Even before falling in love with a property, many of my clients fall in love with the region. There is one ritual that almost everyone ends up experiencing when searching for a house in Cap Ferret, in Arcachon or even in Bordeaux: a boat trip.
A sunset over the water, an oyster tasting, a stop for a picnic or a drink on the Banc d’Arguin… It is often one of the loveliest ways to discover this part of the world, 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 motor launches according to local maritime traditions — the pinasse being, for Arcachon Bay, a little of what the gondola is to Venice.
Now run by Béatrice and Emmanuel Martin, the yard offers for hire pinasses that can carry from 8 to 15 passengers, built to explore the most secret corners of the Bay: the sandbanks, the shores of the Banc d’Arguin, the cabanes tchanquées perched on 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 trade.
They are, without question, the most beautiful vessels you will come across on the Bay — and that is precisely why I recommend them to clients who wish to discover the region in a different way, 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 also introduce you to everything that makes the magic of this region.