque with boats moored outside cabins where you can eat oysters with a glass of wine. Larosse port is where they make the traditional pinasse boat – hire one with a captain for a tour of the bay.

Photo 1 by christian / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 2 by Iker Merodio / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 3 by Henry de Saussure Copeland / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 4 by Martine / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 5 by SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr  / CC BY 2.0 image cropped