Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I love the Arcachon Bay

Shacks on stilts in the Arcachon Bay
A symbol for the Arcachon Bay. Photo from Wikipedia

Sorry to be so uncool, so not blasé at all. Very sorry, but how can you remain cool in front of a magical place like this? And worse, how do you describe it to somebody who has never been there? How do you explain the saltiness of the air, the wind, the sun that reflects in the water, the ever-changing landscape that moves with the tides?

The shacks on stilts - cabanes tchanquées in French - have become a symbol for the Arcachon Bay. They were used as a view point to guard the oyster fields.

Entrance of Arcachon Bay seen from above
The entrance to the Arcachon Bay. Photo Wikipedia

The Arcachon Bay is situated along the Atlantic coast, almost at the same height as Bordeaux. It is a big bay where a tongue of land lays as a protective arm  around the small entrance. The water in the bay is thus protected and a bit warmer than the sea water, making it a great nursery for baby oysters. Its production covers 70 percent of the European oysters.

Map of Arcachon Bay
Map of the Arcachon Bay. Photo Wikipedia.

Here you can explore the city of Arcachon, all the fishermen villages around the bay, the sand dune Pyla, the amusement parcs for children, the bird protection area in Teich and of course eat all the seafood you want!

1 comment:

  1. I will be visiting Arcachon later this year, to teach in one of the schools. It's so nice to know that it's so beautiful!

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