Where to stay in Arcachon: choosing your area

Arcachon grew one district at a time, and the town still names them after the seasons: the Ville d’Été by the water, the Ville d’Hiver on the dune, the Ville d’Automne around the port and the Ville de Printemps out towards Pereire and Les Abatilles. At the very end, facing the mouth of the bay, is Le Moulleau. The areas are close to one another, but each makes for a different holiday. We rent out a flat in Le Moulleau and make no secret of it, but here is what each area has going for it, and who it suits.

The Ville d’Été: the centre, all on foot

This is the heart of Arcachon, along the seafront. The station is right in the town centre, the shops and the covered market on Place des Marquises are in the same district, and Arcachon beach stretches for about 800 m between the Thiers and Pierre Lataillade jetties. Boat trips to the Île aux Oiseaux leave from the Thiers jetty, as do the year-round shuttles to Cap Ferret.

In July and August the town centre is pedestrianised, with street entertainment. It is the right choice if you are coming by train for a short break, like going out in the evening or want everything on your doorstep. The downside in high summer: crowds and noise.

The Ville d’Hiver: villas on the dune

Just above the centre, the Ville d’Hiver was laid out in 1862 on a wooded dune, for invalids who came to breathe the pine and ocean air. It still has about 300 19th-century villas, listed as a picturesque site. You can walk up, or take the free lift to the Parc Mauresque.

It suits architecture lovers and anyone who wants to be away from the seafront while staying about ten minutes’ walk from the town hall and the shops. There is no beach in the district itself: you walk down to the one in the centre.

The Ville de Printemps: Pereire and Les Abatilles

West of the centre, the Ville de Printemps covers the Pereire and Les Abatilles districts. This is the big-beach side of town: Pereire, Les Abatilles and Les Arbousiers beaches run one after the other for about 3 km, along a promenade for walkers and cyclists. Pereire beach is the largest on the bay, and a sandbank appears at low tide. Behind it, Pereire park and its pines give some shade, and Les Abatilles beach, with its sports facilities and shady corners, is a favourite with families. The district is also home to the Abatilles spring, whose mineral water is still bottled.

The area is mainly residential. It suits families who want space on the sand, and anyone who enjoys walking or cycling by the water. To reach the centre, allow about forty minutes on foot from Pereire and an hour from Les Abatilles, or take the bike or bus line 3.

The Ville d’Automne: the port and L’Aiguillon

East of the centre, the Ville d’Automne, which takes in the Saint-Ferdinand and L’Aiguillon districts, lives around the fishing port and the marina. Until the end of the First World War, Arcachon was France’s second-largest trawler port. For the beach, Eyrac, at the entrance to the small harbour, is Arcachon’s historic beach and is popular for its peace and quiet. The town’s cycle path starts at the Pointe de l’Aiguillon and follows the bay all the way to Le Moulleau.

This is an area for people who like boats and the feel of a working port. The centre is about forty minutes’ walk along the seafront, and the cycle path takes you straight there.

Le Moulleau: a village at the end of town

At the south-western tip of Arcachon, on the road to Pyla, Le Moulleau has kept the feel of a village. A pedestrian street runs from Notre-Dame-des-Passes church down to the jetty, lined with cafés, restaurants and shops. The beach, with lifeguards in summer, looks out to the Dune du Pilat on one side and the Cap Ferret lighthouse on the other. From mid-June to the end of September, shuttles leave the jetty for Cap Ferret. Our guide to things to do in Le Moulleau tells you more.

It is quieter than the centre, but it is about 5 km from the station. That is no problem if you like cycling: the cycle path reaches the centre in about twenty minutes, and carries on to Pyla and the Dune du Pilat, about 7 km away. Baïa bus line 3 also links the station with Le Moulleau. In July and August, on the other hand, parking is hard. And if you want to go out in the town centre every night, the Ville d’Été is a better fit.

Le Moulleau is where you will find Cœur Moulleau, our flat for 4, 50 m from the beach and less than 100 m from the jetty. It has a bedroom with a double bed, two bunk beds in the cabin nook, a private terrace and air conditioning. A space in the residence’s secure car park and two bikes are included, so you can leave the car for the whole stay. The flat is on the 3rd floor, with no lift.

Pyla, next door

Beyond Le Moulleau, Pyla-sur-Mer begins. This is no longer Arcachon but part of La Teste-de-Buch: a seaside resort founded in the 1920s, known for its beaches and for the Dune du Pilat close by. It is the choice for anyone who wants to stay as close to the dune as possible, at the cost of a longer trip into central Arcachon. Baïa bus line 3 serves Pyla all the way to the foot of the dune, and our guide to getting to the Dune du Pilat explains how to get there.

In short

• Arriving by train and doing everything on foot: the Ville d’Été.
• Villas and quiet, close to the centre: the Ville d’Hiver.
• Big beaches for families: Pereire and Les Abatilles.
• Boats and the port: the Ville d’Automne.
• A village by the water, the beach and cycling: Le Moulleau.
• As close to the dune as possible: Pyla.

Coming without a car? Our guide to Arcachon without a car explains how to arrive by train and get around the bay.