The Coast

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Dune de Pyla
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Oysters & Where to find them 🙂

With white sand beaches that stretch all the way to Biarritz and Spain, the largest pine forest in Europe, lakes, fishing villages, surf and sailing you’ll soon understand why the coast is almost as important to the people of Bordeaux as Wine.

 

Arcachon

Casino, boat trips around the bassin d’Arcachon, great restaurants, this is a very French holiday town. It is easily reached by train or car and is close to the dunes. Dune de Pyla is a must visit with amazing views across the bassin in one direction and pine forest right to the horizon in the other direction. If you fancy a day on the beach go just south of the Dune de Pyla to Plage de Petit Nice. This has safe surf, white sand and is usually not too busy.

Gujan-Mestras

This is an Oyster Port on the south-east end of the Bassin D’Arcachon. There are excellent seafood restaurants on stilts out into the oyster cleaning pools, colourful oyster shacks and the hustle and bustle of flat bottomed oyster boats coming and going. Sunday morning is our favourite time to visit, the oyster shacks are open for degustation. They shuck a dozen fresh oysters for you and serve it with a glass of crisp, dry Bordeaux Blanc, heaven!

Cap Ferret

Secluded, laid-back and authentic, Cap Ferret is the oyster capital on the Atlantic coast. It’s about 2 hours drive from Claribès but makes a memorable day out that’s totally different from the vineyards. The cap is a long spit of land with Atlantic beaches on the west side and the calm Bassin on the east. In particular, the working fishing villages, such as L’Herbe, are truly magical.

Visit the site

Lacanau Ocean

On the Atlantic coast, this town has excellent Surf and is a venue on the World Surf Championship. Check the surf here.