Arcachon Bay, with its temperate climate, changes with the seasons. While spring gives you the chance to soak up the first rays of sunshine on the terrace, summer comes alive with activities and festivities. In autumn, the natural spaces reveal their colours, while in winter, time seems to slow down to better appreciate this wild nature. Spend a weekend discovering the charms of Arcachon Bay, between land and ocean.
SATURDAY MORNING
Discover the Bay from way up high: head to the Dune of Pilat which, from 338 feet up, unfolds its contrasting panorama, mixing sand and sea blue, over Arcachon Bay, the Banc d’Arguin, the tip of Cap Ferret and its lighthouse. It goes without saying that the views are worth it, but the climb up the sand is slow. In fact there are 60 million m³ of sand, but it will make you appreciate the superb views all the more! Just sit and take it all in, walk along the ridge or run back down to the sea. You are sure to find the perfect picnic spot. Of if you prefer, there are plenty of small restaurants to choose from at the foot of the dune.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Continue your weekend exploring the town of Arcachon. Nestled at the bottom of the bay, it is divided into four neighbourhoods representing the four seasons. Ville de Printemps (spring) is Pereire Park, a window onto the sea. Ville d’Été (summer) is the town centre, where you can find shops, cafés, restaurants and the famous central beach. The perfect place for a break in the sun and a dip in the sea.
At the end of the day, discover Ville d’Hiver (winter), on foot or by taking the lift at the end of Rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, behind the magnificent fountain. Unwind in Parc Mauresque, in a neighbourhood where extravagant houses are tucked away. In the nineteenth century, it was the holiday destination of aristocrats and the middle classes who came to “spend the winter” here, in a climate that is so healthy it was thought to cure tuberculosis!
SATURDAY EVENING
Your evening ends on the seafront with the restaurant terraces. To enjoy the Bay’s specialities, fish and shellfish are of course on the menu, but also regional dishes from the South-West.
A simple walk on the pier, or a more lively evening, with its theatre, its cosy bars or its casino, Arcachon has everything you need for a night out.
SUNDAY MORNING
The summery atmosphere of the La Teste-de-Buch market on a Sunday morning (open from 08:00 to 13:00) is sure to delight you. La Teste is above all a charming oyster port, with typical colourful huts, where you can taste fresh oysters.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The afternoon is, of course, all about the water. The boatmen of Arcachon offer small or large tours for a cruise in the bay. Sail from the port to Bird Island and its Cabanes Tchanquées, rustic wooden cabins on stilts. You will see the myriad of birds that call this island home all year round, geese in winter, egrets, water hens… You will sail as close as possible to the coast of Cap Ferret to appreciate the litany of oyster ports with evocative names: Le Canon, L’Herbe, La Vigne and Bélisaire. At the tip of Cap Ferret, gaze at the Banc d’Arguin and the Dune of Pilat, a national nature reserve. You will see how Arcachon Bay fills up and empties, through the ‘passes’, as the tide changes.
Spend the late afternoon on Pereire beach, overlooking the Cap Ferret peninsula, and you’ll really feel like you’re on holiday… a great way to finish your colourful Arcachon Bay weekend!
Discover our residences in Arcachon Bay
