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- coming from Bordeaux via the Arcachon road, stay on the main road (D650) which first passes through Facture (Biganos), then Le Teich and Gujan-Mestras, before arriving directly at the port of La Teste-de-Buch,
- if arriving via the motorway, you will first see sports grounds and a sailing boat bearing the inscription ‘Le Teste-de-Buch’ on your right; continue straight ahead at the roundabout at this point, and at the next roundabout turn right, following signs for ‘La Teste-de-Buch – Port ostréicole’, then follow signs for the SNCF station. When you reach the station, which will be on your right, continue straight ahead to reach the port opposite.
Park at an angle on the side road off the avenue, on the harbour side.
(S/E) Set off along the basin towards Arcachon, and immediately turn right onto the street that runs straight north, between the huts on the left and the basin on the right. Continue to the end of the huts, then between the salt marshes on the left and the channel on the right. The track, now sandy, turns left and crosses a bridge over the channel leading out of the marshes.
NOTE 1: The following paragraph is the result of a change made following feedback from two hikers who had difficulty walking along the shore after the marshes and advised me to alter the route.
Continue along this sandy track.
(1) You’ll come to a fork where there’s a row of very stylish public benches. Turn right, then keep right at the next junction, until you leave the marshland and reach the roundabout on Avenue du Maréchal Leclerc. Cross over to take the cycle path on the left-hand side of the avenue, heading towards Arcachon harbour on the right. Just after another roundabout, turn right onto Impasse du Lapin Blanc, until you reach the huts lining a path running along the shore. Turn left, heading towards Arcachon harbour.
NOTE 2: End of amendment.
Thereafter, keeping as close to the shore as possible, you will generally find residential blocks or villas on the left and huts on the shore side.
You will then arrive at the Pointe de l'Aiguillon, marked by an imposing cluster of 6- or 7-storey buildings with large balconies. Walk along a wide beach of fine sand, with the white block of the Pôle Nautisme building at the Port d'Arcachon in the background.
(2) At the far end of the beach, a flight of steps running alongside a white wall on the left leads back up to the end of Rue Coste. Continue along the shore on Quai du Capitaine Allègre and, when you reach the end of the fishing cooperative building, turn right towards the quays, in this case Quai Jean-Philippe Dubour. Then continue along the quay, past the harbour, and onto the boardwalk by the sea.
First pass by the Jetée d’Eyrac, then reach the Jetée Thiers, which is well worth a walk to its end and back.
After the Jetée Thiers, continue along the promenade, following Boulevard Gounouilhou, which ends in a square jutting out towards the sea.
(3) At the end of the promenade, turn left onto Rue du Commandant Sensevin, then quite soon left onto Boulevard de la Plage, which is actually a fairly narrow, one-way street and very pleasant.
Then take thefirst right onto Rue de Lattre de Tassigny, a pedestrian street, and continue straight on towards Parc Mauresque, the entrance to which can be glimpsed in the distance.
(4) At the end of Rue de Lattre de Tassigny, cross Cours Desbiey and arrive at a square at the end of which is the entrance to the lift leading to Parc Mauresque. Instead, take one of the access ramps, for example on the right, to find yourself after two bends in front of the park’s pedestrian entrance.
Turn right onto Allée du Moulin Rouge, which climbs alongside the park’s boundary wall. You will reach another entrance to the park.
(5) Leave this on your left to find, on your right, the entrance to the passage leading to the Passerelle Saint-Paul and then to the Sainte-Cécile observatory. Climb up to the observatory’s viewing platform to enjoy the panoramic view of Arcachon, the bay, the winter town and the park.
Then, continue along the footbridge which leads onto Allée Alexandre Dumas.
(6) Walk past the Villa Alexandre Dumas and continue along this path until you reach the four-way junction, then take Allée Brémontier.
(7) Walk past the Villa Brémontier, then turn left onto Allée Velpeau and continue along it until you reach Allée du Moulin Rouge at a building with two-tone walls featuring horizontal bands of red brick. Turn left and walk along the edge of the park until you reach the entrance you passed earlier.
(5) Enter the park on the right and explore it by wandering along its paths until you exit via the entrance on the opposite side.
(8) Leave the park at Place Turenne and turn right onto Allée Turenne, which runs alongside the park until another entrance on Avenue Victor Hugo. Continue straight on to take Allée Bouillaud. Follow this path to its end. The path ends at a turning area where there is an entrance to the forest.
(9) Take this path to reach the cycle path. Turn left onto it and follow it to the end of Rue Pierre Frondaie.
(10) At the end of Rue Pierre Frondaie, you’ll come to the old ski run on pine needles. Head up this track to the right until you reach the top. At the top of the track, you’ll arrive at the cul-de-sac of Allée de la Galaxie, on the edge of the Arcachon campsite. Here you’ll find a sign marking the Camicas Protected Natural Site.
(11) Turn left and follow the continuation of Allée de la Galaxie, passing the water tower on your left, and continue straight along the path through the woodland until you rejoin the cycle path. Follow it as it continues until you reach Chemin de Camicas. Turn left onto it, cross the roundabout and continue along the D1251 road until the next roundabout, at Avenue du Général Leclerc.
(12) Head straight ahead to join the cycle path into the salt marshes, at a large Tourist Office sign. Follow the cycle path and, at the first junction, turn right onto the boardwalk which takes you across the wetlands and marshes.
The wooden walkway joins a track coming from the left as you reach the salt marshes. Continue straight on, passing a track on the right before crossing a wooden footbridge between two ponds, and continue until you are running alongside the huts of the oyster port. Go past the row of huts, reach the harbour basin and return to the car park on the side road (S/E).
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