DUNE DU PILAT ARCACHON Only 50 km from Bordeaux, the Arcachon Bay area is the ocean-side resort area for the sixth largest city in France. It is also just four hours by TGV from Paris. The arrival of the railway about 1850 allowed the resort to develop. It slowly expanded to encircle the bay and extend along the coastline.  The many fine and luxurious residences attest to the fact that the area attracted a moneyed class. The vacation residences have frequently been given picturesque names to reflect their owner’s interests, something like boats. The designs are often quite elaborate and occasionally resemble fairy tale castles. The city boasts a wide range of accommodation with the public beach never far away.  We saw a sculpture display located on the beach front. La Dune du Pilat is located about ten kilometres south of Arcachon. The actual dune is almost three km long, 500 metres deep and  over 100 metres high, roughly a 30-story building! An estimated 60 million tons of sand. With the ocean to one side and a vast forest expanse on the other the view from the top is unforgettable. The dune is slowly moving inland, overtaking the  forest. Facing the dune is a resort area known as Cap Ferret, built on a sand spit that is attempting to close the entrance to the Bassin d’Arcachon, mouth of the Eyre River. Côte Vermeille Les orgues Arcachon Bordeaux Boats & stuff Rocamadour Selected images Toulouse Home TechInfo St-Cyprien