Property for sale in Le Moulleau, Arcachon: village life by the Bassin

A village at the far end of Arcachon

In the south-west of Arcachon, Le Moulleau has kept the feel of a village. It runs straight on into Le Pyla, very close to where the Bassin d’Arcachon, the bay, meets the ocean. Its name, once spelt Moulo or Mouleau, referred to a customs post and a handful of resin tappers’ huts lost in the forest.

The neighbourhood took shape in the 19th century, when Bordeaux high society came here for the fresh air and the hunting. As early as 1911, a tramway linked it to the centre of Arcachon.

Notre-Dame-des-Passes

At the end of the shopping street, standing on a dune, the church of Notre-Dame-des-Passes is the symbol of the neighbourhood. Built in 1863 by the Bordeaux architect Louis Garros for a Dominican convent, and enlarged in 1928, it is dedicated to the sailors who crossed the passes, the channels at the mouth of the Bassin.

It lines up perfectly with the street, the jetty and the Cap Ferret lighthouse. Inside, you’ll find a rare Virgin of Advent and a ceiling filled with painted angels.

Villas and memories

In the 1920s and 1930s, the forest land was divided into plots and the seafront filled with villas, several of them Art Deco, such as Villa Kypris by the architect Roger-Henri Expert. Le Moulleau largely escaped the building boom of the 1960s, which is why its streets have kept so much of their charm.

The Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio lived here from 1910 to 1915. It was here that he wrote Le Martyre de saint Sébastien.

The jetty, the beach and the boats

From the jetty, the view takes in the Bassin, Cap Ferret and, in winter, the Dune du Pilat and the entrance to the Bassin. Le Moulleau beach, lifeguarded in summer, looks out towards the Banc d’Arguin and the dune.

In summer, a shuttle boat links the Moulleau jetty to Cap Ferret in about twenty minutes, and boats also run to the centre of Arcachon and the Jetée Thiers. On foot, you can follow the beaches to Le Pyla in one direction and to Pereire in the other.

Living in Le Moulleau

Tree-lined pedestrian streets, shops, ice-cream parlours, cafés and restaurants: Le Moulleau lives at the pace of a seaside village. It is very lively from April to October, and in winter it finds a gentleness again that year-round residents particularly love.

It’s a much sought-after neighbourhood for people who want everything within walking distance, the beach, the shops and the jetty, with the forest and the dune just a few minutes away. Here, I look at how close a property is to the beach and the shopping street, how quiet the lane is, and the view, which often makes all the difference.

If you’re thinking of settling in Arcachon, or of selling a property here, I’d be delighted to talk it over with you.