Arcachon is surrounded on three sides by a magnificent coniferous forest, which protects it from the harsh ocean winds. This is what makes the resort a European-level balneological treatment center. The mild climate, incredibly attractive summer days when the air temperature does not exceed +23-25°C, and warm winter with rare cold and snowy days make Arkashon a mecca for lovers of comfortable ocean vacation.
Winter in Arcachon is wet and dank, with the rainy season and gusty winds starting as early as late October and lasting until February. Snowfall is rare in the area, but storms are quite frequent during the fall and winter, when the rainy season begins. Sometimes the weather conditions force to stop navigation in the bay.
Summer at the resort is dry, sunny and warm. In the afternoon quite often sea breeze blows from the sea, but in the second half of summer - early fall, storms come from the Bay of Biscay, causing great damage to nature and human activity.
Arkashon's plant and animal life
While the interior of France has been greatly altered by human activity and the density of megacities and agglomerations, around the Gulf of Arcachon a corner of nature has been preserved in all its original form and splendor. The Bay of Arcachon and the resort itself are located in one of the most marvelous areas of France, the Landes.
In the nineteenth century, this area was covered by vast marshes, with quicksand and dunes dating back to the Ice Age. Stilts were the trademark of the area, without which the inhabitants could not move around. The marshes were then actively drained and planted with maritime pine.
It was the pine and the dunes that became the symbols of Arkashon. Today, the Landes is a huge regional nature park, which is crisscrossed like capillaries by hiking and biking paths. The vegetation of Arkashon is represented by coniferous tree species.
Take a closer look at the nature of the Atlantic coast of France at the ornithological park of Le Teche, located at the crossroads of migratory birds. Tourists can observe a huge number of birds in spring and fall. There are 80 species of birds nesting permanently in the park and about 180 species stopover during their migrations.
