Information about camping and camping resources in and around Arcachon in the Gironde region of Aquitaine, South West France 

Trucking around the Bordeaux peripherique (ring road) may not be everyone's cup of tea but if you know what signs to follow then it's easy enough, so if you are approaching Bordeaux from the north as most Brits do then the first thing you need to know is that you are going Ouest (west), and you must follow signs for Bayonne and/or Biarritz. Leave the peripherique at junction 13 onto the N250 and follow your nose to Arcachon. Tis a doddle! We have a link to a map of the region which shows the Arcachon bay and another which shows the complete area

Arcachon Bay or Bassin d'Arcachon as the French call it is one huge dream place for outdoor lovers. There is over 100km of coastline from south of Arcachon and round the Bassin to Cap Ferret in the north with beaches for everyone from toddlers to championship surfers. There are facilities for every water-sport imaginable in this area and the rollers in this part of the world have to be seen to be believed. Surfers especially come from far and wide when the surf is up.

There are pine forests here where you will see red squirrels, and the forests reach right the way down to the Spanish border. Naturally there are ancient and very protected sand dunes at the back of the beaches,; there are old and historic oyster-farming villages, small towns and villages, stacks of paths for walking and a multitude of cycle tracks. There is an abundance of nature, especially for bird-watchers and there is an island in the Bassin d'Arcachon called Ile aux Oiseaux, or bird island, so any twitchers amongst you had better pack the binos!

All in all, in common with the rest of this part of France, it's very family-friendly and has a laid-back, un-self conscious style that makes you quickly feel at home.

You will find camping sites in and around Arcachon, masses of them which cater for take your own tent camping, pre-assembled tent camping with all the gear supplied and of course no camping site would be complete without the most comfortable mobile homes.