French Atlantic Coast | 10x activities off the beaten track

I visited in the south of France the French Atlantic coast with a very diverse programme. No mega campsites and busy tourist hotspots, but mainly undiscovered places, lots of nature and, where possible, a bit of sustainability. In this article I share 10 special tips and places on the French Atlantic coast for a unique trip off the beaten track.

What to do on the French Atlantic coast

1. Beach cleanup with a camel

Yes, you read that right. Camel'idees de l'Atlantique is a volunteer organization that does beach cleanups with a camel named Dino. You can register to participate in the beach cleanups that are scheduled almost weekly, but you can also visit the organization's farm and meet Dino and other animals on the farm, such as Alpacas.

The owner will proudly tell you that they have been in the news many times. Of course, what they do here is also unique. It's not every day you see a camel on the beaches of France, and certainly not with a mountain of rubbish on its back.

The organization wants to convey that sustainability can go further than what we are used to. Dino does not use fossil fuels and can survive perfectly in the loose sand of the French Atlantic coast. Camels are also extremely strong and with large baskets made especially for Dino, volunteers can clean up to 200 kilos of waste from the beach at a time. Dino also does not destroy nature, as tractors do. With Dino you can simply walk through the dunes without destroying all the flowers and plants.

2. Wine tasting at Château Saint-Hilaire

No trip through France is complete without wine tasting. There are many vineyards in the area Medoc Natural area, but this is a very special one. It is approximately a 1,5 hour drive from Bordeaux Chateau Saint-Hilaire, a wine producer with a Dutch touch. The Uijttewaal family settled here in the south of France to start producing wine. And with success. 300.000 liters of wine are produced here annually and several gourmet awards have already been won.

You can take a free tour of the farm (for two people). For groups they charge approximately 10 euros per person, which includes a wine tasting. Booking in advance is not necessary.

During the tour you will learn a lot about making and aging wine. In the meantime, you see employees hard at work. Of course the highlight was the tasting itself!

3. La Bernarderie, an Eco-Farm

Not an everyday outing for tourists, but no less fun. You can reach La Bernarderie (an organic farm) for fresh vegetables, fruit, meats and juices. You can buy all this in the store, but what makes it extra fun is that you can also pick your own fruit and vegetables. You will be sent out with a small cart or basket to choose what you would like to take home. A ripe apple or tomato straight from the tree tastes really good. I speak from experience!

3. Eating at La Conche Lacanau restaurant

Normally I don't often share photos of my meals but for La Conche Lacanau I make an exception. Located directly on the water, with a beautiful view over the lake, it is a wonderful place for a hearty lunch or dinner. But what makes this place so fantastic is of course the food itself.

I ordered a tuna steak curry and had no idea what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw a perfectly grilled tuna steak on my plate in a delicious coconut sauce. We also ordered the green curry which was also perfect, finger licking good. Yes, this restaurant is definitely recommended.

4. The picturesque Arcachon

Arcachon is a picturesque town on the coast. Here you will find unique buildings and, above all, beautiful green parks that are worth a visit. It is a wonderful town for shopping and for a drink on a terrace. Due to the wonderful climate, people mainly live outside here and this is reflected in the many packed terraces on the street.

5. Boat trip on Bassin de Arcachon

A fun activity, especially in warm weather, is taking a boat trip. Antoine van Private Captain showed us the most beautiful places. Bassin du D'Arcachon is known for its oysters and during this boat trip you will see where and how they are produced.

Then you make a short stop on the other side Cap Ferret. There are large decadent houses here, but you can also admire some cozy streets with real historic fishermen's houses.

6. Walking and cycling in Bombannes

The forests of Bombannes, around Lake Hourtin (Lac de Hourtin), are perfect to stretch your legs and enjoy nature. You can go out with a ranger from ONF de Maubuisson who tells you everything about the lake and the surrounding forest. We learned how the dunes originated and that the forest was planted by Napoleon the Third to stop the advancing sea.

7. Canoe trip with sunset on Lac d'Aureilhan

Lac d'Aureilhan is a lake known for its calm waters and many beautiful flowers. You can go with a guide in a traditional Hawaiian Pirogue explore the waters. While you sail over the flat water, the guide will tell you all about nature, the flowers and the many birds that you can spot along the way.

8. Dune Du Pilat

Perhaps the most famous and well-known attraction of the South Atlantic coast of France: Dune Du Pilat. It is the largest sand dune in Europe and you can climb it. It is a bizarre sight with the forests on one side, the dune in the middle and the sea on the other side.

As explained in point 5, Napoleon III had the forests behind the dunes artificially created. There was a good reason for this because the sea and dunes were moving further inland. To protect the land, forests were planted so that there is less erosion and the dunes are less likely to be blown into the land.

If you look out to sea you can still clearly see where the dunes were once located. A few hundred years ago, the dunes were hundreds of meters further out to sea.

9. Take surfing lessons

I hardly have any pictures of this because I was busy surfing, but that doesn't make this unique experience any less fun. You can reach Ecole De Surf Du Golf Book surfing lessons, for absolute beginners to advanced surfers. The waves in the south of the French Atlantic coast are perfect for surfers, you can see people in the water at any time of the day.

10. Walk with picnic on the water

The nature reserve Courant d'Huchet is wonderful to take a walk. A river meanders through the woods and there is a beautiful, protected lake where you can completely relax. To top it all off, you can add: Break-In-Landes a picnic-on-location order so that everything is ready for you after a brisk walk. Enjoy a range of delicious local products by the water. Trust us, you want this!

Practical information:

Would you like to experience one or more of the places or activities from this article yourself? Then read our practical information below.

How do you get there?

All places and activities in this article are located in the region around Bordeaux in the south of France. You can travel here in different ways.

• By car: By car the travel time from Utrecht to Bordeaux is approximately 11 hours. Please note that in addition to your own fuel costs, you also have to pay +- 60 euros in tolls (one way).
• By train: You can via this page of NS International book train tickets to Bordeaux. A return ticket costs about 200 euros and a single journey takes about 8 hours.
• With the plane: You can fly directly from Amsterdam to Bordeaux. A single trip takes about 2,5 hours and can be booked from about 100 euros return. Through this page from Skyscanner you can directly compare the different flight ticket providers for Bordeaux.

What is the best way to travel?

A (rental) car is the easiest way to get around in the south of France. The places and activities mentioned in this article are located within a radius of approximately 200 kilometers around Bordeaux. It is therefore best to use one rental car use to explore the area at your own pace.

Where can you spend the night?

We spent the night in several hotels during this trip, but some stood out in terms of price and quality. These are some tips for nice addresses on the Atlantic coast in the south of France:

• Domaine du Flamand – Apartments and holiday homes incl. swimming pool located in Naujac-sur-Mer.
• Greetings Hotel D'Arcachon – Small-scale hotel with a delicious breakfast a stone's throw from Arcachon.
• Hotel La Maison de la Prade – Beautifully located hotel with swimming pool in Messanges.
• Hotel Emeraude des Bois – Small-scale hotel with tree house a stone's throw from Mimizan.

Conclusion

The south of France is an extremely popular holiday destination for Dutch and Belgians. Fortunately, there is still plenty to discover in the Bordeaux region on the French Atlantic coast. Those who are willing to go off the beaten track can still find many unique places here and gain new experiences. The area is suitable for singles and couples as well as complete families. You come to this area for the beautiful beaches and nature. There are more and more activities and opportunities to do this in a sustainable way and that gives this region extra appeal.

Do you want to discover the real France? Then visit the Atlantic coast of southern France and visit the places we have mapped out for you here. Have fun traveling!

P.S. This trip was made possible by:

• Lieb Management PR
• Landes Attractivite
• Arcachon bay
• Tourism Médoc Atlantique
• Tourism Landes Atlantique Sud
• Tourism de Mimizan
• CRT Nouvelle Aquitaine