Just 90 minutes’ drive from COMO Cordeillan-Bages, pine forests open to ocean air, estuaries widen, and the Atlantic begins to breathe. This is coastal Bordeaux, where wine country meets wild shores that are much loved by locals, and still largely off the tourist trail. From here, the landscape splits in two: south towards Arcachon’s tidal calm, or north along the Médoc’s wilder edge and into the Gironde estuary.
South: Arcachon Bay and the Atlantic’s Sleepy Edge
Set out early from COMO Cordeillan-Bages, leaving behind the ordered symmetry of the Médoc as vineyards give way to pine forest and the air takes on a salty tang. By late morning, you arrive at Arcachon Bay, where wooden oyster huts line the water’s edge, and lunch unfolds over platters of freshly shucked oysters and glasses of crisp white wine. The pace is unhurried, shaped by the rise and fall of the tide and the quiet movement of boats across the bay.
A short drive further south brings you to Dune du Pilat, Europe’s tallest sand dune and one of its most surreal landscapes. The climb takes around 30 minutes, giving way to a view that is all contrast: forest behind, ocean ahead, and sky stretching uninterrupted above both.
From here, take the 40-minute ferry across the bay, or loop around by road to Cap Ferret. It’s a simple local village, studded with oyster shacks sitting just above the waterline. Spend the late afternoon moving without agenda, renting bikes to cycle along sandy paths towards shell-strewn beaches. As the light softens, the day draws to a natural close before the hour-long drive back to COMO Cordeillan-Bages.
North: The Médoc Coast and Gironde Estuary
Around 75 minutes’ drive from Pauillac, Soulac-sur-Mer’s streets are lined with elegant Belle Époque villas. Soft pastels, intricate woodwork and shuttered balconies reflect its origins as one of Bordeaux’s earliest seaside resorts. At its centre, the Romanesque Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-fin-des-Terres anchors the town, once a stop for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. From here, it’s only a short walk to the ocean, where the coastline opens into uninterrupted stretches of sand backed by low dunes.
Just 15 minutes’ drive further, Vendays-Montalivet — often simply called Montalivet — brings a lively contrast. Surfers chase rolling waves, families spread out along the beach, and the town’s famous daily market buzzes with color and local flavor. Stalls spill out between covered halls and open squares, stocked with fresh oysters, the morning’s catch laid out on ice, crates of sun-ripened fruit and vegetables, bread, cheeses, and grilled meats prepared to eat on the spot.
Continue inland along the Gironde estuary to Phare de Richard. The landscape flattens, the water widens and the region’s iconic carrelets come into view. These wooden fishing huts are perched on stilts, extending out over the estuary on narrow walkways. Their square nets are still lowered and raised by hand, as they have been since at least the 17th century, when they offered a practical way to fish these shifting tidal waters without boats. Silhouetted against the estuary’s shores, they offer an enduring image of life shaped by the tides — and a fitting close to a day spent discovering Bordeaux beyond the wine.
For more information, or to book a private guide and chauffeur, please contact the concierge at COMO Cordeillan-Bages.
