Andernos-les-Bains

11 March 2007

The way north from Mamizan is pushed away from the open Atlantic coast by Arcachon Basin (le Bassin d’Arccachon), a relatively shallow basin about 20 km by 24 km. Andernos-les-Bains (about 40 minutes from Bordeaux) is about ¾ of the way up the Basin. Tides rule here.


Keeled sailboats need to have short enough keels to be able to lie safely on one side and the successfully re-float on the next tide.

A warm Sunday afternoon brought lots of people from Bordeaux to stroll the beach, the pier and the pedestrian shopping areas.




Ice cream was a big attraction, with lines that meant a 20 minute wait for service – and surprisingly, given French temperament, they all waited.


The raising of oysters, requiring a mixing of fresh and salt water to create the correct level of salinity is big in the Basin and indeed along much of the Atlantic coast and the extensive Gironde Estuary, that begins 20 km northwest of Bordeaux at the meeting of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, not far from 17th century Fort Médoc.