Bordeaux to Arès: oysters and salt marshes

In the Bay, not in the ocean

Arès is located in the northeastern corner of the Arcachon Basin, at the very back of the lagoon, on the northern shore, on the edge of the former Pays de Buch. Administratively, the municipality has the INSEE code 33011 and the ZIP code 33740; it is part of the Arcachon arrondissement, the Andernos-les-Bains canton, and the Bassin d’Arcachon Nord community of municipalities (COBAN). Its territory covers 48.25 km² in a single contiguous area and is remarkably flat: the elevation ranges from 0 to 37 meters, with the highest point being the modest dune hill of Saint-Nicolas. So there’s nothing spectacular about the terrain—here, the landscape is made up of water, sand, and forest.

One thing deserves to be set straight once and for all: Arès is on the Bassin, not on the ocean. Its coastline is lagoon-like—salt marshes, mudflats, an oyster port, and a foreshore that breathes in time with the tides. The confusion stems from its immediate neighbor, Le Porge, whose beaches do open onto the Atlantic. In Arès, people don’t surf: they enjoy oysters and watch birds. The town borders Lège-Cap-Ferret to the west and northwest, Le Porge and Le Temple to the north, Lanton to the northeast, and Andernos-les-Bains to the southeast. This location at the end of the lagoon, like a maritime cul-de-sac, explains its tranquility: people don’t just pass through Arès—they come here on purpose.

How far is it from Bordeaux?

From Bordeaux, it’s about 42 km and a 40-minute drive via the A63 and then the roads leading to the Bassin; from the heart of the metropolitan area, the distance increases to ~47 km. It’s one of the towns in the Bassin closest to Bordeaux, barely farther than Andernos. Be careful, however, of a misleading shortcut often cited: “Cap-Ferret is just a few minutes away.” The town of Lège is indeed very close, about 4 km (about 6 min) away, but the village of Cap-Ferret—the lighthouse, the headland, and the oyster huts on the peninsula—is about 24–25 km by road, or about 35 minutes. You go around the Bassin; you don’t cross it: that’s the golden rule for calculating a route in this area.

This proximity makes Arès a very convenient last-minute getaway from Bordeaux: you can come here for a quick afternoon break—just long enough to enjoy a dozen oysters and a walk through the nature reserve—and then head right back home. The road access is direct, and the town lies just before Andernos when approaching from the north bank. This also explains its popularity among Bordeaux residents looking for a breath of sea air without having to spend an entire day on the road.

The dock and the white huts

The oyster port is the beating heart of Arès. Unlike other ports in the Bassin, it is not an old port: it was developed between 1966 and 1975, dredged and laid out around a dock—a rectangular body of water flanked by two streets facing each other. On either side stand about twenty-five oyster huts, most painted white, where the oyster farmers work. At the end of a pier, a sailors’ cross watches over those setting out to sea. The entrance to the salt marsh reserve is just a few steps away, so that in an instant you move from the world of oyster farming to that of protected nature: this is what makes Arès so unique, where oysters and birds share the same shoreline.

The harbor is far from a static backdrop: it’s a bustling workplace, where the docks are covered with oyster beds, where barges come in with the tide, and where the smell of mud and salt permeates everything. Early in the morning, you’ll run into oyster farmers there, and you can watch the ballet of carts and tractors on the slipways. For visitors, it’s also the place to sit down for a meal when certain oyster huts open their patios for tastings.

Taste the oysters from the Bassin

Several waterfront restaurants open their patios for dining: there you can savor oysters from the Arcachon Basin, shucked to order, served with rye bread, butter, and sometimes gray shrimp, whelks, or pâté—and, above all, a glass of well-chilled dry white wine. It’s a simple, sun-drenched experience, with your feet almost in the water, that perfectly captures the spirit of the Arcachon Basin: unprocessed seafood, a natural setting, and unpretentious hospitality. The oysters from the Arcachon Basin, shaped by their environment of mudflats and brackish water, have a distinctive briny flavor that connoisseurs come all the way here to savor.

Just to clear up a persistent misconception: the famous “tchanquées”—those little houses on stilts standing right in the middle of the water—aren’t in Arès. They stand on Île aux Oiseaux, off the coast of L’Herbe and Lège-Cap-Ferret, at the far end of the Bassin. In Arès, the huts are on land, lined up along the harbor basin. The real spectacle here is the tides: at low tide, the foreshore stretches out for a long way around the harbor, exposing the oyster stakes; at high tide, the water returns to lap at the docks, transforming the landscape into a silvery lagoon.

Oyster farming isn’t just a backdrop in Arès—it sustains the community and shapes its calendar. Events at the harbor punctuate the summer season, and oyster tastings are available for much of the year, as oysters are enjoyed well beyond just the summer months. Taking the time to chat with an oyster farmer and learn about the work in the oyster beds and the maturation process adds an extra dimension to the tasting experience. It’s this authenticity—away from the overly touristy circuits—that people come to seek at the port of Arès.

The Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Church and the tower

The parish church of Arès is dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul. Built in the Neo-Romanesque style between 1868 and 1878—the year of its consecration—it is constructed of hard stone from Saint-Savinien in Charente-Maritime—a light-colored limestone that gives the building its brightness. Its stained-glass windows, which are more recent, are the work of artist Raymond Mirande and date from 1978. One point of clarification is in order: the building is listed in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage, which is not the same as being classified or designated as a Historic Monument. In other words, the church has been documented and studied, but it does not bear the “Historic Monument” designation—a distinction often overlooked in tourist descriptions.

Another point of interest, the Arès Tower intrigues visitors, who readily mistake it for a defensive structure. This is not the case: it is a former windmill, built around 1840 and decommissioned in 1882. It was later fitted with battlements to give it the appearance of a faux medieval tower—a heritage-style trompe-l’œil that, today, rather prosaically houses an electrical transformer. Neither a military structure nor a historic monument: a mill in disguise, and it is precisely this little deception that gives it all its charm. Knowing this changes the way you look at it.

The former sanatorium, Arès' only historic monument

The only true historic monument in the town is neither the church nor the tower: it is the former sanatorium. This heliotherapy and seaside sanatorium, designed to treat childhood tuberculosis using sea air and sunlight, was established with funding from the Wallerstein Foundation and designed by architects Duval and Gonse. It opened its doors on March 15, 1913. Left abandoned since 1981, it was listed as a historic monument on May 4, 2000 (reference POP PA33000023). It stands as a rare example of early 20th-century healthcare architecture, from a time when the coast and its climate were prescribed as a remedy in their own right—a chapter of medical and social history set in stone on the shores of the Bassin.

The pier—or seawall—is also linked to the history of the waterfront; its construction dates back to 1863—a date that should be treated with caution, depending on the source. Finally, be wary of two features that are sometimes mistakenly attributed to Arès: there is no documented obelisk or semaphore here. The Saint-Nicolas semaphore that is sometimes mentioned is actually located in Verdon-sur-Mer, at the tip of the Médoc; it is merely a namesake of the Arès locality of Saint-Nicolas. These small checks help prevent errors from being copied from one guidebook to the next.

Tides, Swimming, and Beaches

At the bottom of the Bassin, it’s all about the tides. Twice a day, the water recedes and reveals the foreshore: vast banks of sand and mud, crisscrossed by channels, where birds bustle about and oyster stakes emerge like a fossil forest. Then the sea returns, and the landscape closes in to form a silvery lagoon. This ebb and flow changes everything for visitors: at low tide, you walk, observe, and collect seashells and souvenirs; swimming, on the other hand, is best enjoyed at high tide, when the water reaches the very edge of the beaches. Checking the tide schedule before you go is no small matter—it’s the key to a great day in Arès.

Arès doesn’t have the long ocean beaches of its neighbors in the Landes region, but it does have some lovely stretches of fine sand along the Bassin. La Conche de Saint-Brice, sheltered and lined with pine trees, is one of the town’s family-friendly beaches; the Triangle des Pereire area, also shaded, is perfect for picnics and naps under the trees. The water in the Bassin is calmer, warmer, and safer than that of the ocean—a valuable asset for families with young children. People come here as much to splash around as to enjoy the panoramic view of the lagoon, with the Cap-Ferret peninsula framing the horizon in the distance.

The rhythm of the tides also encourages visitors to slow down. Many visitors plan their day around the day’s tidal coefficient: high tide for swimming and water sports, low tide for shore fishing and watching shorebirds as the water recedes. Along the shore, the promenade offers a series of scenic views of the lagoon, winding past oyster rafts, reed beds, and sandbars. It’s a coastline on a human scale, without heavy swells or extreme tidal ranges, where you quickly feel like you’re on vacation.

In Arès, we take our time. A typical day combines the pleasures of fine dining with those of nature, without ever rushing. We often start at the oyster port, where we enjoy a dozen oysters from the Bassin on a terrace, a glass of white wine in hand, overlooking the harbor and the white huts. Next, head to the Arès and Lège Salt Marshes Nature Reserve, where some 9 km of trails are perfect for walking and birdwatching, binoculars around your neck. In the afternoon, head to a beach in the Bassin—La Conche de Saint-Brice or the Triangle des Pereire—for a swim at high tide or a nap under the pine trees. Cyclists, meanwhile, won’t want to miss the Vélodyssée. And to end the day on a high note, head over to the “ovniport”—that landing strip for flying saucers that’s the source of the locals’ amused pride.

• Enjoying oysters at the harbor—a dozen shucked to order in a little hut, accompanied by a glass of white wine, overlooking the dock and the piers.
• Explore the salt marsh reserve—~9 km of trails, birdwatching, and, during the season, guided tours offered by the tourist office.
• Swim at high tide—at La Conche de Saint-Brice or in the Triangle des Pereire area, which feature sheltered, shaded beaches with fine sand.
• Stroll through the market—every Tuesday morning year-round, around Place Weiss and the fairgrounds, from ~8 a.m. to ~1 p.m. Check the City of Arès website for confirmed hours before visiting.
• Cycling along the Vélodyssée—EuroVelo 1 passes through Arès, the “Tour du Bassin d’Arcachon” cycling loop (~79 km) goes through the town, and a former railroad line connects Arès to Arcachon.
• Visit the "OVNIPORT"—France's first official UFO landing strip, inaugurated on August 15, 1976, near the pier on the Esplanade Georges-Dartiguelongue; it's more of a novelty than a scientific facility.
• Watch the tides—at the harbor and on the foreshore, the landscape changes completely between low tide and high tide; it’s a free, ever-changing spectacle.

How much does the ride cost?

Getting to Arès from Bordeaux is easy: the direct route is about 42 km and takes about 40 minutes, making it one of the quickest day trips in the Bassin region. During the day, a private door-to-door transfer starts at €116 for a sedan (1 to 3 passengers), at a fixed price confirmed in writing at the time of booking—no meter, no surprises. A surcharge applies at night, on weekends, and on holidays; for groups of more than four passengers, a van is available upon request and based on a quote. The fare depends mainly on the pickup location—downtown, the airport, or the outskirts—and the selected time.

Why hire a private driver?

A day in Arès combines oyster tasting with nature: why not make the most of it without having to drive or search for a parking spot at the harbor during peak season? A chauffeur service will drop you off right at the dock or at the entrance to the nature reserve, wait for you or come back to pick you up at the agreed-upon time, and take you back to Bordeaux with complete peace of mind—so you can enjoy that glass of white wine on the terrace without worrying about the drive home. It’s also the perfect way to combine a visit to Arès with a trip to Andernos or the Cap-Ferret peninsula in a single day, without worrying about schedules or connections.

In practice, it takes just a few minutes to arrange the trip: you enter your departure address in Bordeaux, your preferred time, and the number of passengers, and the quote is confirmed in writing before the day of the trip. Planning your return trip in advance prevents you from being stranded at the end of the day, when the huts close and public transportation becomes scarce at the far end of the Bassin. Planning ahead also ensures you can enjoy Arès without watching the clock—from the first plate of oysters to the last rays of sunlight over the lagoon.