Arcachon

Arcachon Travel Guide (Nouvelle Aquitaine, France)

Arcachon is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast 55 kilometers (34 miles) south west of Bordeaux. It has fine sandy beaches, a mild climate and the town itself is dotted with belle époque architecture making it a popular destination far from the bustle of Bordeaux.

The town of Arcachon is only 150 years old. Not long before May 2nd 1857, when Emperor Napoleon III signed its official “birth certificate”, it was just a pine forest, oaks and strawberry trees (arbutus), with no road links, and home – mostly when the weather was expected to be warm, and more in wood huts than in real houses – to fewer than 400 people, mostly fishermen and peasants.

In earlier years, when some hygienists began to recommend sea bathing, three sea establishments were laid out by some entrepreneurs especially for the Bordeaux bourgeoisie. The main attractions in Arcachon include the Parc Mauresque, the Winter town and its 19th century villas such as Villa Alexandre Dumas or Villa Teresa, the Spring Town, the Jetée Thiers where boats depart for a visit to the Bay of Arcachon and Notre Dame Church.

At its southern entrance from the Atlantic Ocean, Arcachon Bay is crowned by Europe’s largest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat (or du Pyla), nearly 3 kilometres long, 500 metres wide, reaching 107 metres in height, and moving inland at a rate of 5 metres a year. Here, visitors will find beach resorts, oyster farming and localities like la Teste de Buch or climb the stunning Dune du Pilat.