Cap Ferret Point moves. From one year to the next, the beach is never quite in the same place, and anyone who has been coming here since childhood can see it. Facing the Dune du Pilat and the Banc d’Arguin, it is one of the most beautiful spots on the Arcachon Bay, and one of the most fragile. History, erosion, access: here is everything you need to know.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Where: at the very southern tip of the peninsula, where the ocean meets the Bay.
- The view: the Dune du Pilat and the Banc d’Arguin right opposite.
- Beach access: banned since 2016 by prefectoral order.
- Swimming: never. The currents in the channel are among the strongest on the coast.
- To enjoy it: the Mimbeau, the top of the lighthouse, or a boat trip.
A peninsula made of sand
The Cap Ferret peninsula is a sand spit. Along the coast, currents and swell carry sand from north to south: it has built up over the centuries, stretching the peninsula until it partly closed off the Bay. The Point is the tip of this spit, the place where everything happens.
Just in front of it, the channel connects the Bay to the ocean. With every tide, millions of cubic metres of water flow in and out. These currents shift the sandbanks, like the Banc d’Arguin, and wear away or rebuild the Point depending on the year.
A much sought-after end of the world
For a long time, the tip of the peninsula stayed wild and remote, visited mostly by fishermen. When holidaymakers arrived in the 20th century, villas sprang up in the forest, right down to the water’s edge. Today, the Point sums up Cap Ferret on its own: an exceptional landscape, houses exposed to the sea, and nature reclaiming its ground with every storm.
Erosion: a coastline in retreat
According to the Observatoire de la côte aquitaine, quoted by AFP in 2019, the Point retreats by 4 to 5 metres a year on average. Winter storms can take away much more in a single night. On the ocean side, the town regularly tops up the beaches with sand to protect the shoreline.
Several private owners have also built rock defences, with the State’s approval. The best known is the sea wall of businessman Benoît Bartherotte, who has been reinforcing the tip of the peninsula for decades by dumping stone blocks there. By general consensus, AFP reports, this wall has helped slow down erosion. More recently, the SIBA (the Bay’s inter-municipal authority) entrusted him with a sand replenishment operation, as reported by Sud Ouest (in French).
Why the beach at the Point is closed
In 2016, the Prefect of Gironde banned access to the beach at the Point because of the risk of the dune collapsing due to erosion. Almost ten years later, the ban is still in place: sand fences and signs block the entrance. A reduction of the closed area was discussed in 2025, but nothing has been decided so far.
Please respect the barriers, even if others go through: the dune can give way under your feet, and swimming in the channel is extremely dangerous. Trampling also speeds up the erosion of this already very fragile site.
Where to admire the Point without going there
- From the Mimbeau: on the Bay side, the Mimbeau cove offers a magnificent view of the Point and the Dune du Pilat, with calm water at high tide.
- From the lighthouse: from the top of the Cap Ferret lighthouse, the view stretches all the way to the tip of the peninsula and over the channel.
- By boat: boat trips from Cap Ferret or Arcachon often pass in front of the Point and the Banc d’Arguin, like this 2-hour cruise from Arcachon around Bird Island and Cap Ferret.
Laguilb’s tip
Cycle around late in the day: a detour via the Mimbeau for the view, then a few oysters at the Cabane du Mimbeau (in French) or a drink at Le 44 (in French), very close to the Point. To choose a beach for swimming, open our map of Cap Ferret beaches.
THIS PLACE EXISTS AS A PAINTING
We painted this corner of the peninsula. Discover the painting in our gallery (in French).
Frequently asked questions
Why is the beach at Cap Ferret Point closed?
Since 2016, a prefectoral order has banned access because of the risk of the dune collapsing due to erosion. The ban is still in force.
Can you swim at Cap Ferret Point?
No. The currents in the channel are very powerful and the beach is closed. To swim, choose a lifeguarded beach on the ocean side in summer, or the Mimbeau on the Bay side at high tide.
Why does the Point keep moving?
Because the peninsula is a sand spit: currents and swell constantly move the sand and the sandbanks in the channel. According to the Observatoire de la côte aquitaine, the Point retreats by 4 to 5 metres a year on average.
Are there restaurants near the Point?
Yes, a few minutes away: Le 44, the Cabane du Mimbeau or Chez Hortense, on the Bay side (pages in French).
Sources (in French): AFP via L’Info Durable, Figaro Nautisme, Sud Ouest.
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