Even before falling in love with a property, many of my clients fall in love with the region. There is a ritual that almost everyone ends up experiencing when looking for a home at Cap Ferret, in Arcachon or even in Bordeaux: a boat trip.
A sunset on the water, an oyster tasting, a stop to picnic or have a drink on the Banc d’Arguin… it is often one of the most beautiful ways to discover this land, with its very particular light and colours.
Why I recommend Dubourdieu
It is one of the oldest boatyards still in operation in France, perpetuating for more than two centuries the building of pinasses and motorboats according to local maritime traditions — the pinasse being, to Arcachon Bay, a little what the gondola is to Venice.
Now run by Béatrice and Emmanuel Martin, the yard offers pinasses for hire that can carry from 8 to 15 passengers, built to explore the Bay’s most secret corners: the sandbanks, the edges of the Banc d’Arguin, the cabanes tchanquées on their stilts. Their craftsmanship is now recognised by the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, a distinction that rewards excellence and the passing on of an exceptional craft.
They are, without question, the most beautiful boats you will come across on the Bay — and that is precisely why I recommend them to clients who wish to discover the region differently, for a whole day or simply an end-of-day cruise.
Are you considering a property project on Arcachon Bay? I would be delighted to show you everything that makes the magic of this region too. You can discover one of these moments on my Instagram.
