Cap Ferret, near Bordeaux: my trusted address book after years of summer Stays
From morning markets to sunset oysters - all my tried and tested spots #104
Our summer holiday will be Portugal and Ile de ré this year. In Portugal, we are going to Comporta which some nicknamed “the Portuguese Cap Ferret”. It reminded me that I’ve had in my drafts my tips for a holiday there.
If you don’t know about it, Cap Ferret is a special corner of the Atlantic coast, only 40 minutes from Bordeaux airport, where pine forests meet oyster beds and time seems to slow down beautifully.
So this week’s newsletter is my insider's guide to Cap Ferret - from the morning market routines (and yes, the essential pre-lunch rosé!) to the best spots for fresh oysters and recommended dining experiences.
Before we head up to Portugal, we are taking a well-deserved week off in June after Mademoiselle’s exams to Paxos, near Corfu in Greece. I don’t think I can express in words how much I can’t wait!
Maybe that week will bring back my motivation to share trips and travels here in this newsletter. I confess that it’s getting lower in my list of priorities these days.
What does get me excited is when people ask me for recommendations as my desire to help kicks in. So let me know which area of the world you’d like me to suggest hotels for in the next issue.
Itinerary: what to do and eat in Cap Ferret
Where to stay
Usually they are quite expensive so do rent one with a group of friends and share the price. That way you can have a nice villa and it will be a decent price if you divide that by the number of people and number of rooms, etc
We always rent La Villa Mogador, which is also a B&B, so out of season, you can go there and just stay for the night. It has the most amazing pool and Laurent and Isabelle are the wonderful owners, very kind and there's a full review on the blog.
There's one camping: Camping du Truc Vert, which is literally in the forest of pines and you only have to cross the road and walk through the sand dunes to the beach. I can't judge for the actual facilities but we did try the bar because we ordered some pizza one night to go and admire the sunset on the beach. Pizzas were good and the bar seems to have a good choice of food.
In terms of hotels, we stayed off season in La Maison du Bassin, which was good. Hotel des Dunes is another possibility.
Or you could stay in the new cabane by Hotel Yndo.
The morning market ritual
This is our favourite way to start the day. The heart of any French coastal town is its market, and in Cap Ferret, Piraillan Market is where we go. It's not too big, not too small - just perfect. I prefer it to the one in the village du Ferret at the top, which I find too posh and a bit up its own a… Piraillan has everything you need and is more low key: a fantastic butcher preparing BBQ-ready meats, fishmongers with the morning's catch, fruit and vegetable stands where you can compare prices (yes, I do check them all!), and a charcutier where you can buy ready-made dish, good pizzas and carottes rapées (my daughter’s favourite salad.
No market visit is complete without following the local tradition of having a chilled glass of rosé at one of the corner cafés before heading home.
The bread situation
Now, you know how particular I am about my baguettes (I'm still searching for the perfect one in London!), but in Cap Ferret, Chez Pascal's bakery is the place to go. They have several locations across the peninsula. Ask for the "baguette Luca." Their specialty is "dunes blanches" - think choux pastry puffs filled with cream. Though personally, I prefer the plain chouquettes.
If you like organic sourdough, then you should head to Pain Paulain in Le Piquey. and the chocolate mi-cuit is absolutely worth the calories!
The oyster experience
If there's one thing Cap Ferret is famous for, it's the oysters. You can go to one of the many “cabanes” to taste some with a fresh glass of wine and for those, who don’t like it, pâté. You usually can’t have any other food.
The most famous ones or Chez Boulan or la Cabane du Mimbeau. But you could just be spontaneous and depending on the time you feel like it, look for the nearest oyster hut, sit down, admire the bay, enjoy fresh oysters with good wine.
We prefer to buy our own oysters baskets from Établissements Fabri in Le Piquey: you can order your oysters in advance, and they'll have them freshly open for you to pick up in the evening.
Going to the beach
Our main beach is always the Truc Vert beach - it's vast, which means even when busy, you never feel crowded. There are two small cafes and a surf school, but what really makes it special is the wild Atlantic setting. A word of caution though: always swim in the supervised areas. The 'baïnes' (strong currents) here are serious business, and you'll quickly notice how vigilant the lifeguards are about keeping everyone safe.
Families with young children usually choose the “bassin” side as it’s a gentle coast with lake vibes. Very simple and easy with children. Just go along the coast and choose your preferred one.
Restaurants
For all restaurants in Cap Ferret, you should reserve months in advance if you are going to go during July and August. It is that busy and popular!
Our ritual when we arrive is to go to Le Bouchon du Ferret . It’s good for both seafood and meat amateurs. Simple tasty food, think steaks, shellfish cooked with garlic and herbs and some deserts that will please children. They have a menu of “steak haché” or “sausages” and frites and ice cream for desert that works well for the little ones.
The Hotel des Pins, an old and charming hotel recently taken over, offers classic French dishes made from scratch at reasonable prices. I particularly liked the quaint yellow conservatory where we ate. It’s really reminiscent of the 30s.
Le Pinasse Café, located near the Jetée, offers a bit of everything usually very well presented with a great view of the coming and going of the boats across the “bassin”. It’s a bit like Paris in Cap Ferret but the produce are fresh, the service is really attentive and smiley and it’s great if you have teenagers or young kids alike as there’s something for everyone including sushi, seafood, burgers. Portions are generous time. They also have a variety of desserts, including a highly recommended île flottante.
Mayzou offers a tapas-style menu with vegetarian options and seafood dishes. It has a decor on trend and it’s a nice change from the usual restaurants in Cap Ferret. We took friends and familes there and everyone always found something they like. Nice atmosphere as well.
Le Bistrot du Bassin: charming atmosphere with an outdoor garden and quaint living rooms. It serves classic French cuisine which is good and they have a great desseert cart!.
There is of course the famous Chez Hortense with her mussels specialty and a great view over the top of the peninsula onto the Dune du Pilat. It is extremely difficult to get in. You just have to keep trying and trying. Ask for a table “première ligne” which means that you are on the edge and can benefit from the view. Although they often keep those for their regulars. My tip is to book an early table say 19:00 as the locals only come later.
For a more fancy and fun experience (though yes, it's a bit of a splurge), dinner at La Co(o)rniche is worth it. Perched on Europe's tallest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat, getting there is half the adventure. You could drive - it takes about an hour and a half - but I recommend taking a private water taxi. There's something quite magical about arriving by boat, wading through the shallow water, and climbing up to the restaurant. While the food might not be the most innovative, you'll ever taste, the view over the Bassin d'Arcachon and the Banc d'Arguin (a stunning sandbank that looks like a Caribbean lagoon) is simply spectacular. Book the restaurant in advance - the bar actually serves simpler, better food in my opinion, but you can't reserve there, and it's quite a gamble given the journey involved. You could also just come here for a drink.
La Coorniche setting and a funny face For a more festive atmosphere, the Wharfzazate à l'Herbe is popular among those who enjoy a late-night scene reminiscent of Saint-Tropez. Better to go there after 21:00. Not really my kind of scene and we went we felt either too old, too poor or not stylish enough but it has a good reputation amongst many.
Finally, one of my preferred evenings is to go to la Plage du Truc Vert to admire the sunset. You can get a hot pizza from the camping across the road and then walk through the forest to admire the parade of colours on the sea. Don’t leave it too late though as if you wait in line to get your pizza (which happened to me) you may miss it. Mr Big, Mademoiselle and her friends had it all to themselves while I arrived just for the last few minutes with pizzas for everyone!
Activities and getting around
Cycling. There are many bike paths so you can explore the peninsula easly. Do plan in advance and rent them a few weeks or months before because otherwise it can be difficult, or the ones that are left can be very expensive.
Day trip to Arcachon. Don't miss taking the boat shuttle from Le Canon to Arcachon. It's a lovely way to see the basin from the water, and you can make a day trip to the Banc d'Arguin. The shuttles can drop you off in the morning and pick you up in the late afternoon - it's like having your own private boat for the day
Boat excursion. The more expensive option is a boat excursion taking you around the basin, to see the famous “cabanes tchanquées”. You can also have lunch with oysters, pâté and wine on the boat.
Visit visit fishing villages and taste oysters. The village of Le Canon and the villages of L'Herbe are the most typical of what Cap Ferret was 60 years ago, when it was just a fairly abandoned peninsula, with only oyster producers on site. They have small colorful houses, sometimes a bit crumbling and face the bay side. Often you can taste oysters and buy directly from the producers.
Shopping: I don’t think Cap Ferret is great for shopping. There are shops in Le Ferret and you can have a nice stop for an ice cream there. There’s also a manège for children. What we find more fun is shopping at the markets, where there are lots of merchants who have the latest little dresses or skirts or linen shirts in fashion. It's not necessarily of very good quality, it won't last very long, but it's cheap and fun for the summer. It's a good place to find beach covers, for example, or a light dress for the hot evening that you didn't plan for. In Petit Piquey, Boutique Amart recreates clothes from vintage fabrics and is quite nice. There are also quite a few decoration shops for people who want to furnish their beautiful villa. My sister-in-law is a fan of decoration, so she took me to several of them. One that I recommend, which was really beautiful, but maybe not cheap is called Maison Poétique on the road to Bordeaux
Les fêtes! In any village in France in the summer you have evening parties called “fêtes”. In Cap Ferret, we like to go to the closest and simple one that is in Claouey. Picture long communal tables, local bands (called 'bandas') creating atmosphere with their percussion, and plenty of regional specialties - sardines, mussels, and of course, oysters. These festivals pop up throughout summer, each village taking its turn, from Claouey at the start of the peninsula to L'Herbe in July and Le Ferret in mid August.
I hope this gave you a good taste of Cap Ferret. Happy to answer any questions!
Cap ferret has been on my list for so long! Saving for future reference.