Arcachon Bay Travel Guide (Bassin d’Arcachon), South West France

Last Updated on 28th February 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.

The Bassin d’Arcachon is a delightful corner of South West France which is characterised by its little fishing villages, endless sandy beaches, and its enviable position overlooking the Atlantic Sea. The area is most famous for its oysters and fancy resorts. Best visited during the summer when the weather is at its best and everything is actually open, here’s your ultimate Arcachon Bay travel guide, as well as what to know before you go.

The Arcachon Basin is also known as the Bay of Arcachon. In French, the area is known as the Bassin d’Arcachon.

Where is the Bassin d’Arcachon?

A bay of the Atlantic Ocean, Arcachon is in the historic Aquitaine region (now a part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Located in the Gironde department, The Bay of Arcachon covers 150 square kilometres (60 sq mi) at high tide and is around 80 km in circumference.

It would take around an hour and a half to drive around the bay if there was no traffic. The Basin is roughly a one hour drive from the city of Bordeaux.

Though the best time to visit is during the summer, if you want your trip to cost less, and for there to be fewer crowds around, then you can consider planning a visit during the late spring or early fall.

When is the best time to visit the Bay of Arcachon?

The best time to head to the Bassin d’Arcachon is undoubtedly during the summer months when everything is actually open. You should aim to make your trip between May and September as this is when the best weather can be found (one of the best ways to enjoy the area is by bicycle or on foot) and everything is open.

If you visit in the off-season (i.e. the depths of winter) then many of the local eateries will be closed for the season. Arcachon is also a pretty outdoors destination where you can enjoy some of the best sunsets in France and so you’ll want to maximise the amount of good sunsets you can experience by visiting during the summer!

Best things to do in the Bay of Arcachon

Relax in Cap Ferret

Cap Ferret lies on a peninsula surrounded by the sea in the Bay of Arcachon. A windswept landscape with low lying houses shadowed by towering pine trees and surrounded by sandy dunes stretching as far as the eye can see, it’s one of the most popular summer resorts in France.

Some of the top highlights of a visit to Cap Ferret include climbing the 300+ steps to reach the top of the lighthouse and enjoy the view onto the Dune du Pilat, shopping at one of the many boutiques in town, and going in search of Space Invader mosaics (the iconic anonymous artist from Paris has hidden no fewer than 10 mosaics around town).

Head to Le Canon and l’Herbe

There are two smaller towns which lie within the Arcachon Bay on the road between Andernos les Bains and Cap Ferret. Le Canon and l’Herbe are two charming little settlements which overlook the sea and are home to a smattering of oyster bars. They are pleasant to wander around for an hour or two but offer little by the way of major tourist attractions.

Visit Andernos les Bains

Situated right in the middle of the crescent of the Bassin d’Arcachon, Andernos-les-Bains is around midway between the towns of Arcachon and Cap Ferret, Andernos is a resort town with roots dating back to Prehistoric times.

Though the town centre itself is a little less aesthetically pleasing than that of Cap Ferret, the town boasts a myriad of attractions and things to do.

As well as Roman ruins, the church of Saint Eloi features 15th and 17th-century murals, while the oyster village has plenty of chalets where visitors can sample the local seafood and sip on local wine.

Discover the town of Arcachon

The name ‘Arcachon’ is not only of the Bay but also of the most southerly town on the bay, as well as one of its most important. Arcachon is divided into four districts, which are named for the seasons of the year.

Go swimming

Truth be told, one of the simplest pleasures of a visit to the Bay of Arcachon is to swim in the bath warm bay at sunset, if tide times permit. When the tide is all the way in, it’s possible to swim just off of one of the many beaches which line the Bay of Arcachon. There, the waters are calm and relaxing.

Visit the Beach

You can’t visit this part of the world without heading to the beach at least once. Hands down, the best beaches to visit are on the west side of the Bay as the beaches to the east are less beautiful and less interesting.

One of the more popular beaches is The Plage du Truc Vert, which is around a half an hour drive away from Andernos les Bains, lies on the wild and windswept Atlantic coastline, and is favoured by surfers and those who love to lie on sandy beaches alike.

Sample local cuisine

Since it’s so hot in this part of France, you don’t feel like consuming many hot meals and so we headed to Chez Pascal (there are a number of the stores around the Bay of Arcachon) for some sandwiches and local delicacies. One such is a Canelé, which is a kind of cake that originated in Bordeaux and is oh-so delicious. 

If you want to discover even more about local food in the Bay of Arcachon, then you would do well to book a guided tour like this one which will give you a greater insight into how the Oyster producers work and live.

Take a day trip to the Dune du Pilat

The largest sand dune in Europe is to be found in the form of Dune du Pilat, which is situated just a short drive away from the Bay. In places, the Dune is over 100 metres in height and is almost 3 km long.

Don’t worry about climbing up all of that sand though- there are steps which you can climb to reach the top of the Dune, where you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views of the entirety of Arcachon Bay. Just be sure to wear comfortable footwear such as trainers.

The best time to visit the dune is in the shoulder seasons, i.e. in the late spring or early summer when the weather isn’t too hot and yet the weather is pleasant (read: there’s not too much rain). Unfortunately, during my recent trip to south west France, it wasn’t possible to see the Dune du Pilat at all due to forest fires.

Watch the Bay of Arcachon Vlog

Enjoyed reading about the best of the Bay of Arcachon? Pin this article now, read it again later: