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The Arcachon Basin
The “Basin”, as native Girondins refer to it, was dear to the hearts of the painter Toulouse-Lautrec and Jean Cocteau, and may be experienced not only aboard a pinasse, the traditional flat-bottomed boat emblematic of the Basin, but also on land, in the little oyster-farming ports that have kept all their authenticity.
Painters never weary of the incredible palette of colours afforded by the Arcachon Basin, whose blue-green waters also entrance those who choose dawn as the time to discover the Ile aux Oiseaux (Bird Island) by sea kayak. It is unthinkable to come to Gironde and not visit the Arcachon Basin!
Zoom in on the Arcachon Basin – nature at its most intense
Born of the wind and the marine currents, the Arcachon Basin is a 155- km² inland sea that has been washed by the Atlantic Ocean since the Quaternary period and whose present shape has remained largely unchanged since the 17th century.
Submitted to the rhythm of the daily tides, the Basin’s landscapes are in a constant state of change. Water sculpts their every inch, whether they are used for oyster farming, water sports and leisure activities, or reserved for the protection of fauna and flora.
Few people know it, but the quality of the Arcachon Basin’s waters makes it the leading national producer of oyster spats. Two out of three oysters eaten in France were raised there.
The Arcachon Basin’s oyster-farming ports and villages have lost none of their original authenticity, and have a charm all of their own. You can treat yourself to a dozen oysters in any one of them, of course, but there are also prawns, clams, sole and bass on the menu – so don’t miss out!
The Arcachon Basin is also nearly 70 km of ocean beaches along with calmer waters within the Basin itself – not forgetting the fresh waters of Lake Cazaux, the second largest natural lake in France.
The many open-air activities on offer enable everyone to discover the Arcachon Basin in their own way – sailing, fishing, sea kayaking, touring the Basin aboard a pinasse, by bike or on foot along the coast roads, or paragliding from the Great Dune of Pilat.
Did you know?
The waters of the Abatilles spring in the municipality of Arcachon are drawn from 472 metres underground, making it the deepest anywhere in France.
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The Oyster – Queen of the Arcachon Basin
Oysters had already taken up residence in the Arcachon Basin when the Romans first set foot in Gironde. But the natural deposits that enabled local inhabitants to treat themselves to flat oysters up until the 18th century gradually disappeared... The flat oyster was replaced by the Portuguese oyster and then by the Japanese variety, which is still eaten today under the appellation “Arcachon Oyster”, accompanied by flat sausages, fresh bread, salted butter and, of course, a glass of En...
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The Great Dune of Pilat
“One of nature’s masterpieces”, “jewel of the Basin”, “majestic” – there is certainly no lack of superlatives regarding the Great Dune of Pilat at the entrance to the Arcachon Basin. And it deserves them all!
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Arcachon and the “Tour du Bassin”
The 90 km that separate La Teste-de-Buch, on the south side, and Cap-Ferret, on the northern shores of the Basin, can of course be travelled by car. But you also have the choice of taking to the cycle tracks or coastal pathway and discovering the Basin in your own time, savouring the gentle rhythm of life as you idle from one port to the next.
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Ile aux Oiseaux (Bird Island)
“I’ve fallen for her, I’ve only got eyes for her, My house, my Eiffel Tower, When my love takes to the waters, The Island of Birds” These words, translated from a song by Pascal Obispo, a great Gironde fan and an Arcachon Basin resident, bear ample witness to the spell cast upon its visitors by this magical island.
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Cap-Ferret
Despite its fame, Cap-Ferret has kept all of its original character – the wild serenity that Jean Cocteau found so appealing.
