Dune De Pilat
written by kylewis
on September 28th, 2008
, 6 comments
(1 vote)
What an incredible sight, as you stand at the base of the Dune after walking through all the touristy stuff. The heat is amazing and its so bright, it spreads out before you like a wall of sand. A staircase seems to grow out of the Dune so you can attempt to climb it without feeling like you are crossing the Sahara, of course climbing what appears to be a vertical staircase in the heat is not easy work.
Reaching the top is not just a relief but as you look around, its a view never to be forgotten. Here’s a few little details for you, The Sand Dune stretches for over 2700 meters it is over 105m high and growing by 4m a year! 500m wide it has a volume of 20 million cubic meters of sand and is the biggest Sand Dune in Europe. It is also considered an important national site.
Apart from the facts, once you are on top you really feel very insignificant, the Atlantic on one side forest on the other and the dune in the middle with its own vanishing point. Plenty of tourists everywhere with their jaws dropped and a fair amount of nutters actually body boarding down the side into the forest!!! A little foolhardy with all the dead wood at the base but they seem to enjoy it.
Walk down the more gradual side toward the ocean and you can see the sandbanks and oyster beds in the distance. The bay of Arcachon lies off to the North and the Pyrenees way down South. Despite the people there is something still and peaceful about the place. Well worth a visit and don’t forget your body board!!!
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