Cap Ferret, Bordeaux

About Cap Ferret

Cap Ferret is the southern part of the commune of Lège-Cap-Ferret: a narrow sand spit tens of kilometres long that separates the Atlantic from Arcachon Bay. The pine forests of the Landes run right down to the sand, and small oyster villages line the bay side.

The peninsula is an upmarket yet very natural resort: no big hotels, but plenty of wooden cabins, villas among the pines, cycle paths and empty beaches. Jean Cocteau, Le Corbusier and the painter Foujita all spent time here. One theory says the name comes from Gascon for 'iron head', after the rust-coloured streaks of iron-rich water on the beaches.

What to see

• Cap Ferret lighthouse — 52 metres, with views of the bay and the Dune du Pilat.
• Oyster villages — L'Herbe, Le Canon and Piquey with huts by the water.
• Ocean beaches — Grand Crohot, Truc Vert and L'Horizon.
• The little tram — from the Bélisaire jetty to the ocean.
• The tip of the cape — a sand spit and the Mimbeau lagoon.
• The boat from Arcachon — a crossing over the bay.

The lighthouse

The peninsula's emblem is the Cap Ferret lighthouse: a white cylindrical tower with a red top and a green copper dome among the pines. The first lighthouse was lit here in 1840; the present one, 52.1 metres high, was rebuilt in 1947 almost to the old plans and became a historic monument in 2009.

Around 250 steps lead to the top, where one of the finest views on the Atlantic coast unfolds: Arcachon Bay and its sandbanks, the Banc d'Arguin, the giant Dune du Pilat across the water and the endless ocean.

Two sides of the peninsula

The ocean side has long wild beaches, Grand Crohot, Truc Vert and L'Horizon, with big waves loved by surfers. Lifeguards watch the main beaches in summer; only swim in the marked zones, as the currents are strong.

The bay side has calm water, sandbanks, moored boats and fishing hamlets of narrow lanes and oyster huts. It's good for swimming with children and kayaking. Near the very tip is the Mimbeau lagoon, cut off by a sand spit.

The little tram and the boat

Passenger boats from Arcachon (from the Thiers pier) take half an hour to the Bélisaire jetty on Cap Ferret. The first wooden jetty here was built back in 1877.

From the jetty a little narrow-gauge tram runs through the pines to the ocean-side beaches. Bikes are a great way to get around too, with hire by the jetty and paths along the bay and through the forest.

Tips for your visit

Allow half a day for Cap Ferret, a full day with the beach and oysters. It's easiest without a car: the train from Bordeaux to Arcachon, the boat across the bay, then a bike or the tram on the peninsula.

Cap Ferret pairs naturally with Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat, on the opposite shore of the bay and clearly visible from the lighthouse.

Summer weekends get crowded and the road round the bay jams, so come on a weekday. Check the time of the last boat back to Arcachon.

How to do it right

• Boat from Arcachon.
• Oysters at sunset.
• Swim where lifeguards are.
• Bikes are best.

Questions