Country:
City:
Coming from Bordeaux via Arès (to the north) or Biganos (to the south), take the departmental road that runs along the eastern side of the basin, and in the village of Audenge, at 47 Avenue de Certes, enter the Certes-Graveyron estate via a roundabout.
Park in the new car park.
(S) Head south, passing the estate's reception and exhibition area, then towards the château, which you go around on the right.
(1) You will pass an annex building of the château and take the path heading west.
After about 500 metres, cross a stream (the Lanton stream) via a pretty bridge and turn left, following the stream, which is now on your left. Continue along the bend in the path until you come to a bridge on your left that crosses the same stream towards the Graveyron estate.
(2) Leave this bridge and continue to the right on theGRP® Tour du Bassin d'Arcachon, marked in red and yellow. Soon the track becomes straight, running between the stream on the left (now much wider) and a canal on the right, then very large basins.
From then on, and all the way to Lanton, the route is very simple: just follow the track on the earth embankment between the Arcachon basin on the left and the reservoirs or marshes on the right.
The track turns right, then left, crossing a path that you leave on your right. After this junction, you pass a hut and the Piquet canal lock. The track then turns right at a right angle, then heads straight north-west, with reservoirs on the right and the Arcachon basin on the left, before turning right again at a right angle.
At a place called Le Pavillon, go around a hut on the right and continue straight ahead towards the north-west. Then, after a sharp turn to the right, the track runs along a gulf at the end of which you can see the town of Lanton.
After a series of straight lines separated by turns to the right and left, you will come to a junction with another track blocked by a barrier, followed by a lock in a right-hand turn.
On the left, in the gulf, you drive alongside large salt marshes, where you can see a large number of hides (fixed posts for hunting waterfowl). Shortly afterwards, the track turns left, then left again after passing close to a hide, and runs alongside marshes on the right.
You arrive at the Braou sports complex, where there is a large building, a car park and, most notably, a swimming pool fed by seawater via a sluice gate. To the left of the track is a narrow sandy beach behind a rockfill dyke.
(3) Continue along theGRP®, turn left and walk along a series of elongated pools behind which you can see a large holiday centre. You then arrive at a beautiful beach (Suzette beach), served by a circular car park.
(4) At the far left of the car park, the track resumes and runs alongside marshes before arriving at Port de Cassy, which you follow to Avenue de la République. Leave this avenue immediately to head back to the other side of the port, passing in front of the harbour master's office, then join Rue du Port. Turn left into this street and you will reach a roundabout at the entrance to a large car park along the beach.
(5) Walk along the beach on this car park (you can also walk on the beach) to the circular car park at the end. Return to the coastal path, which first runs alongside a campsite, then a fish pond, to reach a bridge. This bridge crosses an estey (a canal, the Berle de Cassy), then you are on a short stretch of road at the beginning of a housing estate. Leave this stretch of road and return to the coastal path before reaching another road, the Allée des Cabanes.
(6) Take this street opposite, then continue along Rue des Tamaris. You will reach the small port of Taussat. Walk along the basin to reach the end of the quay. Turn left to reach the beach.
(7) Walk along the beach to reach the Port de Fontainevieille.
(8) Take the path on the right that runs alongside the harbour. At the end of the basin, turn left, pass between the harbour and the houses and you will reach the Allée Jacques Cartier car park on the other side (E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
Difficult 
Association / Club / Walk leader
