Author: freedombird

Wednesday 12th November 2025 – Arès to Biscarrosse….

/ freedombird / Leave a comment

Another cracking day, may be a little more cloud around but still warm and just well nice! A little bit of a driving day today as we plan to drive around Arcachon Bay to get back onto the coast proper and see how the second half of the Cote de l’Argent measures up. We stopped off at Arès to check out the beach there….

Just a thin strip of sand that was being cleaned / flattened or evened out by a digger – not sure which but rather randomly undergrowth on the shoreline – we didn’t stop long before driving around the bay to Arcachon a rather vibrant seaside town still very much open and doing a fair trade on this sunny lunch time. We found parking and took a wander down to the sea front and along the promenade backing Plage de Eyrac….

Here you could be tempted to swim as being within the bay it is sheltered from those Atlantic waves we have been admiring this past week, and indeed a few hardy folk were but mostly people we just sat out side the street bars enjoying the sunshine eating and drinking. From here we moved to the other side of the town almost back on the open ocean but just sheltered by the spit of Cap Ferret and walked along Plage Abatilles and then Plage du Moulieau….

Wandering back along the streets of this rather well to area – am guessing that if you have ‘Sotheby’s’ and ‘Christie’s’ estate agents within half a mile of each other it probably isn’t even worth looking in the window!

Moving on we come to today’s piece de resistance (I’m learning!) – Dune du Pilat – Europe’s tallest dune….

Standing some 100m above sea level – approx 2.7km long and 500m wide and absolutely amazing sight. I confess to being a little out of breath getting up there and that was using the steps and we didn’t even get to the highest point as poor Tilly was being absolutely blasted by the sand and really not enjoying herself and too be fair we have done so much soft sand walking of late, so we enjoyed the view and then took the easy way back down the soft slope.

A short drive to our final stop of the day – Plage de Petit Nice…

And a nice walk along the firm damp sand before heading to our Aire for the next couple of nights in Biscarosse and settling in for the evening.

Thoughts of the day:

  • Imagine….
  • Isn’t nature amazing?

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 85
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Beaches – 5
  • Aire – £14.11 EHU

Tuesday 11th November 2025 – Cap Ferret….

/ freedombird / Leave a comment

A lovely sunny and warm day as we discover more of the delights of this amazing spit of land that is Cap Ferret, with pine trees aplenty and the fabulous stretch of beautiful soft sand foreshore backed by white dunes sparsely sprinkled in grasses – a bugger to walk over but I’m sure my calves will thank me in the end!

Our first stop today is Plage de Truc Vert which doesn’t disappoint….

Enjoying the stunning weather we walked southwards to the next beach along – Plage de la Garonne….

Captivated by the little flock of Plovers playing on the shore just ahead of the incoming waves. Next we drove the short distance to the Point of Cap Ferret though disappointingly unable to get to the beach there as the whole area is closed off for restoration works, however we followed the permissible footpath back around the point where we were able to (after a climb over the inevitable dunes) access the beach….

Across the dunes we also have a good view of the Dune du Pilat (the tallest dune in Europe) across the other side of Arcachon Bay – though we shall get a closer look over the next few days…

Next we ventured into the village of Cap Ferret – a mix of extremely large houses and down on the shore front hundreds of little chalet style properties, some lived in, some holiday homes and many little impromptu bars or businesses selling fresh oysters – doing a fair trade today as it turns out this is a bank holiday here for Armistice Day.

The beaches here are not as sweeping or dramatic as those on the Atlantic coast but quite sheltered in Arcachon Bay – Plages de Mimbeau and further out on a spit of land – Plages de la Conche….

For now we have had enough driving around and returned to a small free Aire that we had spotted on our way through, away from the village and back in the forest by a beach that we purposefully passed by earlier. Once parked up we headed straight down to enjoy the last of the days sunshine where we belong – Plage de la Torchère….

We walked along the shore as far as the next beach (the last before Cap Ferret) – Plage de l’Horizon before calling it a day, a very good day and heading back to the van.

Thoughts of the day:

  • This weather combined with these beaches – we are just in heaven right now.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 23
  • Miles walked – 8
  • Beaches – 7
  • Aire – free
  • Groceries – £33.49

Monday 10th November 2025 – Le Porge to Cap Ferret….

/ freedombird / Leave a comment

A pretty good day again today, warming up nicely in the afternoon. We were on our way fairly promptly and soon arrived at our first beach of the day – Plage du Porge….

The surf was incredible – though it is quite difficult to make out the height of these waves they certainly looked huge – no one brave enough to be out there to put them in perspective…

All along the coast access to the various beaches means quite a long drive from one beach up to the main road and then back down again to the next beach as the main road is probably 4 or 5 miles inland and only the cycle tracks and footpaths run along the shore – today for example we travelled 46 miles but actually only covered 14 miles of coast – mind you the drives are along almost deserted forest roads so a pleasure to drive. Our next stop was a little more difficult to get to as it appears the village of La Jenny is actually a naturist holiday village so no randomers getting in there – however we did find a forestry track on the outskirts which lead us to a car park just shy of the beach…

A stunning deserted beach for us to enjoy for a while. Finally we arrived on the edge of Cap Ferret a coastal resort running along a spit of land almost enclosing Arcachon Bay. Our first beach here is La Grand Crohot….

Another beautiful stretch of coastline backed by dunes and pine trees – here we also found a free overnight Aire for campers and as the sun is shining we decided to park up and just enjoy the afternoon on the beach….

Thoughts of the day:

  • I am amazed at this stunning beach, somehow managing to look slightly different at each stop but literally running unbroken from La Verdon in the north to Cap Ferret in the south – some 70 miles.
  • Beautiful though this sand is – walking on it is tiring even lightweight Tilly sinks into it and is having to make a real effort to get any where – the wet sand on the beach is fine it is just getting along the sandy forest paths and over the dunes that is a battle – good for the heart though!!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 46
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Beaches – 3

Sunday 9th November 2025 – Hourtin to Lancanau….

/ freedombird / Leave a comment

Another lovely mostly sunny day as we wander down to Lac d’Hourtin for our morning stroll…

The waters are flat calm and incredibly clear and there is even a little sandy beach, though there are signs saying no swimming which seems a shame….

We enjoy a good walk before heading back to the coast for our first proper beach walk of the day at Plage d’Hourtin….

A magnificent sweep of dune backed sands, much as we have come to expect on this coastline, but of which we will never tire.

Our next stop is much the same at Plage de Carcans….

Here they have recently embarked on a major planting of different grasses, I guess in an attempt to try and keep the sand on the beach and from encroaching on the small resort here….

We enjoyed a fine walk here as parking was very straightforward and plentiful, though unusually chargeable during the season before moving onto our final location for the day – Lancanau. Parking here was much trickier and all very much chargeable, though we did manage to find a little spot towards the far end of town and walked back over the dunes….

Down onto South Beach and along to Central Beach….

The small town was buzzing on this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon which is nice to see and something we haven’t seen for quite some time. Our Aire for the night is on the outskirts of the town and we were soon settled for the evening.

Thoughts of the day:

  • We are really enjoying this area which almost has an island feel to it – separated from mainland France by the river Gironde to the east, spectacular sandy beaches and dunes to the west, with forest land and lakes running through the middle – what more could you ask for?
  • I cannot image the beaches ever being busy apart from around the resorts but I’m equally sure that it is much nicer driving and walking around now whilst it is quiet – we drove for 12 miles along the forestry road from Carcan to Lancanau and didn’t meet another vehicle or see another soul

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 32
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 4
  • Aire – £15.09

Saturday 8th November 2025 – a lovely beach day from Soulac to Pin Sec…

/ freedombird / Leave a comment

Oh yes – a lovely warm sunny day for us today – what a difference it makes. Not to miss a minute we wander down to Plage des Naiades, which is literally next to the Aire, albeit we’re faced with a 5m drop down a vertical sand bank, so opt to walk along the sand bank to a point that has been levelled and cleared before getting down onto the beach..

Only a trio of surfers out and about. Shortly we move on a few miles south to Plage d’Amelie….

All along this section of coast there seems to be a battle with the sand blowing up onto the roads and parking areas, half of last nights Aire was in accessible as it was under almost a metre of soft sand in places – I wonder if erosion is a problem too – not that I have seen any evidence of it. Our next stop was the wonderfully remote Plage La Negade with exposed sand walls or cliffs, rather than dunes….

Not that I have ever been, but it feels almost dessert like – Tilly is getting quite adept at finding a bit of wood or something to play with…

She loves these deserted beaches and will happily play and run around (no more than about 25m away from me), whereas on beaches where there are other people and dogs she is much more reticent and will generally trot along at my side.

Our next stop was at Plage du Gurp….

Here there are several broken WWII bunkers, as we have seen on so many beaches, both here and in the UK and for some reason, no matter how remote they are the are always subject to Graffiti, but in this case a couple of exceptionally good pieces of artwork….

In amongst the usual political guff and signatures….

It is so lovely to walk along this firm sand on these pretty much tidal beaches, we soon found ourselves on Plage d’Euronat the next bunker strewn beach along….

Almost reluctantly we returned to the van and drove to the next series of beaches, stopping briefly at Plage de Vensac…

And then the small seaside resort of Montalivet and its lovely sandy tidal beaches…..

Plage de Montalivet above and disappearing off into the sunshine, Plage du Helio-Marin….

Our final beach for the day was Plage de Pin Sec, here again the beach was littered with broken concrete bunkers but still stunning…..

We had planned to hunker down for the night in the Aire just behind the dunes but either the barrier wasn’t working or the Aire was closed for some reason, any ways we couldn’t get in – shame as I think the sunset here would have been amazing….

Thoughts of the day:

  • I dislike seeing graffiti, especially in such a natural environment as a beach – I know these bunkers aren’t exactly natural or attractive but they are a part of our history and the beaches history. If these ugly bunkers were covered in the kind of artwork above would I have the same problem? Probably not.
  • This whole area is part of a National park and is an absolute gem for any cyclists as there is a vast network of cycle paths crisscrossing through the woodland and dunes.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 38
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Beaches – 9
  • Aire – £12.78 EHU