This month, we take you on a stroll through Arcachon’s fishing and yachting harbor, then to the Aiguillon district , where barges laden with bags of oysters and fishing boats filled with fish cross the path of yachtsmen sailing on the Bassin.
Discover artisanal fishing
The fishing port of Arcachon is home to some thirty trawlers and gillnetters that fish inside the Arcachon basin or in the Bay of Biscay, off the Gironde and Charente coasts . France’s fourth-largest producer of sole, Arcachon’s fishing port lands some 2,200 tonnes of fish a year. The Halle du Port is a feast for the eyes and nostrils: sea bass, sea bream, cuttlefish, squid, mackerel, cephalopods, turbot… For early risers, a guided tour of the fish auction begins at 6:30 a.m., where fish are deposited, washed, sorted and weighed before being sold by auction. A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the local fishing industry and the daily lives of those who work in it.
DID YOU KNOW? The “passes d’Arcachon” are said to be the most dangerous in France. At the entrance to the basin, the passes are narrow channels which, like sandbanks, are constantly moving from the tip of Cap Ferret towards the Pilat Dune. Waves and currents often make navigation tricky. In winter, when swells are high, it is sometimes impossible to pass through these famous passes between the ocean and the Basin. Fishing boats are then forced to unload their fish in the nearby ports of Saint-Jean-de-Luz or Hendaye, Royan or La Rochelle.
The marina
Sheltered from swell and offshore winds, Arcachon harbor is the second largest yachting harbor on the Atlantic coast, behind La Rochelle. In an exceptional setting, it offers yachtsmen 2,700 moorings on pontoons. It is the only deep-water harbor in the Basin capable of accommodating deep-draft vessels. All year round, the port is the scene of numerous nautical events, such as the 18 Hours ofArcachon, the Tour de France à la Voile, the Figaro race and the Fête de la Mer. For the curious and lovers of old boats, the “Quai du Patrimoine” houses a fine collection of traditional Bassin boats: pinasses, sailing ferries, one-designs, rowboats and other hundred-year-old rigs, some of which are listed as Historic Monuments.
The Aiguillon district
Just a stone’s throw from the marina, take a stroll to the Aiguillon district on the border with La Teste-de-Buch. This former fishermen’s quarter is one of the most picturesque and photographed spots on the Bassin. The colorful huts with their red-tiled roofs give the place a real charm. There are also plenty of nice little bars and restaurants. If you love oysters, you’ll want to stop off at the Cabane de l’Aiguillon, at the end of boulevard Pierre Loti. At the entrance to the port, at the end of the jetty, the Croix des Marins pays moving tribute to those lost at sea. Depending on where you look from, the monument takes the form of a cross or a naval anchor. A monumental work of art by Arcachon sculptor Claude Bouscau (1909-1985).
photo@ Julita, pixabay