Tourist Attractions & Monuments Gironde

Mainly composed of the Aiguillon district, a picturesque maritime district, the Ville d'Automne extends from the Deganne castle (Casino de la Plage) to the La Teste basin. It is typical with its low houses with red tile roofs and brightly colored shutters. Second marina of the west coast, the port of Arcachon is now a large complex. At the end of it, the work of the Arcachon artist Claude Bouscau, named the monument of the Perishes at sea, takes, depending on the angle of view, the shape of an anchor or a cross.

The first characteristic of the village of Piraillan is that it houses a magnificent natural reserve of 37 hectares, the tanks of Piraillan. Many animal species, including wild swans, genettes, water shrew, marsh ovenbirds, and even hawks and black black with impressive scale can be observed. The site has been protected since 1997, it is so well that rare species are settling there, such as moss, a grass end. Inscribed on the inventory of classified sites, the highly picturesque oyster port consists of a succession of multi-coloured huts, some of which are centuries old. In the middle of the port, two small artificial islands are dawns, created by oyster farmers, with the aim of storing the tiles necessary for oyster breeding. In 1845 a test Master from La Testing, named Bouzat, had a cabin on the coast and called it "it ralhan" bird talkative. From that could come the name of the village.

The tourist office offers you suitable circuits to visit Mayan otherwise, with first a fun, original and practical visit, by smartphone from the old village and basilica Notre-Dame de la Fin des Lands. Just ask the QR code and the plan to welcome the tourist office, but also to go to the discovery of nature in the city with an accompanying track game where you will discover in family and in a sensitive and educational way the natural environments in the city of Mayan. You can of course take advantage of the guided tour of the ancient village and the basilica, buried in the sand, classified as UNESCO World Heritage site, 1 h 30 or 1 h, during which you can enter the church and discover the secrets. But we recommend the guided tour not as the others proposed by the Tourist Office: the dégust'visit. Everything is included, the visit of the village, the basilica and a wine tasting of the region's wines.

The SIBA is a joint union. It gather the Communauté d'Agglomération du Bassin d'Arcachon Sud (COBAS), representing the communes of Arcachon, Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras and Teich and the 6 communes of the northern basin: Biganos, Audenge, Lanton, Andernos-les-Bains, Arès and Lège-Cap Ferret. It also exercises its statutory competences within the Public Maritime Domain, which is made up of the Arcachon Basin, its shores and some of its ports. The main mission of this syndicate is the protection of the water quality of the Arcachon Basin. It develops skills in the fields of the environment, wastewater treatment, urban storm water management, hygiene, marine submersion risks, marine works and digital resources. It is also in charge of the tourist promotion of the basin in connection with the tourist offices, while carrying out studies and developing the offer. In 2017, it launched the shared territorial brand "Bassin d'Arcachon" (www.marque-bassin-arcachon.fr). The SIBA has even created the EAU'ditorium, an educational space to understand how wastewater treatment is part of the water quality protection system in the Basin. The website is very complete with a lot of practical information to make the most of your destination.

The beautiful beaches of Verdon-sur-Mer extend from the lighthouse (Pointe de Grave) to Soulac (north beach). Surveillance point near Saint-Nicolas Lighthouse, and after the Rock Saint-Nicolas the beach changes name according to sectors: Maison de Grave and then Cantines. The ocean beach is monitored. Dogs kept on a leash.

Larros port is worth a visit and nothing is better than a 1h 15 mins guided and commented tour to learn the history of this place. This site is unique because it actually hosted a strong industrial shipyard activity. But you will also find cabins and oyster farms, for delicious tastings. Between industry and tradition, Larros port is definitely unique. Your guide will recount its specificities for your greatest pleasure!

Gujan-Mestras produces every year 50 % of the oysters of the Basin. Located on the port of Larros, the Maison de l'huître was created by oyster farmers to make their profession known and to promote the Basin; an important breeding centre for oysters. The visit (1h) is divided into three stages: a film (English/Spanish/German) on the work of the oyster today, a guided tour of the different rooms (work of the oyster farmer, breeding techniques and history of the oyster through the centuries) and the discovery of the outdoor route (Port de Larros).