Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat
This is where we have the most villas. Arcachon's sandy town beaches face the calm water of the basin, and the Ville d'Hiver behind them is a hillside of 19th-century villas. Boats cross to Cap Ferret in about 30 minutes and tour round the Ile aux Oiseaux. The Dune du Pilat, the highest sand dune in Europe, is around 15 minutes south. Bordeaux airport is about an hour away.
Best for: Families and couples who want a seaside town, oysters and the big dune
Not for you if: You want quiet in August: Arcachon and the road to the dune get very congested.
Lacanau (Lacanau-Océan and the lake)
Lacanau-Océan is a surf resort with a beachfront promenade, surf schools and a strong Atlantic swell. A few kilometres inland, the large Lacanau lake has sandy shores, sailing and calm water for younger children, and a cycle path runs through the pine forest between the two. Bordeaux and its airport are about an hour away, which also makes the city an easy day out.
Best for: Surfers and active families who want ocean beaches and a lake
Not for you if: You want calm sea swimming: the ocean beaches have big waves and rip currents.
Carcans-Maubuisson and Hourtin (the Médoc lakes)
Maubuisson sits on the shore of the Carcans-Hourtin lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in France, with sandy beaches, sailing and shallow water. Carcans-Plage and Hourtin-Plage are the ocean resorts a short drive west through the forest, and cycle paths link the lakes and the coast. Bordeaux airport is around an hour away, Hourtin nearer an hour and a quarter.
Best for: Families with young children who want lake swimming and cycling
Not for you if: You want restaurants and shops on foot: these are small, spread-out resorts.
The northern Médoc coast (Montalivet, Soulac, Le Verdon, with Naujac, Grayan and Saint-Vivien)
The quietest part of the Gironde coast. Montalivet is a small seaside resort with a large naturist centre on its own site to the south. Soulac-sur-Mer has streets of brick seaside villas and a Romanesque basilica, and from Le Verdon a car ferry crosses the estuary to Royan in about 20 to 30 minutes. Boats from Le Verdon also visit the Cordouan lighthouse offshore. Grayan, Saint-Vivien and Naujac are villages among forest and marsh.
Best for: Families who want long beaches and fewer crowds
Not for you if: You want to be near Bordeaux: the drive takes around an hour and a half to two hours.
Around the basin (Cap Ferret, Andernos, Lanton, Le Teich, Gujan-Mestras)
Cap Ferret, at the tip of its peninsula, has oyster villages such as L'Herbe and an ocean beach on the far side, though the road there is slow in summer. Andernos has a long wooden jetty and a family beach, with Lanton next door. Gujan-Mestras has seven oyster ports where you can eat at cabins on the water, and Le Teich has a bird reserve on the salt marshes. Bordeaux airport is 45 minutes to an hour away.
Best for: Families who want basin beaches and oyster villages away from Arcachon's crowds
Not for you if: You want waves on the doorstep: the basin is tidal, with mud at low tide in places.
Wine country (Pauillac and the Médoc villages, Pujols and Gensac)
Pauillac sits on the Gironde estuary among some of Bordeaux's most famous châteaux, many of which take visitors by appointment, and Vertheuil and Ordonnac are quiet villages nearby. On the other side of Bordeaux, Pujols and Gensac are on the edge of the Entre-deux-Mers, around 20 to 30 minutes from Saint-Emilion's medieval village and limestone cellars. Bordeaux is around an hour from either.
Best for: Couples who want vineyard visits rather than the beach
Not for you if: You want plenty of choice: we have only a handful of houses among the vineyards.
