Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Climbing The Tallest Sand Dune In Europe: Dune Du Pilat, Arcachon Bay


Just an hour's drive outside of Bordeaux is the Dune du Pilat - Europe's tallest sand dune.

Random? Perhaps. Amazing? Totally.

When we arrived to Bordeaux city center, the sunny skies we'd previously enjoyed at Les Sources de Caudalie had turned grey and stormy. Half of the restaurants and shops were closed, which, to my Angloyankophile sentiments, seemed arbitrary for a Tuesday afternoon.

By the time the sun began to appear above the clouds, we'd spent hours traipsing around deserted streets, clearly in the "wrong" part of town (having wanted to get off the beaten path a bit). I was both tired and grumpy.

"Let's drive to Arcachon and make the most of the weather," John suggested, and I readily complied, knowing that a trip to the seaside would lift my spirits.

And - oh my goodness. It was fantastic.


The climb up the dune is steep: most people took the stairs (including me) but John insisted on scrambling up the sides (because he's sporty and over-enthusiastic that way).

At the top, we were met with a breathtaking view of the forest to our left, the sand encroaching on path of the trees. To our right was an equally, if not more, spectacular view of Arcachon Bay: all turquoise water, blue skies, and white sand.




Despite the wind whipping at our ankles and necks, we unlaced our shoes and trekked across the dune barefoot, nearly all 2.7 km of it. It wasn't overly crowded when we went, though most visitors stuck to the area near the steps, sharing picnic lunches and enjoying the views on either side of the dune.

Paragliders sailed past, their colorful canopies weaving a brilliant trail against the backdrop of the sand and the sea. 

I chased John as he ran down to the water, smiling at the families who held hands and roared with laughter as they made their way down too. We inspected each jellyfish that had washed onto shore, with John saying, "Take a picture of this one! No, this one! Oh my gosh, that one looks like a skull! Crazy!"


The climb back up was hard. Every time I looked up, the people standing above me near the stairs looked like tiny ants. I felt like I'd barely moved. So, I stopped looking up. I focused on keeping my head down, stepping into footprints left by their previous owners. Every so often, I'd rest, looking back and marvelling at my progress (John was far ahead of me, of course).

Finally, we made it to the top again, before heading back down to the car - John as sprightly and energetic as ever, and me wanting to die slightly.

But I don't think I'll ever forget that view or the feelings and emotions I felt surveying the vista of the bay before me: it was one of the most magical sights I'd ever seen.

Have you been to Arcachon or Dune du Pilat? What did you think?
SHARE:

22 comments

  1. Sand dunes always remind me of family seaside holidays to Wales. We'd run down massive sand dunes and I'll always remember the exhilarating feeling of the sea wind whipping through my hair as we raced to the sea.

    I loved the view from the dunes at Cambers Sands but these look amazing! So unusual to see the sand meet trees that aren't palm trees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to get myself to Cambers Sands, Laura - thanks for the recommendation! And I agree: I'm used to seeing sand and palm trees together, so I was a little confounded when I saw the forest from the top!

      Delete
  2. The view from the top of the sand dune is breathtaking! Sounds like it was well worth the puff :) What an awesome sight to be able to visit and enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I puffed alright! It's a fantastic site to enjoy, as you say. A lot of people took picnics and kites up ... I think I'd visit often if I lived nearby! Sunset is supposed to magical up there too. Kind of wished we had stayed long enough for that, but it was getting busier by the time we left and I hadn't brought any water with me, so we were ultra thirsty!

      Delete
  3. So beautiful! The contrasts in nature look amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that's what took my breath away! The sun, the sky, the clouds, the trees, the sand! It was a little overwhelming at first - it took me a while to take it all in, and I'm not sure I ever did really comprehend it even after our long hike!

      Delete
  4. Random is definitely the word - but also how stunning!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! Beautiful, sweeping views of the Bay - loved seeing the shadows of the clouds passing over the sand.

      Delete
  5. You've captured it beautifully, lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Breathtaking views. What an incredible experience!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to go back and spend more time there - the view was just too gorgeous to take in all at once!

      Delete
  7. I used to go there almost every summer when I was little (and then with my uni friends when I was living in Bordeaux!). Brings back lots of happy memories. :)

    Did you know that the dune is moving landward, towards the forest? I think it's moving between 3m and 4m per year. SCARY. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No way! You must have had so much fun and so many amazing memories, Charlotte! Yes - John was commenting on that whilst we were there. You can see the sand starting to wipe out the front-lines of the forest ... it *is* really scary. I was reading on Wikipedia about how much the sand has moved inland since it was first discovered. Crazy! x

      Delete
  8. What a beautiful place! The view from the dunes down to the forest looks amazing, and then the sweeping views of the bay! Such a juxtaposition and how fun! To be honest the dunes looked like a huge wave :) I'd absolutely love to go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a really spectacular sight to see, Nano, and you've hit the nail on the head re: the juxtaposition! As someone else said, it feels momentarily confusing to see so much sand meeting that forest rather than palm trees! I agree about the dunes looking like waves (they were SO hard to walk up after a certain point - a great workout!). I love that it's free to visitors too!

      Delete
  9. What a beautiful place! It sounded like you each got something beautiful out of your day, although different pleasures. Would people go swimming there too, in the Summer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Bianca! It is really gorgeous up there - the sea, the sun, the clouds, the sand! I'm sure people would go swimming there in the summer - the water was quite cold when we went, but it looks perfect for a bit of a swim once it gets hot! I'd love to go back in the summer (though it'll be much more crowded then) to see what it's like in comparison. It was very windy at the top when we went!

      Delete
  10. I always love the sight of the sea, and this looks especially magnificent. And loads of fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, Jessi! I wish I had more guts to have rolled/slid down the dune - it looked like so much fun! But I had my camera with me blah blah blah and didn't want to break anything. Next time.

      Delete
  11. This sand dune looks awesome!! There's a huge sand dune near when I used to live in Australia and I used to love sliding down it. One time in the winter it had built up and was super tall, and I'll never forget my ex boyfriend driving down it - it was almost vertical and the most terrifying thing EVER! I shrieked the whole way down!

    C x | Lux Life

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so lucky to have something like that in your hometown, Catherine! But OMG, I would be screaming too if someone drove down it!!! x

      Delete

© angloyankophile

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services - Click here for information.

Blogger Template Created by pipdig