Taxi Arcachon → Dune du Pilat

The Dune du Pilat is the most visited natural monument in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and one of France's most spectacular natural sites. Standing over 100 metres above sea level (its height changes yearly with the wind), this immense sand dune stretching 2.9 km long and 616 m wide is classified as a Grand Site de France. From the summit, the 360-degree panorama is breathtaking: to the west, the Atlantic Ocean and the Banc d'Arguin, a protected nature reserve serving as a migratory stopover for thousands of birds; to the north, the entrance to the Arcachon Bay with the passes and Cap Ferret point; to the east, the vast maritime pine forest of the Landes de Gascogne, western Europe's largest man-made forest. The Dune advances about 1 to 5 metres eastward each year, gradually burying the pine forest. Over 2 million visitors climb its slopes each year. A taxi from Arcachon is ideal as parking at the dune is limited and paid in high season (€10).