Around 60km (38 miles) from the city (and easily reached by train from Bordeaux), Arcachon is one of France’s best kept secret seaside resorts on the Côte d’Argent, the Silver Coast as this stretch of shoreline is known, thanks to the silvery colour of the sea’s surface when the sun is shining. The French know and love it, but most holiday makers to France have never heard of it.
Arcachon
Some 130km (80 miles) of coastline, mostly beaches, run between the Atlantic surf and forests that cover much of the Medoc Peninsula. The area is great for surfing, sailing, sunbathing, swimming and generally chilling out on the beaches, and Arcachon is one of its most charming seaside towns.
Arcachon is made up of four districts named after the seasons with the Ville d’Hiver, the winter resort, features fabulous Belle Epoque villas, the Summer Town is the. main central area, Autumn Town is where you’ll find the harbours, and Spring Town has sandy beaches. There’s a big marina and tamarisk tree-lined boulevards peppered with plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, apartment blocks and hotels. Architectural styles range from French Empire (Napoleon III), Belle Epoque and modern and even pagoda style!
The resort developed rapidly after the arrival the railways when Bordelais visitors (people from Bordeaux) started to build villas by the water, both along the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Arcachon, almost an inland sea. When Napoleon III arrived for a holiday, his seal of approval put the town on the list of most fashionable holiday resorts. Celebrities and royals soon followed.
Today it’s a laidback place to take a break – with stunning beaches, fabulous restaurants like Le Saint Ferdinand (lesaintferdinand.fr) where sitting out in the sun, eating the freshest of sea food is one of life’s loveliest pleasures.
Arcachon is very easy to reach by train from Bordeaux city. The journey takes from 39 minutes, and tickets cost just a few euros, plus the station is in the centre of town. It makes for an ideal day trip from the city though beware, you’ll want to stay longer!
Boat tour
Don’t miss a guided tour of the bay by boat with skippers Patrick and Laurent (www.deshommesetdesmers.com). Cruise past the Isle aux Oiseaux, the island of birds, admire cabanes tchanquées, wooden huts on stilts, used in the past by the oyster fisherman. Slurp succulent oysters, sip chilled local wine and discover secluded bays. Learn about the impressive tides and enjoy the stories and anecdotes of the area (available in English), then sit back and enjoy the ride the skippers open up the throttle to speed back to base, James Bond style!
Arcachon Dune
This tidal lake isn’t the only geological wonder here, and you can’t fail to miss the mountainous Dune of Pilat (Dune du Pyla in French), a tourist destination in its own right, with up to 2 million visitors a year. The dune’s size changes according to the wind but at around 2,900 meters (9,500 feet) long and 600 meters (1,950 feet) wide, the thousands-of-years-old dune is the biggest in Europe made up of an estimated 60 million cubic metres of sand. Climbing it is challenging but worth it for the stunning views over the Atlantic Coast.
Cap-Ferret
Across the bay, Lège Cap Ferret (no relation to the swanky southern French Cap Ferrat), is a peninsula which stretches from the town of Lège to the southernmost community of Cap-Ferret. On one side is the gentle Bay of Arcachon, on the other the vast Atlantic. Lined by forests of pine trees (which the Romans used to bleed for sap to waterproof their ships), picturesque villages, and oyster fishermen’s cabins, Cap Ferret is an authentic and secluded secret, a wildlife haven and a little corner of paradise. Take a day trip boat ride from Arcachon to explore. Every village along the shore has its own oyster beds – and the experience of dining at one of the authentic food shacks where the menu consists of just oysters or shrimp, one type of white wine or rosé is simple – and simply delicious.
Arcachon is the sort of place that leaves you feeling rejuvenated and full of joie de vivre.
Tourist offices: www.arcachon.com; Bordeaux-tourism.co.uk
Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com
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