Things to see and do Lightship-Cap-Ferret

Grand Piquey, which means great dune in gascon occitan. As you have understood, this village is marked by high wooded dunes. But you will also find a small oyster farming area, of course, a pier, as well as beautiful beaches highlighted by rows of pine trees. Between the villages of Petit Piquey and Grand Piquey is La Pointe aux Chevaux, from which the herds of mostly wild horses, swam to the Bird Island, popular for its salty herbs. The village is also famous for its visitors: Jean Cocteau, Raymond Radiguet, Jean Marais or Le Corbusier stayed there.

At the end of the peninsula of Lège Cap Ferret, the tip is a unique place, both powerful and moving, where the ocean enters the basin. It offers a breathtaking view of the Dune du Pilat and a nature so wild that one could imagine oneself at the end of the world. Wind, waves and currents have shaped this moving territory. Follow the "Dune Primer", a five-kilometre trail that invites you to better understand the landscape around you. On the theme of mobility (dunes, tides, birds, clouds...), words from A to Z follow one another illustrating the fauna and flora but also the local history and geography. You can also opt for a visit accompanied by a guide of the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, from June to August on Monday, Thursday and Sunday from 10am to 1pm, registration at the Tourist Office.

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.

Between beaches, nature and authenticity, its name makes you dream... This last village of the Peninsula is the most famous and it gave it its name. Forest, dunes and beaches, this is how we could summarize the landscape of Cap Ferret. But this place is especially enchanting thanks to the unique view that it offers on the dune of Pilat and the meeting between the Basin and the Ocean. Make sure you get to the point! Of course, you have to drive a few more kilometers, but I promise you, you won't regret it! The picture is sublime, the colors are bewitching and different at each visit. The lighthouse also gives a beautiful view of the Basin, from the Bird Island to the Dune du Pilat, passing by the fishing village of Mimbeau. The Bélisaire district is one of the liveliest and busiest in Cap Ferret and many restaurants line the pedestrian promenade. You will love to lose yourself in the small streets lined with pine trees and wooden houses, each more beautiful than the next. Thelanding stage (with its restaurants) is also very popular with walkers and anglers. It is always the starting point of the shuttles to Arcachon. Cap Ferret is appreciated by the big fortunes of the CAC 40, the movie and song stars who have bought well hidden houses, often in the 44 hectares area. You will sometimes meet them at Chez Pierre, Chez Hortense, at the Pinasse Café or at the Wharf. Cap Ferret has also been used as a film location for various movies.

Yes, vineyard used to be grown here, on the Cap Ferret peninsula. Muscat, chasselas or cabernet, the avenues of the penisula still bear the mark. Surrounded by fine sand beaches, the village has superb villas scattered on the slope of the dune and its marina, dating back to 1960 and built on former fish tanks, is quite remarkable. Here the tide arises less than elsewhere, due to the unusual layout of the coast and the channels. Thus a large cement pontoon could be built in order to load heavy tonnages on boats.

Dug in the middle of the 19th century, the Canal des étangs links between them the lakes and ponds on the coast of Gironde before coming to throw themselves in the Bassin d'Arcachon. Before its opening, the region was subject to frequent flooding, especially because of the presence in the basement of a thick layer of iron pan, sort of particularly waterproof and sandstone endemic to the region. At the level of the Legé commune, the canal offers different faces. Thus, in the north of Pont de Bredouille, its banks are largely dominated by the broad-leaved trees. The curved branches often venture to the level of the water and the vast forests surrounding draw a vegetable barrier. In the south of the bridge, the banks become sandier and the relief grows gradually fading away. A few hundred metres, near Prés-Salés, so the horizon can be discovered without limits to the Bassin d'Arcachon. Although quite frequented, the banks of the canal doesn't remain a place for a walk (and for a discovery) in all seasons. The departure and the arrival of this 6 km course are done at the end from the Ignac road to Legé Cap Ferret.