The Cap Ferret peninsula : a well-preserved site

Only known for many long years by fishermen in the Bassin d’Arcachon, Cap Ferret has remained wild and quiet, while now offering top-notch residential accommodation. A corner of paradise between ocean and lagoon...

The tale of Cap Ferret dates back to the 19th century when fishermen from La Teste-de-Buch and Gujan-Mestras just opposite began to build their beach cabins. Oyster farming then made its appearance at the initiative of Napoleon III, setting the peninsula’s economic life in motion before tourism began to develop in the early 20th century. Both tourism and urban development have in fact remained moderate, allowing for the protection of an authentic and original environment : the waves of the Atlantic Ocean on one side, the lovely scenery around the Bassin d’Arcachon on the other, the view of the Dune du Pilat on the tip of the peninsula, the beaches and pinewoods. An address now highly-prized on the Côte d’Argent (sometimes referred to as the “Saint-Tropez of the Atlantic coast”), Cap Ferret (ie. the territory on the commune of Lège-Cap-Ferret) encompasses the villages of Claouey, Le Four, Les Jacquets, Le Petit Piquey and Le Grand Piquey, Le Piraillan, Lège-bourg, Le Canon (a fishing village), L’Herbe, La Vigne (sailing harbour) and Cap Ferret (a seaside resort well-known for its lighthouse).

Based in Arcachon (in the sought-after neighbourhood of Le Moulleau) since 2008, Carmen Milcent, Managing Partner of Ateliers, Lofts & Associés, knows the Cap Ferret market very well. Her agency specializing in the sale of unusual properties (original architecture, prime locations...) mainly proposes houses whose prices vary depending on their closeness to the water (on both the ocean and Bassin sides) and the tip of the cape. “In Cap Ferret and La Vigne, homes in highest demand, that’s to say villas at around 1 million euros, fetch about 10,000 € per sqm. Those at the entrance to the peninsula (Lège, Piraillan...) are seeing a slight downturn, unlike those on Cap Ferret or properties with sea views, whose prices remain stable.” Even though the market for apartments is somewhat confidential, Carmen Milcent’s portfolio also contains a few examples : “They offer living space of about 100 m2 on the seafront, priced around 8,000 € per sqm”. Her clientele mainly consists of people from Paris, Bordeaux and abroad (the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the USA) looking for charming holiday residences.

In charge of the Grisel Immobilier agency on Cap Ferret (in Le Canon) since 2002, Brigitte Baillet is also mostly contacted by Parisian, Bordelais and foreign clients, as well as Frenchmen living in London, Geneva or Brussels. A real inst­itution in Bordeaux, founded in 1945, Grisel Immobilier, with three more addresses in Bordeaux, Arcachon and Libourne, specializes in prestige properties. “The starting-price here is about 600,000 €, which is the case for two houses currently available in our portfolio : offering 2 bedrooms and gardens of 930 and 980 m2, and in need of renovation. For the middle of the range, one can expect to pay around 800,000 €.” An example of a sale currently under negotiation : a 6-room house (4 bedrooms) in grounds of 1,100 m2 with a pool, priced at 785,000 €. “Then come properties over 1 M € : a villa with 11 main rooms (6 bedrooms) in almost 2,150 m2 of grounds with a pool, currently on offer at 1,470,000 €. Or a house which we recently sold at the asking price - about 2 M €. Offering a superb view and living space of 250 m2 (6 bedrooms), it stands in grounds of 2,580 m2.”

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