{"id":2984,"date":"2026-02-10T12:11:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T11:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/a-day-in-ares-under-the-sun-of-the-arcachon-basin\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T13:00:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T12:00:55","slug":"a-day-in-ares-under-the-sun-of-the-arcachon-basin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/a-day-in-ares-under-the-sun-of-the-arcachon-basin\/","title":{"rendered":"A day in Ar\u00e8s under the sun of the Arcachon Basin!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Situated between L\u00e8ge-Cap-Ferret<\/a> and Andernos-les-Bains<\/a>, 30 km from the campsite, Ar\u00e8s is a charming village on the edge of the Arcachon Basin, renowned for its oyster port and colorful huts, its remarkable natural areas and its UFO landing strip!<\/p>\n\n

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\"V\u00e9los<\/figure>\n\n

Stroll through the oyster port of Ar\u00e8s<\/h2>\n\n

For many holidaymakers, the small oyster-farming port of Ar\u00e8s is a must-see when camping in the Arcachon basin. The picturesque white huts with their yellow, blue and green roofs are sure to brighten up the landscape. This is the perfect opportunity to indulge in an oyster tasting<\/a> experience that’s hard to resist. The more inquisitive can choose to follow an oyster farmer around his rearing beds, or go fishing on foot around the Statue de la Femme Oc\u00e9ane. In July and August, a dozen artists take up summer residence every Thursday evening in the port of Ar\u00e8s, inviting holidaymakers and locals alike to enjoy an artistic stroll in the colors of the Arcachon Basin. At the end of the day, head for the Ar\u00e8s jetty, the oldest jetty in the basin, built in the 18th century, to admire a magnificent sunset over the Arcachon basin! <\/p>\n\n

Discover the (unusual) heritage of Ar\u00e8s<\/h2>\n\n

Start your visit with a stroll along the Avenue de la Plage, at the end of which stands the Tour d’Ar\u00e8s. This ancient watchtower crowned with battlements was originally a windmill built in 1840. Right next door, you’ll discover the Ovniport d’Ar\u00e8s and its flying saucer<\/a>, France’s first UFO landing strip. Inaugurated on August 15, 1976, this 3rd type airport is the work of an electronics engineer by the name of Robert Cotten. <\/p>\n\n

Continue your tour of discovery around the A\u00e9rium d’Ar\u00e8s on the beachfront. Built in 1913 by architects Charles Duval and Emmanuel Gonse, it was home to children suffering from tuberculosis until the 1970s. The dining room features magnificent frescoes by painter Henri Marret. <\/p>\n\n

Retracing your steps, make a detour to the St Vincent de Paul church, which boasts an impressive exotic shell (giant tridacne) serving as a holy water font.<\/p>\n\n

If you have the time, take the walk to the old station built on the “Ceinture des Landes” line that once linked the M\u00e9doc to the Landes. At the end of the 19th century, steam trains enabled less wealthy Bordeaux families to enjoy the beaches of the Arcachon Basin thanks to the “pleasure trains”, an inexpensive mode of transport that was very much in vogue at the time. <\/p>\n\n

Les Pr\u00e9s Sal\u00e9s d’Ar\u00e8s and the natural site of St Brice<\/h2>\n\n

Straddling the communes of Ar\u00e8s and L\u00e8ge-Cap Ferret, the Pr\u00e9s Sal\u00e9s Nature Reserve<\/a> extends over 200 hectares between sea and forest. It is one of the largest expanses of salt meadows in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. If you’re curious about nature, you’ll be able to observe some remarkable flora and fauna: black kites, grey herons, turtle doves, blue-winged gorges, European cistude turtles, green lizards… At low tide, a signposted path (6 kilometers) takes you through the reserve as far as Jane de Boy. In summer, the reserve takes on a savannah look, with its surprising orange hues. A change of scenery guaranteed!<\/p>\n\n

Between Ar\u00e8s and Andernos-les-Bains, the natural site of St Brice<\/a>, renowned for its sandy beach nestling between the Jetty and the Conche de St Brice, also offers a choice setting for a stroll in the heart of unspoilt nature. Not to be missed: the Pointe des Quinconces and its panoramic view of the Bay of Arcachon! <\/p>\n\n

Camping favourites<\/h2>\n\n
    \n
  • Attend the Ar\u00e8s Oyster Festival (August), one of the most popular in the Arcachon Basin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Stroll through the Ar\u00e8s market (Tuesday mornings) to sample local specialities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Stroll along the Ar\u00e8s beach to admire the elegant Arcachon-style villas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    Photo : \u00a9 J. Rouquette – OT Ares<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Situated between L\u00e8ge-Cap-Ferret and Andernos-les-Bains, 30 km from the campsite, Ar\u00e8s is a charming village on the edge of the Arcachon Basin, renowned for its oyster port and colorful huts, its remarkable natural areas and its UFO landing strip! Stroll through the oyster port of Ar\u00e8s For many holidaymakers, the small oyster-farming port of Ar\u00e8s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2984"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2986,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2984\/revisions\/2986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kerhelen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}