It is a large, picturesque bay, separated from the ocean by a long narrow sandy spit. Its outline resembles an isosceles triangle, which with its western “corner” connects with the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is very shallow, so a variety of birds are cozy here.
The nesting grounds of birds are located on the Bird Island of Huazo, as well as in the Tesh Ornithological Reserve, which occupies 30% of the basin’s territory. Boat rides or boat rides are available around the island, and there is a walking trail along the reserve where you can stroll to admire the rare birds.
The shoals of the basin are used for oyster farming. The largest oyster farms in Europe are located here, and the town of Arcachon is called the oyster capital of the world. According to archaeologists, people have been eating oysters since the Neolithic era. It is curious that, for example, the Romans not only ate oysters in large quantities, but also used the shells for voting: they wrote on them the name of the person they voted against.
For centuries there have been natural “deposits” of oysters in Arkashon Bay, the so-called oyster banks. However, during the XIX century they were gradually depleted, and since 1840 local fishermen started artificial breeding. Now oyster production is a whole industry, and very profitable. The French capital of oyster plantations is called the small fishing town of Gujan-Mestras (Gujan-Mestras). On one of its farms – Port de Larros (Port de Larros) – there is a small museum – House of Oysters. Tourists are invited to restaurants where you can taste fresh seafood. True gourmets distinguish oysters, like a good wine, by taste, smell and aroma. The oyster from Banc d’Arguin is characterized by the aromas of dairy products and porcini mushrooms, the oyster from Bird Island is more pungent, rough and salty in taste, and oysters from Cap Ferré are saturated with the aromas of herbs, cucumbers and peppers.
The local nature is carefully protected, in the Arcachon Basin there are the Gascony National Park, National Ocean Park, Ornithological and Zoological Reserves, two aquariums. In addition to natural parks, there are also recreational parks, such as a maze park and an Aquapark. For bicyclists around the bay there are many paths in the pine forest, of course, there are also all kinds of sports. On a good sunny day, the bay turns into a bright picturesque canvas with countless colorful sails. One of the attractions of the coast is a high dune called the Dune du Pyla. The shoals of the Arcachon basin are the source of the pure and fine sand that has been blown ashore over the centuries to form this unique dune, which is 114m high, 500m wide and 2.7km long. It is the largest dune in Europe. Its western slope slopes straight down to the ocean, while the eastern side faces a pine forest. Climbing up such a sandy mountain is quite difficult, those who wish to do so can use a specially built plastic ladder. The most amazing thing is that the dune is not only not destroyed, but every year it grows up and moves inland. From the height of the dune there is a beautiful view of the ocean, valley, forest and vineyards.
