The largest "département" in metropolitan France can lay claim to part of the forests of Les Landes, the Gascon province of Le Bazadais, vineyards in Le Bordelais, but also a magnificent shoreline with well-known seaside resorts. From La Pointe de Grave to the Bassin d'Arcachon, houses on the coast offer lots of persuasive arguments.

La Gironde has a coastline exactly 126 km long, facing the Atlantic. Montalivet, Soulac, Hourtin, Lacanau, Carcans, Le Porge, Andernos-les-Bains, Lège-Cap-Ferret, Le Pyla-sur-Mer and Arcachon are some of the region’s most popular destinations, accommodating from 37 to 80 % of holiday homes. “The Bassin d’Arcachon is looked upon as a choice address among fans of the seafront, though the sector to the north, defined by Lacanau and Montalivet, benefits from a dual orientation facing the ocean and the lake, as well as much more affordable prices,” say Cédric Fourteau, Frédéric Marchand and Carmen Milcent of Ateliers Lofts & Associés. A house of 165 m2 in grounds of 800 m2 without any particular view, in the Marina de Talaris, a high-end development at Lacanau, costs 500,000 €. Overall, the luxury segment is less present here than around the famous “bassin”. These specialists in atypical homes in fact assert that choice is constantly expanding over towards Arcachon. Traditional buildings are now systematically renovated in con-temporary style. Architects, already active here last century - as witnessed by homes designed by Yves Salier and Pierre Lajus -, play an important part in enhancing the available housing. One exemple on Cap Ferret, with living space of 278 m2 in grounds of 2,578 m2, bears a price-tag of 2,315,000 €. One has to distingush between standard homes and oceanfront properties, a feature that suffices in itself to justify the “exceptional” label. Since the crisis, properties at the water’s edge, whose prices had formerly soared, have regained more coherent levels, in the 2.5 to 4.5 million euro bracket. One could, for example, spend 4 to 4.5 million euros for a home of 190 m2 in perfect condition, in grounds of 1,200 m2, at Le Pyla. Though there are, of course, more affordable properties, such as a loft of 187 m2 in Arcachon extended by a terrace of 20 m2, on offer at 690,000 €. Buyers from Bordeaux, Paris, the UK, Belgium and Switzerland, industrialists, self-employed professionals and artists, treat themselves to second residences in the area. Justifiably convinced that the investment is sound, they follow their own preferences, fall for a property and enjoy it like a new slice of life.

According to Julie Lemoine of Moulleau Immobilier, an agency belonging to the FNAIM network, the concepts of family get-togethers and the handing down of assets nevertheless still persist. Purchasers have their habits and know that the best way of guaranteeing an investment is choosing a prime location, like Le Moulleau, undoubtedly the most highly-prized part of Arcachon. It benefits from proximity to the beach, trendy establishments, a busy calendar of events and a pleasant atmosphere. All these attributes enable it to resist tension in the international economy, or even ignore it. Julie Lemoine points to the recent sale of a property of 180 m2, comfortable and refined, in grounds of 1,100 m2, for 1.3 million euros. The summer looks very promising, with a few transactions over and above 1 million euros, even if the market remains capricious and unstable. Demand regularly outstrips supply. “This authentic “Arcachonnaise” built in the 1930’s, with five bedrooms and a garden of 800 m2, which has just become available at 795,000 €, is, for instance, one of these rare commodities,” comments this estate-agent who makes a point of providing excellent service. “Le Pyla offers a natural setting both preserved and wild, edged by vast stretches of sand,” says Laurent Lecronier of the Agence du Pyla. Built on the dunes, traditional houses survey the ocean, while houses towards La Chapelle Forestière are not overlooked but turn more towards wooded areas. The transformation of the old oyster farm into the hotel-restaurant La Co(o)rniche by the talented Philippe Stark should serve as a standard-bearer for this sleeping beauty, which has trailed behind the trendy Le Moulleau over the past few years. Clients are just as enthusiastic about properties to renovate as turn-key homes, aware that they have to pay at least 1.2 million euros for living space of 250 m2 in good condition, with grounds of 1,500 m2. “Slightly less expensive than Le Pyla and much less so than Le Moulleau, both of which profit from national and even international renown, Pereire offers a delightful beach and is not far from the town centre, La Chapelle and Les Abatilles, appreciated for their year-round commercial activity,” adds Nadine Tissot-Dupont of Grisel Immobilier. The great advantage here lies in convenience and sublime views of the Bassin. Buyers prepared to spend 1 to 2 million euros for desirable detached villas intend to use them as holiday homes, though they often become main residences once their owners reach retirement age.