Getting to Cap Ferret
The entire Bassin d’Arcachon region is served by Bordeaux Mérignac airport.
Flights from Brussels to Bordeaux are fast (1h30) and relatively inexpensive. If you book early, you can find a return ticket for less than €100, especially with flexible dates.
➜ Lille – Bordeaux flights can be a very interesting alternative.
In our case, ticket cost from Lille: €71 instead of €115, with a return flight at 6:40pm on Sunday instead of 1:35pm.
Once you’re there, and provided you avoid the Bordeaux area at the start of the weekend, you can reach Cap Ferret in 1 hour. It is also possible to do this by bus, but this doubles the journey time.
Finding accommodation
When it comes to accommodation, there’s no shortage of choice around the Bay of Arcachon. Depending on your wishes and budget, you can stay in a hotel, B&B, rental house or campsite. A number of websites list the various accommodation options available, including that of theLège Cap Ferret Tourist Office.
When it comes to finding a house to spend a weekend with friends in September, you’ve got to hang on! Firstly, by limiting your search to the tip of Cap Ferret, so that you can do everything on foot, you inevitably limit the number of accommodation offers. Secondly, at this time of year, many rentals still impose a minimum number of nights on site (often 4, or even 5 or 7). If you add 18 beds and a swimming pool to your search criteria, all within a reasonable budget, it becomes almost mission impossible…
When I find this house, I start the dance of joy and don’t hesitate for a second before reserving it. And it was a cold shower when the owner contacted me at the end of June to cancel the rental! With two months to go, there’s obviously not a house left that’s big enough to accommodate us. I’m thinking of renting 2 houses, but the constraints mentioned above don’t make it any easier. Come to think of it, I’m afraid the group will be split up by distance (the peninsula isn’t big, but hey…). In mid-July, I launch plan B: rent a house that sleeps 14 and book 2 rooms at the nearby La Frégate hotel. A solution I’ve never regretted, as I’ll tell you here.
On-site activities
The activities on offer in Cap Ferret, and more widely around the Bassin d’Arcachon, are as numerous as they are varied: cycling, horse-riding, accrobranche, golf, walks or boat trips, surfing, kite surfing, kayaking, paddle, and the list goes on…
I made all the contacts necessary to organize a paragliding flight from the Dune du Pilat, but the logistics involved in the river shuttle transfers and the unpredictable flight times made me change my mind.
Without a car on site renting a bike is a quick and easy way to get around. But beware of the sandy paths on the 44-hectare side… Especially at the end of the evening, they can turn out to be more treacherous than expected!
Privatizing a catamaran for a sunset on the Bassin is an experience to be savored. And the fact that you can bring your own drinks and snacks on board reduces the cost of this unaffordable but unforgettable aperitif.
Good addresses
For an indulgent breakfast
La P’tite Boulangerie du Ferret near the market square
To experience the market like the locals
Le Bistro De Peyo, where you can sit back, enjoy tapas and watch people stroll through the market.
For a typical tasting of local products
La Cabane du Mimbeau and its beautiful terrace with its feet in the water
Note that all the cabanes around the Bassin offer the same menu: a selection of oysters, whelks, shrimps and pâté de campagne, accompanied by white wine
To end the evening with a lively rhythm
Le Quarante Quatre and its excellent cocktails
Recommended but not tested places: Sun and Sail Fish
Budget
Individual budget for a 3-day weekend from Lille
Airline tickets > 71€
Return transfer by cab van > 37,5€
Housing > 206€
On-site shopping (supermarket and bakery) > 38€
24h bike rental > 18€
Tasting at the Cabane du Mimbeau > 22€
Tapas at Peyo’s Bistro > 10€
Bottles of Gin au Quarante-Quatre > 50€ (far underestimated when planning…)
Catamaran outing > 1100€ for 3 hours of sailing skipper and fuel included
Initially planned but not tested…
Paragliding > from 60€ to 110€/person for 10 to 20min flight
Access to the top of the lighthouse > 7€
➜ Discover here the story of this weekend in Cap Ferret: “Cap Ferret: tale of a memorable weekend with friends“.
