Day Trip to the Bay of Arcachon

If you have the time, we strongly recommend a trip to Arcachon. No trip to Bordeaux is complete without walking up and long the remarkable Dune du Pilat, Europe’s tallest sand dune which is about 500 meters wide from east to west and 2.7 kilometers in length from North to South, but which moves a little each year. .

If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime stay, look no further than La Co(o)rniche – a beautiful hotel and restaurant perched on the dune, that is the epitome of Arcachon-chic and has possibly one of the most stunning views in the world.

Their sister hotel, Le Ha(a)itza, located a little further down the hill, in the exclusive residential area of Pyla-sur-Mer, offers unquestionably the best Sunday brunch of the region. The Patisserie Ma Fille also offers a great pit stop next to Arcachon market.

From Arcachon, why not book a boat taxi across the Bassin d’Arcachon, to the ever-popular Cap Ferret, where you can enjoy some of the freshest oysters you’ll ever taste, straight from the sea.

If you fancy more than a plate of oysters and some shrimp, Chez Hortense is the restaurant of Cap Ferret, popular with château owners of the Left and Right Bank.

A word of warning - The Arcachon Bay is only 65 kilometers from Bordeaux and can be reached in an hour by car, however, you need to time your entry and departure to avoid traffic. From May - September it is essential to time your arrival and departure carefully.

Boat Hire

You can also spend your day visiting the bay on a pinasse – the emblematic boat of the Arcachon Bay – or on a luxury motor boat, both with a private skipper. If the weather is ideal, you can get either boat company to organise a picnic for you on the shifting sand islands of the Banc d’Arguin within the bay. You will never forget it.

Further Afield 

Our current guide concentrates on Bordeaux, the Left Bank (Médoc) and the Right Bank (Saint-Émilion). But if you look a bit further afield, there is plenty more to see and do, for example:

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