Discover the Cap-Ferret peninsula
For your information: first of all, you have the tourist office in Claouey , the village before Les Jacquets. You will also find a Super U there with a fuel station and bike rental. Nearby, "au lieu dit le Four", a golf course, a treetop adventure course and many other attractions, The restaurant "Red Store", in the old chapel of Les Jacquets .
At the entrance to the peninsula you can visit the Cabane du résinier, located on the edge of the nature reserve of the salt meadows which offers you beautiful walks, with or without a guide , which remains at your choice. Come and discover the profession of Gemmeur called résinier or résinaïre in Occitan, the Captermer association... In Petit Piquey, in terms of culture, you will find everything you need at the media library and all the shops: pharmacy, butcher, grocery store... Nearby , Le Domaine de Certes, La dune du Pilat, the cabanes tchanquées , etc.
At the entrance to the peninsula you can visit the Cabane du résinier, located on the edge of the nature reserve of the salt meadows which offers you beautiful walks, with or without a guide , which remains at your choice. Come and discover the profession of Gemmeur called résinier or résinaïre in Occitan, the Captermer association... In Petit Piquey, in terms of culture, you will find everything you need at the media library and all the shops: pharmacy, butcher, grocery store... Nearby , Le Domaine de Certes, La dune du Pilat, the cabanes tchanquées , etc.
DISCOVERY GUIDE
Where to get supplies?
The closest is the small casino at the entrance to the village of Jacquets . The Super U store in Claouey, a LIDL and a Leclerc in Ares on the road to Bordeaux and an organic grocery store in Andernos. On Sunday afternoons, there is generally only one grocery store open in Grand-Piquey, then at Pascal's baker (direction Cap-Ferret). The markets in Andernos, Ares, Piraillan and Cap-Ferret are open seasonally. The Andernos market is open all year round on Friday mornings, the Ares market on Tuesday mornings. Claouey and Piraillan every day from June to October and finally Cap-Ferret every day in the summer and for major festivals.
Where to find the best baker?
- The closest one is just behind the Claouey market, its bread is good and the quality/price ratio is also good, a safe bet.
- In Petit-Piquey, "Saint-Paulin" makes organic bread using only ancient grain flours and ancestral baking methods. It's of high quality and the price reflects this.
- In Grand-Piquey, there are two must-sees (Eden-Gourmand), best known for its pastries, and Pascal, renowned for its breads and its white dunes specialty.
- Also, some of the bread at Petit Casino and Super U is quite decent.
To treat yourself, some restaurants
You will be spoiled for choice:
- In Claouey: The Relais du Cap undoubtedly offers the best value for money. The one across the street, the home port, offers cuisine that's a cut above.
- In Arès: the Basque restaurant Makhila.
- At Cap Ferret: We particularly recommend Hortense's homemade mussels, which, although offered as a starter, are quite hearty enough to be a main course if accompanied by their fries cooked in duck fat, a treat. Reservations required.
At Cap Ferret: For a meal or a crepe and a coffee by the beach, L'Escale, which offers the great advantage of being open all year round. It serves seafood platters at any time of day.
Right next to L'Escale, Le Pinasse-Café, a notch above, satisfaction guaranteed.
Also at Cap Ferret, Le Bouchon, in the fishing district and Le Mascaret opposite the lighthouse entrance. - At Jacquets: In the fishing district, at the end of our cul-de-sac, several oyster farmers offer oyster tastings by the water in a charming summer setting. La Conche, Le Bout du Monde. Among other choices, Castaing à l'herbe.
Recreational activities
- If you want to leave the car behind and go for a bike ride , you can rent one in several places, the closest being behind the gas station opposite the Super U ( veloloc33.com ). You can use the cycle paths to reach Grand Crohot and Crohot Noir (unsupervised beach) or Truc Vert (supervised beach) and others towards Cap Ferret.
- For swimming: Les Jacquets and Grand-Piquey (the latter having the advantage of always having water). The ocean beaches have the same advantage, but be careful, the sea is dangerous, caution , common sense and respect for the flags at supervised beaches are essential. Pay close attention to the "Baïnes" (large basins behind the sandbanks visible at low tide). The waves pass over the sandbanks, and the water leaves through a channel like a funnel. The speed of the current thus created carries you out to sea and you will have great difficulty getting back.
Fishing on foot:
You will be spoiled for choice:
- There are plenty of shells , but be careful not to venture onto the mudflats, which are dangerous. For your safety, choose sandy areas and wear suitable footwear .
- The Resin Collector's Cabin , a little before Claouey, on the sea side. You can go there to discover the whole world of pine tappers . This ancestral activity was the profession of my grandfather, many of whose tools are on display.
Boat trip:
- The UBA offers several excursions, including a tour of Bird Island, the mouth of the Leyre, the Pilat dune, the Arguin strip, as well as a regular shuttle to Arcachon . ( batelier-arcachon.com )
- The maxi catamaran Côte d'Argen t (lecotedargent.com) also offers you gourmet walks and cruises
- You can also sail aboard the Escalumade , a copy of an old sailing ferry once used on the dock to transport resin barrels. For further information, contact the nautical center, the port of Claouey or the Tourist Office (lege-capferret.com/info-pratique/office-tourisme).
- You can also rent canoes, paddleboards and other equipment on the beach just before the nautical center at the port of Claouey.
Oyster villages:
- All around the basin, these charming little villages offer a place for walking and relaxation . The most important on the peninsula are Piraillan, Le Canon and L'Herbe.
- On the grass, don't miss the chapel of the Algerian Villa (to the right of the parking lot), an unexpected vestige of a lost heritage.