Île aux Oiseaux, Natural bird sanctuary island in La Teste-de-Buch, France.
The island spans approximately one thousand hectares within the Arcachon Basin, featuring diverse wetlands and protected environmental zones throughout its territory.
During the reign of Napoleon III in the 1800s, the island developed into an active oyster farming location, establishing a lasting maritime tradition.
The traditional wooden huts on stilts, known as Cabanes Tchanquées, represent the local maritime heritage and fishing practices of the Arcachon Basin.
Access to the island requires boat transportation from the Port of La Teste de Buch, with maritime services operating regularly during summer months.
The island's surface area changes dramatically with tidal movements, ranging from 16 kilometers in circumference at high tide to 5 kilometers at low tide.
Location: La Teste-de-Buch
GPS coordinates: 44.69709,-1.17107
Latest update: May 27, 2025 17:04
The Landes region features natural parks, medieval churches, castles, and coastal areas. The territory includes pine forests, lakes, and nature reserves with diverse flora and fauna. The historical buildings display Romanesque and Gothic architecture from different centuries.
The Bassin d'Arcachon covers 155 square kilometers along the French Atlantic coast and offers numerous subjects for photography. The Dune du Pilat rises 110 meters above sea level and forms the tallest sand dune in Europe. Oyster farming villages such as Gujan-Mestras, L'Herbe, and Le Canon display wooden huts on stilts distributed along the shores. The Cap Ferret peninsula separates the basin from the Atlantic and presents long sandy beaches on both sides. The Cap Ferret lighthouse from 1947 reaches a height of 53 meters. The Île aux Oiseaux sits in the center of the basin and hosts two traditional stilt cabins, the Cabanes Tchanquées, which are surrounded by water at high tide. The town of Arcachon displays 19th-century villas in the Ville d'Hiver, a district with over 300 buildings in Belle Époque style. The Domaine de Certes et Graveyron nature reserve includes former salt marshes and fish ponds now inhabited by herons, spoonbills, and other water birds. The beaches of Pereire and Pyla-sur-Mer provide direct views of the basin and nearby pine forests.
Statue of Heracles, Arcachon
4.4 km
Cabane tchanquée
493 m
Plage Thiers
3.7 km
Parc Mauresque
4.3 km
Basilique Notre-Dame d'Arcachon
4.1 km
Château Deganne
3.8 km
Synagogue d'Arcachon
4.3 km
Monument aux morts d'Arcachon
4.4 km
Villa Toledo
4.3 km
Jetée d'Eyrac
3.6 km
Observatoire Sainte-Cécile
4.2 km
Jetée de la Chapelle
3.7 km
Villa Alma
3.8 km
Villa Plaisance
4.2 km
Villa Marguerite
4.3 km
Plage d'Eyrac
4 km
Villa Faust
4.3 km
Cabane Tchanquée n°53
450 m
Théâtre Olympia
4 km
Villa Saint-Yves
3.8 km
Plage_des_Jacquets
3.8 km
Villa Alexandre Dumas
4.3 km
Chapelle des marins
4.1 km
Chapelle Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc d'Arcachon
4.1 km
Passerelle Saint-Paul
4.3 km
Ile Aux Oiseaux (partie marine)
356 m
Croix des marins
3.8 km
Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Pins du Piquey
4 kmReviews
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