This is a large, picturesque bay, separated from the ocean by a long narrow sandy spit. Its shape resembles an isosceles triangle, which connects with the Atlantic Ocean at its western “corner.” The bay is very shallow, so various birds feel comfortable here.
Bird nests are located on Bird Island Uazo, as well as in the Tesh Ornithological Reserve, which occupies 30% of the basin’s territory. You can take a boat or a canoe around the island, and there is a walking trail along the reserve where you can stroll and admire rare birds.
The shallows of the basin are used for oyster farming. Here are the largest oyster farms in Europe, and the city of Arcachon is called the oyster capital of the world. According to archaeologists, people have been eating oysters since the Neolithic era. Interestingly, for example, the Romans not only ate oysters in large quantities but also used the shells for voting: they wrote the name of the person they voted against on them.
For centuries, there have been natural “deposits” of oysters in Arcachon Bay, known as oyster banks. However, during the 19th century, they gradually depleted, and since 1840, local fishermen began artificial breeding. Today, oyster production is a whole industry, and quite profitable. The small fishing town of Gujan-Mestras is called the French capital of oyster plantations. One of its farms – Port de Larros – has a small museum – the House of Oysters. Tourists are invited to restaurants where they can taste fresh seafood. True gourmets distinguish oysters like fine wine, by taste, smell, and aroma. Oysters from the Banc d’Arguin area have aromas of dairy products and white mushrooms, while oysters from Bird Island are sharper, coarser, and saltier in taste, and oysters from Cap Ferret are rich in the aromas of greens: herbs, cucumbers, and peppers.
The local nature is carefully protected; in the Arcachon Basin, the National Park of Gascony, the National Ocean Park, the Ornithological and Zoological Reserves, and two aquariums have been created. In addition to natural parks, there are also amusement parks – a maze park and a water park. For cyclists, there are many paths around the bay in the pine forest, and of course, various sports are represented here. On a nice sunny day, the bay turns into a bright picturesque canvas with countless colorful sails. One of the attractions of the coast is the high dune called Dune du Pilat. The shallows of Arcachon are a source of clean and fine sand, which has been blown onto the shore for centuries, forming this unique dune, which is 114 m high, 500 m wide, and 2.7 km long. It is the largest dune in Europe. Its western slope descends directly to the ocean, while the eastern side faces the pine forest. Climbing such a sandy mountain is quite difficult; those who wish can use the specially built plastic staircase here. The most amazing thing is that the dune not only does not erode but grows taller and moves inland every year. From the height of the dune, there is a beautiful view of the ocean, the valley, the forest, and the vineyards.
