Scale 258 steps inside the cape's 53m-tall, red-and-white lighthouse for a stunning view of Cap Ferret, the Bassin d'Arcachon and the stunning Dune du Pilat. Interactive exhibits inside the lighthouse complement the climb. In the surrounding park, a small exhibition inside the Blockhaus du Parc du Phare – a concrete bunker with 2m-thick walls built by occupying Germans in 1940 – explains how the original lighthouse was destroyed by dynamite in 1944. The current lighthouse was built in 1947.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.18 MILES
This colossal sand dune (sometimes referred to as the Dune de Pyla because of its location 4km from the small seaside resort town of Pyla-sur-Mer), 8km…
8.69 MILES
The small but fascinating House of the Oyster at Port de Larros explains how oysters are farmed in the Bassin d'Arcachon – from the baby beginnings when…
4.27 MILES
In the delightful Ville d'Été (Summer Quarter), Arcachon's deep sandy beach, Plage d'Arcachon, is flanked by two piers. Lively Jetée Thiers is at the…
3.74 MILES
On the tree-covered hillside south of the Ville d'Été, the century-old Ville d'Hiver (Winter Quarter) has more than 300 villas, many decorated with…
4.36 MILES
In a wooden shack opposite the casino, this aquarium has a small collection of Atlantic fish in floodlit tanks.
Nearby attractions
3.74 MILES
On the tree-covered hillside south of the Ville d'Été, the century-old Ville d'Hiver (Winter Quarter) has more than 300 villas, many decorated with…
4.18 MILES
This colossal sand dune (sometimes referred to as the Dune de Pyla because of its location 4km from the small seaside resort town of Pyla-sur-Mer), 8km…
4.27 MILES
In the delightful Ville d'Été (Summer Quarter), Arcachon's deep sandy beach, Plage d'Arcachon, is flanked by two piers. Lively Jetée Thiers is at the…
4.36 MILES
In a wooden shack opposite the casino, this aquarium has a small collection of Atlantic fish in floodlit tanks.
8.69 MILES
The small but fascinating House of the Oyster at Port de Larros explains how oysters are farmed in the Bassin d'Arcachon – from the baby beginnings when…