The Dune du Pilat

A living mountain in La Teste de Buch

She seemed to appear out of nowhere! The Dune du Pilat is 106 metres high and 2.9 kilometres long, and has no equal anywhere in the world.

Et si, pour une fois, vous preniez les gens de haut ? Just an hour from Bordeaux, in the commune of La Teste de Buch, come and walk on the 55 million m3 of sand grains of the Dune du Pilat… and that’s just for you! Formed centuries ago, the Dune du Pilat is the result of the accumulation of several generations of dunes. Always on the move, it is measured every year and is now the highest dune in Europe… That’s something! (bis)

The Dune du Pilat, a moving link between land and sea

Full of iodine on one side, the smell of pine trees on the other. And all around you: an exceptional panorama, revealing the wonders of the Bay of Arcachon!

Visiting the Dune du Pilat means :

At the Dune du Pilat, there’s joy everywhere Instead of the capital, Charles Trenet could just as easily have visited the Dune and its superb panorama!

On foot, by bike, by bus or even by boat, there are plenty of ways to get to the Dune. Remember that this is a fragile and protected site. Whether you climb the stairs in your trainers or barefoot in the sand, keep this in mind: this great site must be respected if it is to remain so.

The ocean as far as the eye can see, the forest at your feet, the Banc d’Arguin and the tip of Cap Ferret in the distance… Once you’re up on the ridge, you’re sure to change dimension!

Is it Dune du Pilat or Dune du Pyla?

Only one spelling is correct. The name of the Dune comes from the Gascon word “pilot”, meaning “heap” or “mound”… an understatement for such a giant! The fact remains that we are talking about the Dune du Pilat and not the Dune du Pyla. The confusion stems from the seaside resort of Pyla-sur-Mer, founded in the 1920s. This one has taken a ‘y’… for a more exotic sound.

But even without the “y”, the Dune has all the makings of a great natural site where you can take a nice break!