Iconic Life

"Each time, the same scene repeats itself. From the road, just beyond Claouey, for ten meters or so, a first window opens up, between the pines, towards the basin. A few pinasses lying on their sides, oyster stakes pointing skywards, then the expanse of water, almost oily, stretching off into the distance towards Arcachon. This life-size picture welcomes you to the Cap Ferret peninsula.

Cap Ferret is a peninsula planted with slender pine trees that stretches north-south for more than 20 kilometers. This sandy bank protects Arcachon Bay from the tumult of the Atlantic Ocean, forming an almost tranquil basin of water. It's this very special location that gives Le Ferret its character and appeal. Just south of the village of Le Ferret, only a few hundred meters separate the “two seas”, as I like to call them.

The basin to the east is a playground for water sports enthusiasts. Whether you like sailing, cruising in a pinasse to admire the houses on the front line, sea bass fishing, shell hunting or sailing in a semi-rigid boat to picnic on the Banc d'Arguin at the mercy of the tide... you'll be well served.

To the west, the ocean offers a completely different landscape. It's wilder, more hostile and has to be earned, as you first have to cross the dune to reach it. And when you get there, you'll be overwhelmed. From the top of the dune, you'll see almost no buildings, no huts, nothing but the ocean, powerful and infinite as far as the eye can see. So you can bask in the sun on the fine sand, walk along the beach to the point, roll in the waves or take a few wets with your surfboard. Be careful, though, as the currents are strong and dangerous. The ocean is unpredictable.

When you leave the beach and cross the dune again, you won't miss my favorite panorama. You're just a few metres above sea level, but that's enough to be above the pines. You realize that Cap Ferret is a huge pine forest. And in the middle of this green canopy emerges the Ferret lighthouse. The contrast is astonishing. For me, the most beautiful image of Le Ferret."

Discover more about Cap Ferret in the next edition of ICONS, the collection of printed guides designed around our destinations.

Images : Emma Lucila Sanz