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- Arcachon and the “Tour du Bassin”
Arcachon and the “Tour du Bassin”
If you have several days on hand, head for the GR de Pays known as “Tour du Bassin d’Arcachon” (TBA), which links all the Basin’s villages and natural sites, following the existing hiking paths – the coastal pathway, the Way of Saint James of Compostela and the oyster-farming ports, etc.
Arcachon
: in 1862, just at the time when sea-bathing was becoming fashionable, the Péreire
brothers, a pair of local financiers born in Arcachon and owners of the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Midi (Southern Railway Company), purchased the 400 hectares of the “mountain” (dune) of Arcachon. They built a casino on the land, along with numbers of sumptuous villas, with a view to attracting a wealthy French and European clientele. Arcachon’s Ville d’Hiver (Winter Town) was born!
The “Moorish” casino may no longer exist, but the extravagant gothic manor-house and neo-colonial style villas with their flamboyant names are still standing, protected from the Atlantic winds by a screen of greenery.
Cap-Ferret
Peninsula
: situated between the calm waters of the Basin – perfect for young children’s bathing – and the heavy seas of the Atlantic Ocean, Cap-Ferret Peninsula owes its fame to the charm of its villages: les Jacquets
, Piraillan, le
Canon, l’Herbe and le Cap-Ferret are all listed in the Inventory of Picturesque Sites in view of their perfect preservation. The Cap-Ferret lighthouse (52 metres in height) provides magnificent 360° panoramic views over the Atlantic, the peninsula and the Arcachon Basin.
Over 5 km of footpath on the peninsula take you from Sables d’Or to Cap-Ferret Point, with explanatory panels along the way providing information on the Basin’s , environment, flora and fauna.
Andernos : Sarah Bernhardt, Toulouse-Lautrec and Cocteau all stayed at the seaside resort, which now boasts the Basin’s longest jetty and hosts a very popular jazz festival over the last weekend in July.
Would you like to take part in the Criée du Bassin d’Arcachon
auction and find out everything about the world of professional fisherfolk? Well all you need to do is enrol on one of the guided tours organised by the Arcachon Tourist Office.
+33 5 57 52 97 97 www.arcachon.com
Take to the open waters
The UBA (Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais) organises a wide range of outings on the Arcachon Basin, sea-fishing expeditions and dinner cruises, along with educational excursions and fun activities. The Union is also responsible for trans-basin links – an ideal solution, especially in the summer, for getting to one or other of the banks at whatever time of day.
Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais
+33 8 25 16 33 16
www.bateliers-arcachon.com
Caviar in Gironde ?
Après 25 années de recherche menées par le CEMAGREF, la maîtrise de l’élevage de l’espèce d’esturgeon sibérien Acipenser baeri
permet de manger à nouveau du caviar d’Aquitaine. Cette espèce est la seule dont l’élevage est autorisé en France. L’espèce locale, l’esturgeon européen, Acipenser sturio,
est une espèce menacée, strictement protégée et interdite à toute exploitation. Des travaux de restauration de la population locale dans l’Estuaire sont menés depuis 25 ans par le Cemagref, et donnent lieu maintenant à des lâchers d’esturgeons européens.En savoir Plus avec le CEMAGREF
Moulin de la Cassadotte - Biganos
+33(0)5 56 82 64 42 -
www.caviardegironde.com
After 25 years of research on the part of the CEMAGREF, the techniques for breeding the Siberian sturgeon species Acipenser baeri have been mastered, and we can once again enjoy Aquitaine caviar. The species is the only one whose breeding is authorised in France.
The local European sturgeon, Acipenser sturio, is a strictly protected endangered species and its exploitation is prohibited. CEMAGREF has been working to restore the Estuary’s local population for the last 25 years – work that has resulted in releases of European sturgeon into its waters.
Find out more: www.cemagref.fr
Moulin de la Cassadotte
Biganos
+33(0)5 56 82 64 42 www.caviardegironde.com
Zoom in on Gujan-Mestras, the town with 7 ports
Each one different and all of them picturesque, the ports of Gujan-Mestras provide tourists with the perfect setting to get to know more about oyster-farming and how the Basin’s traditional boats are built.
Port de la Hume is watered by the Lake Cazaux canal, and is Gujan-Mestras’ marina. It has a fine beach suitable for children’s bathing.
Port de Meyran: activity here focuses exclusively on oyster farming, as it does at Port du Canal.
Port de Gujan: “Bains Gujanais” was set up here in 1843, and enjoyed great success for almost 70 years. Port de Gujan was also once a very active sardine port and contained several canning factories.
Port de Larros is the municipality’s largest port and famous as an international shipyard. You can also pay a visit to the Maison de l’Huître (Oyster House) and find out everything there is to know about the “Queen of the Basin”.
Port de la Barbotière is home to the Lycée de la Mer, which trains large numbers of young people every year for careers at sea.
Port de la Mole no longer has any official activity, but is still a very pleasant spot for a quiet stroll.
Gujan-Mestras Tourist Office
+33 5 56 66 12 65 www.ville-gujanmestras.fr
Zoom in on Le Teich – nature in the wild
Covering over 120 hectares of woodland, reedy marshland, grassland, marshes and lagoons, the Teich Ornithological Park occupies the Basin’s wildest bank, between the Leyre Delta and the Forest of Gascogne. It serves as a safe haven for migratory birds and is also home to a variety of sedentary species.
6 km of footpaths and 20 observation posts provide birdwatchers with ample opportunity to observe wild birds in their natural habitat.
Adapted especially for children, the “Rouge-Gorge” footpath helps them explore the Park and have fun while learning, with a series of “learn as you play” areas, including the “road of tools”, the “ornithological garden” and the “invaders’ bridge”...
The Park is open all year round and accessible to the disabled.
Good to know: Dogs and other pets are not allowed in the park. Restaurant service available on site.
Maison de la Nature du Bassin d’Arcachon
+33 5 56 22 80 93
www.parc-ornithologique-du-teich.com
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Tastings (all products)Moulin de la Cassadotte
Aquitaine caviar owes its renown to a variety of Russian sturgeon introduced into the Giron...
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