Situated in Les Landes de Gascogne, the lagoon lies between the towns of La Teste-de-Buch to the south, Lège-Cap-Ferret to the west, and the delta of La Leyre to the east. From the estuary of the Gironde to L’Adour, the dunes extend over 250 km, only interrupted by the Bassin d’Arcachon.

Part and parcel of the Pays de Buch, this area is made up of ten communes : Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, Le Teich, Biganos, Audenge, Lanton, Andernos-les-Bains, Arès and Lège-Cap-Ferret. With the arrival of the railway, it became a renowned seaside resort back in the “Belle Epoque”, an era when the Pereire brothers built villas right on the seafront, hotels and the casino. Sailing, fish and oyster farming then won their letters of nobility. Between salt marshes, pinewoods and sand dunes, the beaches around the Bassin d’Arcachon extended their invitation for tranquil bathing and family holidays.

“80 % of transactions here involve holiday homes,” says Nathalie Foulon of the Agence Carnot Immobilier, who is also President of the regional “Chambre Syndicale des Agents Immobiliers”. Exceptions aside, clients spend from 200,000 to 800,000 € on their second residences. In Arcachon itself, a studio costs close on 100,000 €, a 1-bedroom apartment 200,000 €, with houses starting at 350,000 € and attaining 450,000 € on average. An old residence in Les Abatilles, La Ville d’Hiver or Pereire, with living space of 100 to 200 m2, costs from 600,000 to 800,000 €. Most of the buyers come from a “département” less than 4 hours away by train or car from the chosen destination. The remaining 20 % - locals usually targetting the 400,000-600,000 € bracket - are either looking for a more spacious home or, when approaching retirement, selling a large property requiring too much up-keep in favour of a more practical alternative. Recently, one couple paid 1,150,000 € for a residence of 200 m2 with a garden of 600 m2 over towards Pereire. They also treated themselves to a typical house of 100 m2 in need of a lick of paint in Les Abatilles, for 520,000 €. Despite some tough negotiations, the market here is pretty active.

“The Bassin is made up of micro-markets with specific features that are quite deep-rooted,” says Stéphane Pillon, General Manager of Orpi Agence Centrale. Characterized by relatively classic accommodation, La Ville d’Eté posts prices between 4,000 and 10,000 €/m2, the high end applying to residences on the seafront. And while La Ville d’Hiver proposes some attractive properties around 500,000 €, it also boasts a few luxury items. A 1900’s property with its grounds of 1,000 m2, swimming pool, gym, home movie lounge and independent apartment has just found a new owner at 2,625,000 €. Le Pyla, a real haven of tranquillity, is in high demand, especially from Parisian holiday-makers, accounting for 80 % of the sales. This exceptional address offers homes of real quality, “shown off to real advantage in its showcase in Paris” rejoices Stéphane Pillon. The private estate hosts top-notch properties, while the hyper-centre, less than 100 metres from the beach, offers houses from 500,000 to 1 million euros. The wide renown of Cap Ferret and its 108 acres of land, a highly prestigious address, spills over to benefit the entire peninsula. Le Canon, L’Herbe, Grand-Piquey, Claouey, Petit-Piquey and Piraillan offer genuine opportunities at much more appealing prices and therefore real scope for long-term appreciation. By way of example, a house of 165 m2 on the beach of Claouey costs 735,000 €. A similar property on the front row in Le Mimbeau would fetch 3 million euros.

“Le Moulleau is popular with all age groups, not requiring systematic use of a car to get to the beach, cafés, restaurants or one of the three ice-cream parlours,” comments Julie Lemoine of Moulleau Immobilier. “The go-ahead shop-keepers’ association makes sure that proximity services are available twelve months a year.” The typical buyer here is 50 to 70 years old. Often from the Paris region, this family-oriented clientele is looking for convenience. Their search for holiday homes with at least four bedrooms is motivated by the idea of annual get-togethers in properties they will later pass on to their heirs. “People often contact me for estimates. Which does not necessarily mean I will be entrusted with a sale ; it has more to do with their desire to prepare a will or a donation. In fact, supply is outstripped by demand,” explains Julie Lemoine, grappling with a recurrent problem of scarce availabilities. In this highly-prized area, prices range from 8,000 to 14,000 €/m2. Her most recent sales include a 1-bedroom apartment of 60 m2 in need of restoration, in the residence Le Panoramique, at 380,000 € and a 5-bedroom villa on the enchanting Allée des Tilleuls, at 1,350,000 €. One seller is currently asking 2.6 million euros for a house of 250 m2, renovated to reflect local architecture and opening out to a garden of 720 m2. Despite stable prices, the market is capricious with sentiment often entering into play. The price bracket around 1 million euros is still buoyant, though the top end of the market is already seeing more hesitation. Out of every ten sales, five concern apartments, a commodity borne along by the current trend to fall back on bricks and mortar, and the very reassuring rental investment.