coastal path

Saturday 15th November 2025 – Mimizan-Plage Sud….

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A stunner of a day for us, a little breezier but warm and sunny. As we are sadly nearing the end of this amazing coastal journey of the West Coast of France we are also slowing things down a little to savour this beautiful sandy stretch of coastline down to the Spanish border. Tempting though it is to pop over the line we are not going to as there are slightly different rules for driving in Spain and I am quite comfortable with the French speed limits etc and don’t wish to confuse things before our reasonably long journey back up to Caen.

The resort of Mimizan-Plage is split in half by the river Courant and yesterday we explored the beaches on the northern half, so today we are off to walk along the seafront of the southern half – starting by crossing over the road bridge between the two….

The beaches here have also been given quite distinct names as you wander along the seafront even though they really are still just sections of this wonderful strip of sand we have been following for the last 10 days running from La Verdon-sur-Mer essentially to the Spanish Border and beyond.

Plage des Goelands….

Plage des Cormorans….

Plage de Mouettes….

Plage de Courlis….

Plage de Gourbets…

And finally – Plage de Mailloueyre disappearing off into the distance southwards….

Here we treated ourselves to a sit down, well I did but Tilly soon found a couple of sticks to chase. With just the sound of the crashing waves, the odd sea bird and the very occasional passerby it was my idea of heaven.

Heading back we wandered through the sleepy hollow that we have come to expect of these coastal resorts, all the bars and shops are on the other side of the river and this side appears to be purely residential (though I use the term loosely!).

This side of the river also appears to be fighting a loosing battle with sand ingress….

Thoughts of the day:

  • This weather, though I don’t think it is going to last, was well worth the additional miles to get down here and the beaches well they just speak for themselves.
  • I wonder if these coastal properties are second homes or holiday lets – it is hard to tell.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 0
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 6
  • Aire – £11.09 EHU

Friday 14th November 2025 – Mimizan….

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A cloudy but warm start to the day and timed perfectly a lovely sunny afternoon. We spent the morning doing laundry and a bit of a food shop and then headed straight for our Aire for the night in the coastal village of Mimizan (the main village is inland a bit but this is the resort bit). The coast is about a mile from the Aire so we set off on foot to enjoy the lovely warm sunshine on the beaches of Mimizan. O

ur first stop was Plage de Courant just a small beach on the banks of the river – Courant de Mimizan, nice and sandy and covered in driftwood, no doubt from the river as it rises and falls with the tides…

We followed the river the short distance to the sea and Plage de la Garluche….

Beyond the breakwaters at the mouth of the river is the other half of Mimizan and Plage des Goélands to the south which we shall visit tomorrow. For now though we wandered northwards enjoy a little sea breeze and the lovely sun as we walked along Plage de Mimizan….

Then Plage de Remember….

And finally to Plage du Vivier as it disappears into the distance and after a bit of a military section eventually ends up in Biscarrosse….

Here we sat for a while enjoying the sun until hunger got the better of us and we wandered back to the van via the pine trees backing the dunes….

Thoughts of the day:

  • Little bit of a pinch me moment when I realise it is mid November and we are sat in the beach enjoying the sun shine in a T-shirt and shorts!! So glad we moved further south.
  • Not quite so keen on these dark nights but doesn’t really bother us as we are well and truly settled in the van by 6pm when it goes dark.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 30
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 5
  • Aire – £11.06 EHU
  • Groceries – £18.84
  • Laundry – £9.74

Thursday 13th November 2025 – Biscarrosse….

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A grey but warm and fairly bright day – we are quite comfortable here in this Pine forest park up by the sea so have decided to chill a bit and just walk rather than moving on. The only sounds are the crashing of the waves when the tide is high and twittering of birds in the trees and the occasional passing helicopter – so lovely and peaceful.

We start the day by clambering along the footpath over the dunes….

To our first beach of the day – Plage du Vivier….

Here we enjoy a lovely walk to wake us up and put us in the mood for some breakfast and yes a little bit of housework – I can ignore the sand in my bed no longer!

Refreshed and feeling good about a briefly de-sanded van we set out in the early afternoon along the boardwalk across the dunes to Biscarrosse Plage (the satellite village situated on the coast to Biscarrosse village a couple of miles inland) – the houses here are mostly single story chalets or small apartment blocks but as with many others we have seen looking pretty closed up….

We wander down through the village and there are a few signs of life with a couple of bars open serving lunches but generally it feels a bit like a ghost town – at the far end we join the beach – Plage Sud….

The tide appears to be on its way out with just a glimmer of what could be above the huge crashing waves….

Central beach looks like it is fighting a bit of a battle with the sand being moved around on top of the dunes by a digger….

A little further on is Plage Nord which eventually leads on to Plage du Vivier where we were this morning but we decide to continue you back to the van using the broad walk as it is easier going. Plage Nord…..

Before leaving we watch a while as a surfer enters the water to take on those rather spectacular waves and enjoy the pretty rose coloured skies beyond….

Thoughts of the day:

  • A surfer just somehow completes the shot.
  • I know I keep repeating my self but this is my ideal location – I guess the only thing missing is some mountains in the background – remind you of anywhere? Of yes and maybe the odd island!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 0
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Beaches – 4
  • Aire – £14.11 EHU

Wednesday 12th November 2025 – Arès to Biscarrosse….

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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….

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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