Autumn is the best time to visit Ile aux Oiseaux and discover the two famous Cabanes Tchanquées. We tell you everything!
Just a few minutes by boat from the campsite: Ile aux Oiseaux and Cabanes Tchanquées
Right in the heart of the Bay of Arcachon in Gironde, Ile aux Oiseaux is a small wild paradise of just 3 km2, still preserved from mass tourism, where thousands of birds have found refuge. Just a stone’s throw away, you’ll discover the two “tchanquées” cabins with their red and white shutters. These two wooden houses, built on stilts, have become one of the emblems of the Bay of Arcachon.
How do I get to Bird Island?
Île aux Oiseaux is located on the public maritime domain and is therefore freely accessible. Access is therefore unrestricted.
All year round, the Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais (UBA) offers excursions and guided tours of Ile aux Oiseaux by boat. There are several possible departure points: the Thiers jetty (Arcachon) and Bélisaire (Cap Ferret).
You can also hire a boat with a skipper for a family tour of Ile aux Oiseaux, from the Port de la Vigne (Cap Ferret) or the Andernos jetty.
As for the more adventurous, sea kayaking is the best way to get as close as possible to the cabanes tchanquées!
In search of the rare bird
Île aux Oiseaux covers some 300 hectares at high tide and over 1,000 hectares when the sea recedes. This little wild paradise of peace and quiet, still untouched by mass tourism, is home to an incredibly rich bird sanctuary. Nearly 150 species are observed here every year, including the Barnacle goose, short-eared owl and little egret, as well as rarer birds such as the great gravelot. In all, there are between 300,000 and 400,000 resting or wintering birds.
The “cabanes tchanquées” on Île aux Oiseaux
Built in the 19th century, the two cabins perched on the water have become one of the Bassin’s postcards, along with the Dune du Pilat and the Banc d’Arguin. Only accessible by boat, they also intrigue many visitors. Who lives in these “cabanes tchanquées”? What’s their story?
Many people don’t know it, but Ile aux Oiseaux is home to no fewer than fifty huts! Originally, they served as shelters for oyster farmers and the guards charged with overseeing the oyster beds.
The first hut on stilts on Île aux Oiseaux was built by oyster farmer Martin Pivert in 1883. A violent storm swept away the shack in 1943. All that remains today are the wooden pillars, visible at low tide.
In 1945, Monsieur Landry, a carpenter from Arcachon, built a new hut based on the same model. This is the cabane tchanquée with its red shutters that can be seen today.
Three years later, Julien Longau, a building contractor from La Teste-de-Buch, obtained permission to build his own cabin on stilts. It’s the cabane tchanquée with white shutters, the one every holidaymaker dreams of living in!
Unfortunately, the two cabins are not open to visitors, as they are privately owned. Of the fifty or so cabins, some are occupied all year round, others only during the vacations. Comfort is spartan, but the view over the Bassin makes you forget all about it! To rent a wooden cabin, you need a temporary occupation permit (AOT), valid for 7 years and renewable. No mean feat, given the number of applicants!
3 experiences on Bird Island
– Take the Tour de l’île aux Oiseaux by boat: a guided tour of the famous cabanes sur pilotis, the oyster beds, the fishing villages of the Cap Ferret peninsula, the seafront and the villas of Arcachon.
– Board a pinasse or barge, moor on the island and lose yourself in the channels and esteys.
– Take a photo of the two cabanes tchanquées at low tide, when there’s no one around.
photo : © Karine Deydier