The Arcachon basin is one of the places that attracts the most tourists to France each year, seduced by the magnificent landscapes and the oceanic climate. Our agency YourHostHelper guides you to discover the most beautiful places to see in Arcachon.
Arcachon is a seaside resort located on the Atlantic coast, in the southwest of France. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region, offering many landscapes and activities to its visitors. The city is bordered by the very famous Bassin d'Arcachon, a vast inland lake which is home to a very wide variety of fauna and flora. The city is also known for its pedestrian streets and its many restaurants and cafes.
“Arcachon is a city rich in history and culture, explains Nora Le Faou, director of Concierge Arcachon. If you are looking for a destination that offers a variety of landscapes, beaches and entertainment, Arcachon is the ideal destination”. Indeed, the city and its basin attract a large number of tourists every year, seduced by the beauty and variety of the local environment. Our Arcachon YourHostHelper concierge service has therefore decided to present you with various places to see all around the Arcachon basin, in order to whet your appetite for a possible future stay in the region.
Places to see in Arcachon presented by our AirBNB concierge
Arcachon is a popular destination for tourism. The seaside resort is sometimes called "the city of 4 seasons", because the town is made up of 4 different districts: the Ville d'Hiver, the Ville de Printemps, the Ville d'Été and the Ville d'Automne. Located on the heights of Arcachon, the Ville d'Hiver is undoubtedly the most touristic. Renowned for being the upscale district of the city, it is home to magnificent XNUMXth century villas that mix Moorish, colonial, neo-classical and neo-Gothic styles. Among the best known, do not miss to discover the Villa Toledo, the Villa Teresa, the Villa Brémontier or the Villa Trocadéro, real architectural jewels representative of the Belle Époque. During your walk in the Ville d'Hiver, don't miss the magnificent Mauresque park where the eponymous Casino was located, as well as the Sainte-Cécile Observatory, accessible by the Saint-Paul footbridge, a metal structure created in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel , which will allow you to discover a magnificent panorama of the Arcachon basin.
The Ville d'Été is the oldest district of Arcachon and corresponds to the current city center. Located on the seafront, it is also the busiest and most lively place in Arcachon. There are also many hotels, bars, restaurants and shops there as well as a market and the town hall. Overlooking the ocean, you will also discover, in the heart of the Summer City, the sumptuous Château Deganne. Built in 1853, this neo-renaissance monument houses the Arcachon casino as well as the city's convention center. “La Ville d'Été mainly brings together the main jetties in Arcachon, such as the Thiers jetty or the Eyrac jetty, explains Nora Le Faou, director of the YourHostHelper agency in Arcachon. They are departure points by boat to the main tourist sites in the basin”.
The districts of Saint-Ferdinand and Aiguillon represent the current Ville d'Automne, it is here that we find the marina of Arcachon. In 1950, the district experienced significant economic growth mainly linked to fishing and shipyards. Today, the port of the Ville d'Automne is dedicated to yachting and has been classified as a "sailing station" since 1986. A place not to be missed if you like nautical activities and if you want to discover the fishing district of Arcachon. As for the Ville de Printemps, which corresponds to the districts of Pereire and Abatilles, it is a green and pleasant district in which to stroll. Finally, nature lovers can take a moment to go to the Péreire Park and enjoy the authentic and wooded setting of the place.
The nuggets to discover around the Arcachon basin selected by our AirBNB agency
It is obviously THE place to see during your holidays in Arcachon: the Dune du Pilat, the highest dune in Europe and one of the most visited sites in France, stands between the Landes forest and the 'Atlantic Ocean. It culminates at more than 105 meters high and extends over 616 meters wide and nearly 3 kilometers long. Every year, many tourists come to climb the dune, regardless of the season, to admire an exceptional panoramic view of the pine forest and the Arcachon basin, but also of the Banc d'Arguin and Cap Ferret. If you have the opportunity, climb to the top of the Dune du Pilat for the sunset, the landscape will be even more beautiful. At the foot of the dune you can find the Camping des Flots Bleus, which became famous thanks to the adventures of Patrick Chirac in the Camping trilogy. So we're not waiting for Patrick?
When you come to visit Arcachon, it is possible to treat yourself to an exceptional excursion in the colors of the Caribbean. The Banc d'Arguin, located opposite the Dune du Pilat, is a strip of white sand surrounded by translucent water, whose shape changes with the winds. At low tide, this desert island-like territory is nearly 4 kilometers long. In the middle of the Arcachon basin is a remarkably preserved place. Bird Island is known for its two cabins on stilts (from the Gascon “chancas” which means “mounted on stilts”). It is also home to around fifty huts without water or electricity, inhabited all year round or only for holidays.
Finally, the peninsula of Cap Ferret is one of the must-see places in the region, made (even more) famous by the film Les Petits Mouchoirs by Guillaume Canet. It is a strip of land separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Arcachon basin. The easiest way to get there from Arcachon is to take a ferry. Discover its small oyster farming villages, its beaches and its surrounding nature during a short bike ride on one of the many marked trails in the Cap. Extend the walk to the tip of the peninsula and be sure to discover its emblematic lighthouse 52 meters high (the only one in the Arcachon basin), listed as a historical monument.
The Arcachon basin is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions of France and there are many things to see there. "The Landes forests are magnificent to see," rejoices Nora Le Faou, director of the YourHostHelper agency in Arcachon. The villages of Biscarosse and La Teste-de-Buch are also very pleasant places”. Thanks to YourHostHelper, come and enjoy the Arcachon basin and a stay worthy of the greatest hotels thanks to the Nora Le Faou team who will do everything possible to make your trip an unforgettable memory!
