Are you planning to visit the Cap Ferret peninsula during your stay on the Bassin d’Arcachon? By car, boat, bike, on foot or… swimming, there are a thousand ways to get from one end of the basin to the other. Here’s everything you need to know to get from Arcachon to Cap Ferret as you please!
Sea shuttle: how to get from Arcachon to Cap Ferret?
By car, boat, bike, on foot or… swimming, there are many ways to get from Arcachon to Cap Ferret on your next camping vacation on the Bay of Arcachon. So which means of transport should you choose? We’ll give you some hints!
By car, it takes around 1 h 30 (without traffic jams) to cover the 75 kilometers between Arcachon and Le Cap Ferret, at the end of the Arcachon Basin peninsula. By bike, plan a long ride of 3 h 30, passing through Gujan-Mestras, Biganos, Audenge, Lanton, Andernos-les Bains and Arès, before descending to the villages of Le Canon, L’Herbe and Le Cap Ferret. It’s an easy 12-hour walk!
As for the more athletically inclined, they can try their hand at swimming across the basin! Three kilometers from Moulleau beach (Arcachon) to Bélisaire jetty (Cap Ferret). That’s the sporting challenge of the TransOstrea! It couldn’t be easier…
So the vast majority of holidaymakers prefer a smoother, more relaxing and above all faster means of transport: the boat! Journey time: 30 minutes. Another advantage? You’ll have the chance to sail close to Ile aux Oiseaux, the cabanes tchanquées and the Banc d’Arguin! What better way to combine business with pleasure?
Sea shuttle or cab boat?
You’ve decided to reach Arcachon and Cap Ferret by boat. Now all you have to do is choose your boat: shuttle or taxi-boat with a ferryman?
Widely used in the basin, speedboats provide a passenger transport service between Arcachon and Cap Ferret. Since 1954, the Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais (UBA) has offered regular connections, as well as guided cruises and excursions on the basin.
If you’re planning to explore the Bassin d’Arcachon by bike, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s possible to bring your two-wheeler on board! And if you’re traveling with your pet, you’ll be happy to know that dogs are accepted by the ship’s captain!
A trendy but more expensive means of transport, the water cab is an interesting alternative if you’re in a hurry. It allows you to reach your destination in record time, in just a few minutes. You can also rent a private boat (with or without a skipper), a sailboat, a catamaran or a pinasse– provided, of course, you know how to handle the currents!
Arcachon > Cap Ferret ferry connections: Departure times and frequency of crossings
- Start: Thiers pier, Arcachon
- Arrival: Bélisaire jetty, Cap Ferret
- Crossing time: 30 min
- Frequency: Return trips every hour from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. in high season, every 2 hours in mid-season and 5 times a day the rest of the year. (Between 4 and 12 shuttles per day, depending on the season).
- Ker Helen’s tip: plan to arrive as early as possible in high season and during school vacations (less crowds and more birds on the pond!).
Maritime shuttle fares (one-way)
- Daytime shuttles (7 am – 7:30 pm): €7 / adult, €5 / child (4 to 12 years), €2.50 / child under 4, bicycle supplement: €5.50, free for dogs.
- Night shuttles (8 pm – 11 pm): €9 / adult, €8 / child (4 to 12), €3 / child under 4, bicycle supplement: €5.50, free for dogs.
- + More info: www.bateliers-arcachon.com