Europe’s finest seashore holidays: Arcachon, France

The Bay of Arcachon, on the south-west coast of France, is a contented place. It should be, as a result of I’ve been visiting it with my household almost yearly for the previous 15 years. We often lease a small condo in Arcachon city for 4 or 5 days, however such is the draw that we have now been identified to make a two-hour drive simply to spend the day there after we’ve been in that a part of the world. Every little thing about it speaks of summer season pleasure: the promenade thrumming with cyclists and strollers; the parade of bistros serving moules, oysters and buckets of chilled rosé; households taking part in seashore tennis on the sands; and a bay brimming with pleasure boats and ferries. It’s like a scene from a Raoul Dufy portray.

The primary day begins at Halle Baltard, the city market, the place we drink espresso with brioche and croissants, then head to the bike rental store, and at all times the identical one (Dingo Vélos), since you don’t want a automobile on this largely flat panorama. Subsequent, we purchase ferry tickets on the little seashore cabins on Thiers jetty to take the ferry over the bay to Cap Ferret. The wait within the queue on the jetty is extra Monsieur Hulot’s Vacation than huff and puff, the air thick with sunscreen and anticipation. Kids put on inflatables round their waists and relaxation crab nets on their shoulders, dad and mom sport sunnies and straw hats and carry overloaded picnic baggage and rugs. There’s a babble of chatter because the ferry crew load bikes on the roof and passengers scramble for out of doors seats.

The journey over the bay takes half-hour and delivers cinematic scenes of the receding Arcachon shoreline, with its good-looking villas and on line casino, the towering Dune du Pilat and ranks of oyster beds on the method to the pier at Cap Ferret. As soon as we arrive, the bikes come into their very own.

Flip proper out of the pier, and it’s attainable to discover this pine-studded headland all the best way to Lège Cap Ferret, utilizing cycle lanes to keep away from the summer season congestion, and calling in on the fishing villages of L’Herbe and Le Canon for drinks or lunch.

We at all times flip left and head to Cap Ferret market, nevertheless, as a result of this gives a window on to the French on vacation. Cap Ferret is extra understated than the glitzy Cap Ferrat on the Côte d’Azur. The sand-swept roads are busy with retro Citröen Mehari seashore convertibles. Second-homers from Bordeaux and its surrounds sport chinos and pastel polos, or lengthy stripy shirt attire and pumps. All of those can be found on the stalls on the market. Nevertheless it’s sufficient to linger over a espresso and canelé pastry and watch the sensible parade.

Rich folks from Bordeaux caught on to the rugged, unmanicured allure of Cap Ferret within the Fifties – the wild Atlantic Ocean, the miles of unspoilt seashores and dunes, the fishermen promoting the best oysters and prawns direct from their cabins. Now these oyster farmers have turned their cabins into easy meals shacks with decks overlooking the bay. At our favorite, Chez Boulan, the menu is restricted to what they do finest: oysters, prawns, whelks, winkles, paté and bread served with ice-cold white Bordeaux or rosé. The Bay of Arcachon is certainly a contented place.