Bay of Arcachon & Dune du Pilat Tour
Just an hour from Bordeaux, the Bay of Arcachon reveals a whole other side of the region: oyster parks, fishing villages, pine forests and, facing the ocean, the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s tallest sand dune. On this private Bay of Arcachon tour, your local guide takes you to the top of the dune, where the view stretches across the Atlantic and the Banc d’Arguin. Lunch is all about seafood, before you set sail on a private two-hour ride aboard a traditional pinasse, tasting fresh oysters and local white wine on the water.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- Duration: a full day, about 9 hours
- Experience: entirely private, transportation included, with your local, English-speaking wine expert, who is also your driver
- Pinasse: a two-hour private cruise aboard a traditional pinasse, with oyster and white wine tasting
- Dune du Pilat: the climb to the top of Europe’s tallest sand dune
- Departure: from your hotel in Bordeaux (or another location in Bordeaux)
YOUR DAY
Bordeaux / Arcachon / Bordeaux (90 miles/ 2h30 total transfer)
- 9:30 AM
Bordeaux
Your guide meets you at your hotel, or at any address in Bordeaux.
- 11 AM
The Dune du Pilat
Climb the Dune du Pilat (also spelled Pyla), Europe’s tallest sand dune. From the top, the view sweeps from the Atlantic Ocean to the entrance of the bay on one side, and over the vast Landes pine forest on the other.
- 1 PM
Lunch
Choose between a charming local restaurant to discover the region’s seafood, including its famous oysters, or an oyster farmer’s cabin for fresh oysters and other seafood with a glass of dry white wine. Lunch is not included, but we will gladly take care of the reservation.
- Afternoon
Private Pinasse Cruise
Step aboard a pinasse, the traditional boat of the bay’s oyster farmers, for a two-hour private cruise. Your skipper weaves through the oyster parks and narrow channels to Bird Island and its cabanes tchanquées, the stilt huts that have become the symbol of the bay. Along the way: the villages and beaches of the Cap Ferret peninsula, the Banc d’Arguin sandbank and a new view of the Dune du Pilat, this time from the water. On board, fresh oysters and a glass of local dry white wine make for the perfect tasting. The route may vary with the tides.
- 6 PM
Bordeaux
Your guide drives you back to your hotel (arrival around 6–6:30 PM).
Organization / Price
STARTING AT 598€/GUEST
(based on a party of 2)
- Booking and organization
- Private transportation
- Two-hour private pinasse cruise, with oyster and white wine tasting
- Your local, English-speaking wine expert, who is also your driver
- Lunch (we will gladly take care of the reservation)
- Personal expenses, airfare, accommodation, travel insurance and gratuities
Generally, anything not listed in the program.
