We are counting the days left until summer around Arcachon Bay.

From the beautiful villas of Arcachon built at the end of the 19th century to the fresh pine forests of Cap Ferret, passing through the oyster farming villages, your tribe will not be able to get lost: just follow the numerous bicycle paths. In total, the Arcachon basin has 15 circuits and 220 km of marked routes: a real treat for bike lovers.

You have reached the very end of the Cap Ferret point. The Arcachon basin joins the ocean. The winds and currents are racing. If you wanted to start meditating, this is the time to let go while contemplating the horizon and listening to the sound of the waves. Yoga and pilates on the beach are also available.

A few tables. Awnings here and there. Superb views. At Cabanes de la Conche, the menu is very simple: oysters, oysters, and more oysters. And they’re even better this season.

If it’s not summer yet, it already feels like it. At the helm of a boat christened “Pinasse” you cross the bay, sailing for the island with the birds and cabins on stilts.

The Pinasses of the Bassin d'Arcachon and Cap Ferret

You trudged all the way up in the sand. There’s no question of chickening out. Your paraglider takes off, and you’re flying above the Pilat Dune, the Banc d’Arguin, and the pine forests. Unforgettable.

Some places just make you want to leave everything else behind. Take care, because L’Herbe village is one of them, with its fisherman’s huts, colourful shutters, and pretty little lanes and beaches at every corner.

You can visit it, of course. But you can also go along it by boat. Neo-Moorish and polychrome, the whimsical chapel of the Algerian Villa stands out, exotic, on the tongue of sand and pine trees of Cap Ferret. It is the only remnant of the work built by Leon Lesca between 1865 and 1885, a French industrialist considered the founder of Cap Ferret.

As soon as it hits June the restaurants are packed. But on this fine spring day on the chic terraces in Moulleau there’s just you, your sunglasses, and a few celebs keeping it low-key.