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Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Cap Ferret.
Cap Ferret
- Soak up the view of Arcachon Bay from a balcony at Philippe Starck’s new Villa Colette in the town square.
- Tackle Europe’s tallest sand dune, Dune du Pilat, which looms nearly 330 feet high over the Atlantic and dates back nearly 4,000 years.
- Slurp local oysters and sample seafood on the waterfront terrace of La Cabane du Mimbeau, run by an oyster-farming family.
- Sip a glass of wine at Le Bistrot de Peyo inside the Marché du Cap Ferret, and stock up on summer’s best strawberries and melon from market stand Chez Cocotte.
- Indulge in the house moules (mussels) at waterside Chez Hortense, where you’ll find a sweeping shot of the Dune du Pilat and bay.
Cradling Arcachon Bay’s oyster farms from the Atlantic’s whipping waves, Cap Ferret, a 15-mile-long sandy spit off southwest France, is often confused with a peninsula sporting a similar name in the French Riviera. While both Cap Ferret and Cap Ferrat have attracted architects and artists like Jean Cocteau, the comparison stops there. Shrouded with pencil-thin pine trees and sloping sand dunes (Europe’s tallest, Dune du Pilat, rises across the bay), Cap Ferret feels nearly as time-trapped today as it did in the 1950s, when wealthy Bordelais started summering in the peninsula’s 10 villages.
Cap Ferret is often called “the Hamptons of France,” but the moniker is one locals shy away from, instead likening it to more discreet destinations like Nantucket—a quieter, authentic kind of luxury. “Neither destination feels like a place designed to be seen; the landscape is the main attraction, whether it’s Cap Ferret’s pine forests and Atlantic dunes or Nantucket’s windswept beaches and shingled homes,” says Travel + Leisure A-List Travel Advisor and France specialist Mark Bonte of French Side Travel. “In both places, families return year after year, often for long stays, building their own rituals around the same homes, beaches, and local addresses—life is shaped less by tourism and more by a slower coastal rhythm.”
In the 19th century, cabanes à huîtres (oyster huts) were built along the beaches, and they’ve become as integral a part of Cap Ferret’s identity as its traditional wooden homes, a style designers embrace today at more modern “cabins” like Iconic House’s seven-room Le Cœur du Ferret, shielded by pines at the tip of the peninsula. “What makes Cap Ferret special is the lifestyle,” says Thibaud Elzière, co-founder of Iconic House—France’s first independent collection of private luxury home rentals—who has spent summers with his family here for more than 15 years. “The real luxury is being able to leave the car behind and explore the peninsula by bike, moving effortlessly between the basin and the ocean.”
I first visited Cap Ferret in the fall of 2020, sharing a typical wood-shuttered cottage with friends and just as many dogs. We’d wake up early to cycle to Chez Pascal for baguettes and their famous cream-filled dunes blanches pastries and linger over long lunches at oyster shacks along the water, slurping down dozens while sipping white Bordeaux wine. After more than a decade living in France, I hadn’t discovered a destination that seemed to have it all—and this is coming from a writer who called the South of France home for many years.
Before the trip ended, I was already plotting my next one—I hadn’t even gotten on a surfboard or cruised across the Bassin d’Arcachon in a traditional, flat-bottomed pinasse boat, emblematic of the bay since the 16th century. I quickly realized why Parisians were slipping away to Cap Ferret annually each summer. “I’ve been going to Cap Ferret for 61 years—I spent my childhood here,” says Thierry Teyssier, founder of Dar Ahlam in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and 700,000 Heures Impact, a regenerative hospitality project he brought to Cap Ferret during the pandemic. “The weather isn’t always kind, and the Ferret has a saying for it: ‘Ça va se lever avec la marée.’ It’ll clear up with the tide.”
It’s this more rugged spirit and laidback outlook that have made the locale one the French want to keep secret—and avoid the throngs of tourists who parade through destinations like the French Riviera in the summer months. A quick train ride from Paris or an hour’s drive from Bordeaux, here’s how to plan a trip to Cap Ferret—plus tips on the best things to do and see from local experts.
Best Hotels & Resorts
Domaine du Ferret
“Cap Ferret is less about traditional hotels and more about a private, residential feel—most visitors opt for villa rentals to fully embrace the peninsula’s relaxed, home-away-from-home atmosphere,” explains Bonte. “For those looking for a hotel stay, Domaine du Ferret remains a strong reference in the area, offering a peaceful setting immersed in nature.” Domaine du Ferret’s collection of lodges is a stylish take on the bay’s fishermen’s huts. Cabins open to terraces overlooking the surrounding pines and exude a Wes Anderson summer camp vibe, with touches of industrial-style metal punctuating the wooden facades. While there’s a pool in the center of the village-like property, the beaches are a quick stroll or bike ride away.
Villa Colette
“An essential part of any trip to Cap Ferret is choosing where to stay, and my recommendation is the recently opened Villa Colette, the only five-star property on the peninsula,” says T+L A-List Advisor Philip Haslett of French Promise, who stayed recently at the hotel and loved the relaxed atmosphere and unmistakable Philippe Starck touch. For his third foray in the area, Starck channeled Arcachon’s neo-19th-century architecture at a 28-room property primely positioned in the town square to face the bay. Book one of the pastel-hued suites, which feature balconies perched over the pines and terraces opening to private gardens. Hop on one of the hotel’s eclectic bikes, and you’ll be by the Atlantic in less than five minutes. You’ll want to make your way back to the villa’s sun-drenched terrace (Starck’s partner on the project is restaurateur and hotelier Laurent Taïeb) in time for afternoon goûter, a selection of sweet and salty treats ranging from Nutella-drizzled crêpes to egg-topped croque madame sandwiches.
Hôtel des Dunes
The 13-room Hôtel des Dunes dates back to the 1960s and was Cap Ferret’s first. The pared-back look mimics the peninsula’s iconic oyster cabanes, adding a California surf shack vibe fitting for its beachside locale. Rooms, clad in sunflower yellow and seafoam blue tiles, wicker furniture, and retro phones, feel like a modernist coastal motel—part of a stylish revival that embraces the peninsula’s Hamptons reputation while adding a few signature touches like custom-crafted Hôtel des Dunes surfboards, beckoning visitors to get out on the waves.
La Maison du Bassin
With rich wood walls, vintage furniture, and plush rugs, La Maison du Bassin is like stepping into a sailor’s spruced-up home (the nautical theme extends to the selection of paintings hanging above the beds). One of the newest rooms, Tchanquée, extends to a furnished outdoor terrace, which gives it a private cabin vibe. A quick jaunt from the lighthouse, the hotel and its restaurant have long been favorites with repeat visitors and locals alike—especially for long lunches on the sunny veranda.
Hôtel de la Plage
In the village of L’Herbe, 12-room boutique hotel Hôtel de la Plage is a converted old dormitory and canteen dating back to 1860. The eatery is still a draw today (the owners are restaurateurs in Bordeaux), offering a smattering of specialties from southwest France, as well as plush pairings like local oysters with lemon cream and caviar.
Best Things to Do
Cruise in a pinasse to the Dune du Pilat.
“One of the best ways to discover the Bassin d’Arcachon is aboard a traditional local boat known as a pinasse, a shallow draft yet elegant vessel that is perfectly suited to exploring the basin, its islands, and the breathtaking Dune du Pilat,” says Haslett. “Enjoying a picnic on board while admiring this remarkable natural spectacle is a truly memorable experience.” When you reach Europe’s tallest sand dune— an impressive 330 feet high—you’ll instantly see why it’s as defining to this part of France as Mont Ventoux is to Provence. A staircase leads to the top, or you can tackle the powdery sand following your own rhythm up Dune du Pilat.
Visit the village of L’Herbe.
L’Herbe is “one of the most charming corners of the peninsula, with colorful oyster farmers’ cottages, quiet lanes, and a timeless atmosphere that feels unchanged by tourism,” says Bonte of the village, where oyster shacks extending over the beach serve the freshly shucked specialty (Le Kykouyou is a standout). “It’s the perfect place to slow down and experience the authentic rhythm of life on the Bassin d’Arcachon.”
Cycle the peninsula.
“The best way to explore the area is by bicycle, with numerous cycling paths winding through the pine forests that provide cool shade throughout the year,” says Haslett, adding e-bikes make the peddling less tiring. “The villages of L’Herbe and Le Canon are easy to reach and offer charming restaurants and, you guessed it, more oysters!”
Climb the lighthouse.
“If there’s one landmark visitors shouldn’t miss, it’s the Cap Ferret lighthouse,” recommends Bonte. “Climbing the 258 steps rewards you with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Bassin d’Arcachon, and the Dune du Pilat—it offers the best perspective for understanding just how unique this landscape really is.” From the top, the view extends across the bay’s oyster beds and signature duo of stilted huts, the Cabanes Tchanquées, which you can cruise around by boat at high tide.
Stroll the market and shops.
In the summer months, the Marché du Cap Ferret is open daily, with wine stands and produce vendors inside the covered hall (Chez Cocotte is a must-visit) and stalls outside sporting jewelry and clothing. Stop for tapas and a glass of wine at Le Bistrot de Peyo inside the market and then beeline to Chez Alice, a combination wine shop, bookstore, and gourmet grocer to snag snacks and a bottle to sip on top of the dunes at sunset. If you plan to market hop around the cape, you’ll find others taking place almost daily in the summer months in the villages of Lège, Claouey, and Piraillan.
Best Restaurants
Chez Hortense
“Chez Hortense is a local institution that perfectly reflects the peninsula’s relaxed yet refined character,” says Bonte of the beachside, generations-old restaurant. Tables spill out onto a shaded terrace overlooking the money shot: the Dune du Pilat. Order the mussels—a house special crafted from a family recipe—and if you can’t snag a reservation, head to laid-back sister spot La Cabane d’Hortense for oysters at tables scattered along the sand.
La Mayzou
Reserve dinner at Juliette Lacroix-Wasover’s La Mayzou, where the chef has “created a wonderful place combining food, objects, and ceramics,” says Elzière, and playful, globally inspired small plates nod to her travels. The menu shifts daily depending on nearby suppliers, which includes homemade noodles blended with clams from villages like L’Herbe and local oysters topped with fresh ginger and trout eggs.
La Cabane du Mimbeau
In an area devoted to oyster farming, it’s hard to play favorites with the no-frills waterfront stands, but La Cabane du Mimbeau and its picturesque wooden terrace are a local go-to. “Skip the fashionable party restaurants,” advises Teyssier. “The best thing is to eat oysters at La Cabane du Mimbeau, on a kind of lagoon at high tide—raw, simple, exactly the point.”
Sail Fish Café
Cap Ferret is not a destination travelers come to for partying—that’s a role better filled by the French Riviera. But at Sail Fish, the restaurant turns into a dance floor later in the evenings (think disco balls, DJs, and dancing on tables). For a more low-key, guinguette (open-air café) vibe, newer sister spot Sail Fish Café in the nearby village and nature reserve of Piraillan is a local’s choice for lunch or sunset dinner. “My kids worked at the Sail Fish when they were younger, and that’s definitely the place to go for partying in Cap Ferret,” says Teyssier, “but the café, right on a working fishing port, is my preferred spot these days.”
Chez Boulan
An understated waterfront setting combined with a carefully curated selection of oysters has turned Chez Boulan into one of Cap Ferret’s top picks for quality cuisine minus the fuss. “One of the defining features of this small spit of land is its oyster farming heritage—you can wander from shack to shack, sampling oysters, prawns, and whelks, all washed down with delicious local dry white wines,” says Haslett. “One of the most famous spots is Cabane d’Hortense, but Chez Boulan, next door, is also excellent and perhaps a little less busy.” Parasols shield tables overlooking the Dune du Pilat in a garden-like scene that sets itself apart from the cape’s toes-in-the-sand seafood locales. The menu is simple—sharing plates like Basque pâté with piment d’Espelette and whelks with mayonnaise—but you’re really here for the local oysters served in a trio of sizes.
Best Time to Visit
Similar to the South of France, Cap Ferret is at its peak in summer. Locals prefer shoulder season, in spring or fall, after the summertime chaos dies down. I often visit in the fall, when it’s on the quieter side but not too chilly to sit outside by the water at one of the oyster cabanes. “My favorite time of the year is September—there’s no one left and the produce at the market is superb,” says Teyssier. In winter, many places are shut, but there’s an upside to visiting during this time: you’ll have beaches and dunes practically to yourself.
How to Get There
If you’re flying, Bordeaux is the closest airport, less than an hour’s drive from Cap Ferret by car, taxi, or ride-share like Uber, which costs around $92. If you’re traveling from Paris, the high-speed TGV INOUI train to Bordeaux Saint-Jean is a little over two hours, with one-way tickets starting at around $54 (the slightly longer, low-cost OUIGO Grande Vitesse is around three hours, and one-way tickets start at $29). You can also take a direct TGV INOUI to Arcachon, which takes a little over three hours and starts around $67 for a one-way trip.
How to Get Around
Once you arrive in Cap Ferret, you’ll quickly trade your car keys for two wheels—and bike rental shops are scattered around the peninsula’s villages. Most hotels also offer loaner bikes or are within walking distance of restaurants and beaches. Boat shuttles run across the bay from Arcachon to Cap Ferret and take around 30 minutes (a one-way adult ticket is around $12). In Arcachon, it’s also easy to explore on foot, by bike, or by using a ride-share app like Uber.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
