# Arcachon Bay A bay enclosed by the Cap Ferret peninsula, with oyster-farming villages, huts above the water and the highest dune in Europe at its mouth. You tour it by bike and by boat. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/arcachon-bay · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## When is the season and how do you order? Oysters are eaten all year round. In summer many turn milky because they are spawning; producers also serve triploids, which don't. The tasting huts open mainly from April to September, and out of season many open only at weekends or with reduced hours. At the hut you order at the counter: a dozen or half a dozen, the size and a glass of dry white Bordeaux. It comes with bread, butter and lemon. Many serve only that, oysters and little else: prawns, bulots (sea whelks) and the country pâté that is eaten here with the oyster. Don't expect a menu or hot dishes. A dozen costs between €10 and €13 depending on the size. In summer, book or arrive before one o'clock. ## Which oyster do I order? The number is the weight, and the lower, the bigger: No. 5 weighs from 30 to 45 g and No. 0, more than 150 g. No. 3 is the everyday size. Fine and spéciale tell you how much flesh it has: the spéciale, with a fill index of 10.5 or more, is meatier. ## Dónde está - Zonas: French Oysters - Cerca: Saint-Émilion (a 84.2 km) ## Qué hacer - **Cap Ferret Oyster Cabins** (1 h 30 · Desde 10 € dozen): What it is Along the bay shore of the Cap Ferret peninsula there is a string of small oyster-farming villages: Claouey, Le Four, Les Jacquets, Petit and Grand Piquey, Piraillan, Le Canon, L'Herbe and La Vigne, all the way to the tip. They were born between 1880 and 1890, when oyster farming took off in the bay and the oyster farmers of La Teste, Gujan and Arès built jetties and cabins on these beaches; some ended up as homes. Today they are narrow streets of wooden cabins beside the water, and almost every one has at least one tasting cabin: a dozen oysters, bread, butter and a glass of dry white wine, looking out over the water and, in some, to the Dune du Pilat on the other side. Allow an hour and a half to eat unhurried and stroll round the village. How a tasting cabin works The cabin belongs to the oyster farmer: it is not a restaurant. They serve what the house produces, mostly raw oysters by the dozen, sometimes with pâté, the way they are eaten in the bay, with bread and butter and white wine. You order at the counter or the table and eat on the terrace over the sand or the water. In season, arrive early or ask whether they take bookings. Outside summer, many cabins open only at weekends. Village by village Le Canon: a fishing village with the Dune du Pilat in the background, across the bay. It celebrates its Fête de la Mer around 15 August. L'Herbe: the most photographed, with its colourful wooden cabins and the chapel of the Villa Algérienne. Piraillan: an oyster port with natural holding tanks. Here is La Cabane 57, at 40 rue du Littoral, the cabin of the oyster farmer Sylvie Latrille and her family: one of the few that are covered and heated, with oyster workshops from 1 July to 31 August. Confirm the hours out of season. Petit and Grand Piquey, Les Jacquets and Le Four: further north, quieter. Getting there By boat: the most relaxed way. The UBA shuttle crosses from the jetée Thiers in Arcachon to the jetée Bélisaire in Cap Ferret in about 30 minutes, all year. From Bélisaire you continue on foot or by bike to the southern villages; the Île aux Oiseaux trip also boards at Le Canon. By bike: the peninsula is on the bike loop around the bay. Take your bike on the boat (unloaded, up to 25 kg) and ride through the villages on the cycle path. By car: via the D106 from Bordeaux, the only road down the peninsula. In July and August it gets jammed; go early or by boat. When to go From April to September most cabins open daily; in July and August you need to arrive early. In September and October many are still open, the water is warm and there is less traffic. In winter, many open only at weekends: call first. The authorities can suspend sales of oysters from the bay for health reasons, as happened in the winter of 2023-2024. If that happens, the cabins close or serve only other products: check the Gironde prefecture's news before going in winter. With children The terraces over the water appeal to children, though not always the oysters. Ask what else the cabin serves or bring something for them. Keep an eye on little ones on the jetties. - **Gujan-Mestras Oyster Ports** (1 h 30 · Stroll free · oysters paid): What it is Gujan-Mestras presents itself as the oyster-farming capital of the Arcachon bay: it has seven oyster ports along its waterfront, many farms, a marine institute and traditional cabins where oysters are eaten. Larros, the one with the museum, is a good gateway: canals with colourful wooden cabins, boatyards, flat-bottomed oyster-farmer boats (the plates), oyster shells everywhere and several producers' terraces. You come to stroll among the cabins and eat a dozen beside the water, and the Maison de l'Huître, the oyster museum, is here too. The stroll is free; the oysters and the museum are paid. Allow an hour and a half. What to do Stroll around the port: among the cabins you will see sacks of oysters drying, the oyster farmers' equipment and the comings and goings of boats returning laden. Eat oysters in a cabin: several producers have tasting terraces in the port. L'Huître Papillon, run by an oyster-farming family since 1879, is open all year with its terrace over the Larros canal and has step-free access. Confirm the hours before going, especially in winter. Visit the Maison de l'Huître: the port's museum explains the oyster farmer's trade, rearing techniques and the history of the oyster, with a film, a guided tour of the rooms and a self-guided outdoor route. It has a children's area and a treasure hunt for children. The Maison de l'Huître: hours and prices January to March and November to December: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:30 to 18:00. April to June and September to October: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:30 to 18:00. July and August: every day, Sundays included, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:30. The ticket office closes an hour earlier. 2026 prices: adults €6.50; children aged 5 to 14, €4.40; students, unemployed people and people with disabilities, €5.50. Eating is not allowed inside the museum. Guided tour of the port The Maison de l'Huître runs a commentated walk of about 1 hour 15 minutes around the port of Larros, to the quay: cabins, boatyards, traditional boats. For individuals it takes place on Wednesdays at 10:30 during the French winter, Easter and All Saints school holidays, and in July, August and September, booked at the museum or the Gujan-Mestras tourist office. In 2026 the last one of the year was on 21 October. It costs €5.50 for adults and €4 for children aged 5 to 14. Getting there By train, the TER Bordeaux – Arcachon stops at Gujan-Mestras and La Hume. By bike, the bay's cycle paths link Arcachon with the Gujan ports: it is one of the stretches of the bike loop around the bay, and at La Hume you have the Bee's bike hire from February to November. By car, park in the signposted areas of the port: it is a working port and the quays are for the oyster farmers. When to go All year: unlike the Cap Ferret cabins, in Larros there is somewhere open in winter too. The tide changes the canal through the day: check the tides. At sunset the light falls over the canal. With children The museum has a children's area and a treasure hunt with its booklets; children like the boats and the piles of shells. - **Boat to the Île aux Oiseaux and the Stilt Cabins** (2 h · Desde 23.4 € person): What it is The Île aux Oiseaux is the low island at the centre of the Arcachon bay, within the commune of La Teste-de-Buch. Its size depends on the tide: about 300 hectares at high tide and more than 3,000 at low tide. It is a refuge for migratory birds and is surrounded by oyster beds. Its image is the cabanes tchanquées, two wooden cabins on stilts; the name comes from the Gascon chanca, stilt. It has been a protected natural site since 2008. The trips do not land on the island: you see it from the boat, on the commentated trips that have left from Arcachon and Cap Ferret since the early 20th century. Who runs it The Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais (UBA), the bay's boatmen's association, runs two trips to the island. It sells tickets online with instant confirmation, and at the jetée Thiers in Arcachon and the jetée Bélisaire in Cap Ferret. Le Tour de l'Île aux Oiseaux, about 2 hours with commentary, from €23.40 per person. It passes through the Mapouchet channel, beside the island and the cabanes tchanquées; goes through the oyster beds, about 100 hectares visible at low tide; skirts the oyster-farming villages of the Cap Ferret peninsula (Piquey, Le Canon, L'Herbe, La Vigne), with a view of the Dune du Pilat, and returns along the Arcachon seafront and its villas. It leaves from Arcachon (jetée Thiers or jetée Pierre Lataillade), Cap Ferret (jetée Bélisaire), Le Canon, Le Moulleau or Andernos (from 11 September 2026, at the Bétey port). La Balade vers l'Île aux Oiseaux, a one-hour commentated trip, leaves only from Arcachon (jetées Thiers and Pierre Lataillade). It goes to the island and the cabins through the oyster beds and returns along the seafront. It is the option if you are short of time or with small children. Season and times Times change with the season and the tide, and can be checked by date on the UBA website. In November 2026 the Tour was still running; the next Balade published was 19 December 2026. The UBA reserves the right to change trips, times and prices without notice. How to book Book online: you choose the trip, date, time and jetty, and receive the ticket on your phone or to print. The confirmation email gives you the exact boarding address. In summer, book days ahead. With a dog, bike and wheelchair Dogs: admitted on board with a €2 supplement. Bikes: not admitted on the Tour. Wheelchair: boarding is possible at the jetée Thiers, Bélisaire, Le Canon and Andernos, but difficult at low tide; the UBA asks for 72 hours' notice to look into it. When to go At low tide the oyster beds are exposed and you understand how farming works in the bay; at high tide the island looks smaller and the cabins rise out of the water. Check the tide table when choosing a time. The late-afternoon light is the prettiest over the cabins. What to bring A windcheater: on the bay the air is cool even in summer. Sunglasses and sun cream if you are on deck. Binoculars, if you like birds. Combine it From the jetée Thiers you are in the centre of Arcachon: go up afterwards to the Ville d'Hiver. If you leave from Cap Ferret, stay for lunch of oysters at the Cap Ferret cabins. - **Dune du Pilat** (1 h 30 · Free entry · paid parking, from €1): What it is The Dune du Pilat is the tallest dune in Europe: 101.7 metres measured in 2025. It rises between the pine forest of the Landes and the mouth of the Arcachon bay, in Pyla-sur-Mer. It is a protected natural area, managed as a Grand Site, which receives about two million visitors a year. Climbing is free; you only pay for parking. From the top you see the ocean, the Banc d'Arguin, a nature reserve of sandbanks at the mouth of the bay, the tip of Cap Ferret opposite and, inland, a sea of pines as far as the eye can see. Allow between an hour and an hour and a half. The climb From the car park to the foot of the dune it is about 150 metres of sand under the pines, passing the welcome area, with exhibition and information cabins, toilets, restaurants and shops. From there: By the staircase: about 140 steps, installed from April to November. It is the easiest way. By the sand: when there is no staircase, or if you prefer, you climb the slope on foot. The managers warn: it is not a beach, it is a mountain, and the sand and the weather can make the climb hard. At the top there is no shade, water or anywhere to eat. Bring water, a hat, sunglasses and sun cream, and footwear: in summer the sand burns. Avoid the middle of the day. From the ocean side you can also reach the foot of the dune by about a hundred steps from the Corniche, in Pyla-sur-Mer. Parking and prices The car park at the welcome area is paid, and the proceeds go towards managing the Grand Site. High season (from the winter school holidays to the end of the All Saints holidays): car €7 for 4 hours, €9 for 8 hours, €11 for 12 hours. Low season: car €1 for 4 hours, €2 for 8 hours, €4 for 12 hours. Motorhome: €10, €12 or €14 in high season; €2, €4 or €6 in low season. 30-minute stop: free. Parking is prohibited from 2:00 to 5:00, with a €50 fine, and on the roadside verges or next to the forest, with a €135 fine and towing. In summer, check the car park's real-time occupancy on the Grand Site website before setting off. More details in Dune du Pilat parking. Without a car By bus: Baïa line 3 leaves from Arcachon station, towards Plage de la Salie, and stops at Dune du Pilat in about 25 minutes; it runs all year except Sundays and public holidays. In July and August, the 101 Express leaves from Arcachon station and from the La Teste-de-Buch market. By bike: the dune is on the Vélodyssée and on the bay's cycle paths. The welcome area has bike racks and lockers. By train: the TER from Bordeaux reaches Arcachon in about 50 minutes. When to go In summer, at sunrise or sunset: there are fewer people, it is cooler and the light is at its best. In July and August traffic is heavy: check car park occupancy before setting off. Out of season parking costs far less and the dune is almost empty, although the staircase is only there from April to November. Rules It is a protected natural area: dogs always on a lead, no fires or smoking, no camping, no motorbikes, no sliding down the dune on a board, no recreational drones. Paragliding is regulated. The forest around has a high fire risk all year. With children and accessibility Children love running down the sand; the climb feels long to them, so the staircase is better. With a pushchair, the welcome area is accessible, but the 150 metres of sand to the foot of the dune are not. The summit is not wheelchair accessible; to see the dune without climbing, the Daniel Meller beach promenade, in Pyla, and the Le Moulleau pier, in Arcachon, are accessible. - **Cycling Around the Bay** (6 h · 79 km · On your own · bike hire from €13): What it is The Arcachon bay is made for cycling: it has more than 330 km of cycle paths between its communes, almost all flat and many shaded by pines. The Boucle du Tour du Bassin d'Arcachon, the circuit proposed by France Vélo Tourisme as part of the Vélodyssée, goes all the way round in 79 km through ten communes, and is closed by the boat between Cap Ferret and Arcachon. With no climbs worth mentioning, the challenge is the distance: do it in two days or pick a section. The full loop, step by step From Arcachon, along the south and east of the bay: Arcachon – La Teste-de-Buch – Gujan-Mestras. You leave along the city's paths (27 km of tracks within Arcachon, from the pointe de l'Aiguillon to Le Moulleau) and continue past the Gujan-Mestras oyster ports. Le Teich. You pass the Teich Bird Reserve. Biganos and Audenge. Small ports and the Domaine de Certes-Graveyron, 530 hectares of natural area. The train from Bordeaux stops at Biganos-Facture. Andernos-les-Bains, Arès and Lège. The north of the bay, with the Andernos pier and the Arès and Lège-Cap-Ferret salt meadows nature reserve. To the north, 35 km of the Vélodyssée have road markings that glow at night. The Cap Ferret peninsula. You head south through the oyster-farming villages to the jetée Bélisaire. Boat to Arcachon. The UBA shuttle crosses in about 30 minutes to the jetée Thiers and closes the loop. The circuit alternates cycle paths and, in some communes, stretches of shared road (13 per cent of the total). It has no signposting of its own: follow the local signs and bring the GPX track that can be downloaded from the France Vélo Tourisme website. In sections Arcachon – Gujan-Mestras via the ports: a short, flat stretch, good with children. The Cap Ferret peninsula, village to village: cross by boat and pedal between the oyster cabins. Arcachon – Dune du Pilat: the dune is on the Vélodyssée and its welcome area has bike racks and lockers. The boat with your bike The UBA's Arcachon – Cap Ferret shuttle runs from the jetée Thiers to the jetée Bélisaire. It admits unloaded bikes of up to 25 kg; electric ones with the battery removed, and not those with an integrated battery. Check the timetable before setting off: the France Vélo Tourisme website insists on this, because the last boat sets your day. Hire In Arcachon, Vélos d'Albret hires all year, and at La Hume, in Gujan-Mestras, Bee's opens from February to November; both have leisure and electric bikes, by the day or by the week. More details in bike hire. Getting there with your bike By train from Bordeaux, the TER reaches Biganos-Facture in about 30 minutes and Arcachon in about 53. In summer you must reserve a space for your bike on the train. Water, shade and forest The paths under the pines give shade, but the stretches by the water are in the sun. There are free-to-use bike pumps along the Arcachon and La Teste tracks. The Landes de Gascogne forest has a high fire risk: in dangerous periods access to the forest may be restricted, so check the day's rules before setting off. With children The paths are flat and mostly separated from traffic, perfect for children who already cycle on their own or ride in a seat. Choose a short stretch with a goal: the dune or an oyster port. Beware of the stretches shared with cars. - **Arcachon's Ville d'Hiver** (1 h · On your own · free): What it is The Ville d'Hiver is Arcachon's historic district, on the pine-covered hill behind the seafront. It was created under the Second Empire by the brothers Émile and Isaac Pereire, the same men who brought the railway to Arcachon, to attract a wealthy clientele who came to take the sea and pine air as a cure. Across 110 hectares are scattered about 300 villas from the 19th and early 20th centuries, in every style: Swiss chalets, Gothic mansions, Moorish pavilions, neoclassical facades, with turrets, openwork balconies and exotic gardens. The streets are winding and sloping, laid out to shelter from the wind. It is a one-hour walk, in the shade and free, which also works on days that are not beach days. The route The tourist office suggests an itinerary you can follow on your own: Villa Teresa, in Hispano-Moorish style. A good starting point. Villa Toledo, in Spanish style, with a staircase painted in trompe-l'oeil. Villa Alexandre Dumas, richly decorated. Villa Vincenette, with its glazed bay windows. Villa Brémontier, a version of the Swiss chalet, and the Villa Trocadéro, near place Brémontier. Villa Carmen, in stone and brick. On the way you pass place Fleming, the former place des Palmiers, with a white bandstand from 1893 where concerts were held on winter Sundays. King Alfonso XII, Empress Sisi and the Prince of Wales passed through the Ville d'Hiver. The Parc Mauresque and the Sainte-Cécile observatory The Parc Mauresque is a 4-hectare garden at the top, with rare species, a kiosk, history panels and a view over the bay. It occupies the site of the old Moorish casino of 1863, which burned down in 1977. You go up for free in the public lift at the end of rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, and you can have a picnic. Next to it is the Sainte-Cécile observatory, a 25-metre metal tower from 1863, the work of the architect Paul Régnauld with the help of a young Gustave Eiffel. You reach it by the 32-metre Saint-Paul footbridge, over a 15-metre ravine. From the top you see all of Arcachon and the bay. Some parts move as you climb; if you are afraid of heights, stay on the footbridge. Ask at the tourist office whether it is open. Guided tour or by train On your own: the tourist office provides a free itinerary and has digital routes. Guided walking tour: run by the tourist office, lasts about 1 hour 30 and costs from €14.50; book at arcachon.com. Tourist train: from April to October, a commentated circuit passes through the Ville d'Hiver. Getting there and parking From the beach and the centre of Arcachon you climb on foot or in the Parc Mauresque lift. From Arcachon station, where the train from Bordeaux arrives, you walk through the centre. The district's streets are narrow and residential: leave the car below. With children, dog and pushchair The walk is gentle and shaded, suitable for all ages. With a dog on a lead there is no problem. With a pushchair, you notice the slopes. Children like the lift and the observatory footbridge. Combine it Go down afterwards to the seafront and the Arcachon market, in place des Marquises, in the morning. From the jetée Thiers leave the boats to the Île aux Oiseaux. ## Dónde comer - **La Cabane 57** (Bar, Piraillan, Lège-Cap-Ferret, €€). Qué pedir: a dozen with bread and butter and a glass of white; if you dare, with pâté, as in the bay. - **L'Huître Papillon** (Bar, Gujan-Mestras, €€). Qué pedir: the house oysters, raised at the Banc d'Arguin, facing the canal. - **Le Patio** (Restaurant, Arcachon, €€€€). Qué pedir: the seasonal menu by chef Thierry Renou. - **Arcachon Market** (Market, Arcachon, €). Qué pedir: a takeaway dozen from the oyster stall and fruit for the dune. ## By car: By Car, on One Condition: Not to Cap Ferret in August The bay is circled by a single road, and the peninsula gets jammed in summer. Sleep in Arcachon, do Gujan-Mestras and the dune by car and cross to Cap Ferret by boat. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–140 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hôtel Le Dauphin** (Hotel, desde 90 € / night): Close to the train, the centre and the beach, with a bike garage and hire at the hotel itself. Open all year. - **Hôtel La Pergola** (Small hotel, desde 79 € / night): Small, renovated, a hundred metres from the beach and with a room for bikes. Public parking nearby. ### Servicios - **Dune du Pilat Car Park**: Car €7 for 4 h in high season, €1 in low · motorhome €10 · no parking from 2:00 to 5:00 - **Arcachon – Cap Ferret Boat**: UBA · from the jetée Thiers to the jetée Bélisaire · about 30 min · unloaded bikes under 25 kg - **Bay Tides**: At low tide boat times change and the oyster beds appear ## Car-free: Car-Free: Train, Bus and Boat One of the few oyster coasts that can be done entirely without a car. The train drops you in Arcachon, the bus goes up to the dune and the boat crosses to Cap Ferret. Presupuesto orientativo: 80–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hôtel Le Dauphin** (Hotel, desde 90 € / night): Close to the train, the centre and the beach, with a bike garage and hire at the hotel itself. Open all year. - **Hôtel La Pergola** (Small hotel, desde 79 € / night): Small, renovated, a hundred metres from the beach and with a room for bikes. Public parking nearby. ### Servicios - **Bordeaux – Arcachon Train**: Direct TER in about 53 min · stops at Gujan-Mestras, La Hume and La Teste - **Arcachon – Cap Ferret Boat**: UBA · from the jetée Thiers to the jetée Bélisaire · about 30 min · unloaded bikes under 25 kg - **Baïa Bus to the Dune du Pilat**: Line 3 from Arcachon station, about 25 min · no service on Sundays and public holidays out of season · 101 Express in July and August - **Bike Hire**: Vélos d'Albret in Arcachon, all year, and Bee's at La Hume, Gujan-Mestras, from February to November · leisure and electric bikes · by the day or by the week - **Bay Tides**: At low tide boat times change and the oyster beds appear ## By bike: By Bike: The Way to Do the Cabins The Tour du Bassin circles the bay on cycle paths and greenways, almost without hills, and the boat to Cap Ferret carries bikes. You stop at every oyster village without thinking about parking. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're cycling - **Hôtel Le Dauphin** (Hotel, desde 90 € / night): Close to the train, the centre and the beach, with a bike garage and hire at the hotel itself. Open all year. - **Hôtel La Pergola** (Small hotel, desde 79 € / night): Small, renovated, a hundred metres from the beach and with a room for bikes. Public parking nearby. ### Servicios - **Bordeaux – Arcachon Train**: Direct TER in about 53 min · stops at Gujan-Mestras, La Hume and La Teste - **Arcachon – Cap Ferret Boat**: UBA · from the jetée Thiers to the jetée Bélisaire · about 30 min · unloaded bikes under 25 kg - **Bike Hire**: Vélos d'Albret in Arcachon, all year, and Bee's at La Hume, Gujan-Mestras, from February to November · leisure and electric bikes · by the day or by the week - **Bay Tides**: At low tide boat times change and the oyster beds appear ## By campervan: By Motorhome: Campsites at the Foot of the Dune You cannot spend the night in the dune car park. There are two campsites with facilities at its foot and a private area in Gujan-Mestras. Presupuesto orientativo: 40–70 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir in a campervan - **Camping Panorama du Pyla** (Campsite, desde 35 € / pitch): In the pine forest at the foot of the dune, with a swimming pool and kids' club. Open from 3 April to 27 September 2026. - **Camping de la Dune** (Campsite): The other campsite at the foot of the dune, in Pyla-sur-Mer. Open from 31 March to 24 September 2026. - **Aire des 3 Coccinelles** (Campervan area, desde 17 € / night): A private area with everything included except showers, close to the Gujan-Mestras ports. ### Servicios - **Dune du Pilat Car Park**: Car €7 for 4 h in high season, €1 in low · motorhome €10 · no parking from 2:00 to 5:00 - **Bay Tides**: At low tide boat times change and the oyster beds appear ## Camping: Camping in the Dune's Pine Forest The Pyla campsites are in the forest, at the foot of the dune. Wild camping is not allowed: the forest and beaches are protected areas and the law prohibits camping on the seashore. Presupuesto orientativo: 40–65 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're camping - **Camping Panorama du Pyla** (Campsite, desde 35 € / pitch): In the pine forest at the foot of the dune, with a swimming pool and kids' club. Open from 3 April to 27 September 2026. - **Camping de la Dune** (Campsite): The other campsite at the foot of the dune, in Pyla-sur-Mer. Open from 31 March to 24 September 2026. ### Servicios - **Bay Tides**: At low tide boat times change and the oyster beds appear ## By plane: Fly to Bordeaux and take a train or car to the bay Bordeaux-Mérignac has direct flights from several Spanish cities and is about 50 minutes by car from Arcachon. You can get there without a car too: from the airport to central Bordeaux, then from Saint-Jean station a direct train to Arcachon in a little under an hour. For the Dune du Pilat, Cap Ferret and the oyster ports, a car or bike gives you more freedom. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hôtel Le Dauphin** (Hotel, desde 90 € / night): Close to the train, the centre and the beach, with a bike garage and hire at the hotel itself. Open all year. - **Hôtel La Pergola** (Small hotel, desde 79 € / night): Small, renovated, a hundred metres from the beach and with a room for bikes. Public parking nearby. ### Servicios - **Bordeaux – Arcachon Train**: Direct TER in about 53 min · stops at Gujan-Mestras, La Hume and La Teste ## As a family: As a Family: Dune, Boat and Bike Children who don't eat oysters have more here than on any other coast: an enormous dune to run on, boats and flat cycle paths separated from cars. In the cabins there are prawns and bread. ### What works best Climbing and rolling down the Dune du Pilat, best late in the day The boat to the Île aux Oiseaux; the one-hour version for little ones Short stretches of cycle path, with a hired child seat The Cabane 57 workshops in July and August ### Where to sleep Panorama du Pyla, with a swimming pool and kids' club Le Dauphin, in the centre of Arcachon ### Eating Prawns and bread in the cabins for those who don't want oysters A picnic from the market on the beach ### Keep in mind The dune sand burns in summer at midday: go early or late in the afternoon A pushchair is no use on the dune: use a baby carrier ### Qué hacer as a family - Cap Ferret Oyster Cabins - Gujan-Mestras Oyster Ports - Boat to the Île aux Oiseaux and the Stilt Cabins - Dune du Pilat - Cycling Around the Bay ## With a dog: Dune, Villas and Boat, with the Dog on a Lead On the Arcachon bay your dog climbs the Dune du Pilat with you, strolls the villa streets of the Ville d'Hiver and boards for the Île aux Oiseaux for a small supplement. To sleep, the Camping de la Dune, at the foot of the dune, and the Hôtel Le Dauphin, in Arcachon, admit it under their conditions. ### Walks Dune du Pilat: free climb, with the dog always on a lead; bring water, there is no shade at the top Ville d'Hiver: an hour's stroll in the shade among villas, on a lead Boat to the Île aux Oiseaux: the dog goes on board for €2 ### Where to sleep Camping de la Dune: up to two per pitch or accommodation, €4 a day, with passport and vaccinations; on a lead and outside the water area Hôtel Le Dauphin: €7 per animal per night ### Keep in mind The dune is a protected natural area, with a high forest fire risk all year We have not been able to confirm the rules for dogs on the bay's beaches: ask before going down to the sand At the Camping de la Dune, category 1 and 2 dogs are not admitted and dogs may not be left alone ### Qué hacer with a dog - Boat to the Île aux Oiseaux and the Stilt Cabins - Dune du Pilat - Arcachon's Ville d'Hiver ### Dónde dormir with a dog - Hôtel Le Dauphin: With a €7 supplement per animal per night - Camping de la Dune: Up to two per pitch or accommodation, €4 a day, with passport and vaccinations; on a lead ## Consejos ### Cross to Cap Ferret by boat By road you have to go round the whole bay. The UBA boat from Arcachon takes about 30 minutes and carries bikes. ### Climb the dune at the end of the afternoon There are fewer people, the sand isn't burning and the sun sets over the Banc d'Arguin. ### Ask which day it closes Each hut has its rest day, and in winter they change. Phone before crossing the bay. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does a dozen oysters cost in Arcachon? At a producer's hut, between €10 and €13 depending on the size. The glass of white and the pâté are paid separately. ### Do I need to book at the huts? In July and August, better yes, especially for dinner. The rest of the year it is enough to turn up, except at weekends. ### What do you order with oysters? Bread, butter and a dry white Bordeaux. Here it is customary to alternate the oyster with a mouthful of pâté. ### Can I go without a car? Yes. The train from Bordeaux to Arcachon takes under an hour, there is a bus to the dune and a boat to Cap Ferret. ### What do children who don't eat oysters do? The dune, the boat to the Île aux Oiseaux and cycling. At the huts there are prawns and bread; for something more, eat in Arcachon. ### How long does it take to climb the Dune du Pilat? About fifteen minutes from the car park, the last stretch over sand. At the top you are more than a hundred metres above the sea.