Andernos Les Bains is a lovely beach town in the heart of Arcachon Bay, situated midway between Cap Ferret and Arcachon City. While less familiar to most tourists visiting Bordeaux, this town is an amazing spot for a perfect summer vacation. Fresh oysters, beautiful beaches, summer fashion boutiques, and great restaurants are only some of the marvels Andernos has to offer.
Andernos les Bains is one of my favorite places on Arcachon, a spot I tend to visit several times a year since moving here so I feel like writing about it is a bit overdue. In this article, I will help you discover the best things to do in Andernos les Bains, where to eat your oysters, and where to stay.
If you want to discover other towns on Arcachon Bay read my article about a day trip to Arcachon. And if you want to go to the famous Dune du Pilat, you should probably combine it with the town of Arcachon instead of Andernos. I have a detailed guide to Arcachon and Dune du Pilat.
Let’s discover the best things to do in Andernos les Bains!
Best things to do in Andrenos les Bains
Enjoy the cute town center
Andernos les Bains has one of the most charming town centers among the towns of Arcachon. You can find plenty of little restaurants, shops, and cute boutiques on the main shopping street Avenue de Pasteur, and around Place David Gambetta. Plenty of music and entertaining events usually take place on this square during the summer (see the events of Andernos later in the article).
I personally prefer to eat at the oyster port (see all the info about that later) but if you want to start your day with a nice coffee/ breakfast near the beach, that’s a great place to do that. There’s also a big variety of restaurants here for those who don’t like seafood. Two good ones to try are La Maison restaurant and Le Cochon Volant for more traditional local food.
From Place David Gambetta, you will see the Jetee d’Andernos les Bains, the longest pier in France. Don’t be lazy and take a walk on the pier to see the beautiful view of the Bassin d’Arcachon. If you look carefully you’ll spot all of its symbols the beaches, the town of Arcachon, Les Cabanes Tchanquées, the Cap Ferret peninsula, and more.
When the tied is low, you can take the stairs at the end of the pier and take a walk in the wide intertidal area. It’s quite an extraordinary site and feels like walking on the moon.
Visit the Andernos market
There are several markets taking place on different days in Andernos les Bains, the main one of them is the marché couvert which is open all year long. It’s not the biggest market in Arcachon, (one in la Teste de Buch is actually my favorite one) but it’s a very nice covered market that offers all the main local food.
I particularly love the fish stand which also has a big selection of interesting seafood salads. In the late morning, you will encounter a lot of locals having an early glass of wine at the market bar. That’s a really great place to buy all the ingredients for a perfect beach picnic.
The market is located at Place Camille Goubet, about 10 minute’s walk from the main shopping street. The Andernos market is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm all year long and every day during the summer season. See more details about that and other markets in Andernos les Bains here.
Eay oysters at the Oyster port of Andernos
Now let’s go to my favorite place in Andernos les Bains, the Oysters Port. Port Ostréicole (oyster farming port) is a common feature in the villages on Bassin d’Arcachon and Andernos has one of the best ones.
Stroll the alleys of the port admiring the colorful cabins, the pinasses (oyster boats), and the pools with fresh oysters you’re going to taste in a minute.
It’s time to taste some oysters!
There are tens of oyster cabins at the port, you can just stroll the port until you choose the one you like the most. Here are two that I like: Cabane Rossignol with its great service and La Station des Gus (cabane 21) which is beautifully decorated.
If it’s your first time in Arcachon, you should know that oyster cabins have a license to serve oysters, shrimps, pork paté, and some sea snails. If you don’t like any of these, you should probably go to one of the regular seafood restaurants at the port, that also serve fish. The restaurants are located in the northern part of the port, here are two good ones: Chez Huguette and Eliette.
Hiking at The Quinconces site
If you love hiking, you came to the right place! Andernos les Bains happens to be home to one of the most beautiful natural reserves on Arcachon. The Quinconces natural site (Site Naturel des Quinconces), is part of a preserved area between Andernos and Ares. This wild nature site includes the Pointe des Quinconces, which offers a magnificent view of the Bassin.
You can start your walk from the port, just enter the site and get lost between the marshes and the forest. At the site, you can also find a beautiful wild beach, which is one of the hidden gems of Andernos. It’s usually quieter than the regular beach of Andernos and is more scenic with pine trees behind.
You can also take a tour of the site offered by the tourist office, here are the details to contact them.
Go to the beach
As Andernos les Bains is a beach town, going to the beach is one of the primary activities here!
However, you should remember that Andernos is located on Arcachon Bay, which means that the tide changes are quite big. When the tide is at its lowest, the sea is so far from the beach that you can barely see the water. So before going, check out the daily tide hours.
There are three main beaches in Andernos les Bains. Plage de la Jetée is located in the city center. It’s very central and kids friendly, however when the tide is high the beach can become quite narrow especially close to the pier.
La Plage du Betey is the bigger and better beach in Andernos. It’s located at the Port de Plaisance du Betey (the marina of Andernos). It has many beach activities, showers, toilets, and some fast restoration options.
My favorite beach is located just next to the port (Plage du Port Ostreicole), it’s a bit calmer and has a lot of space even when the tide is high. As I mentioned earlier, if you want something a bit more quiet and wild, go to the Plage de Quinconces.
Water activities in Andernos les Bains
There are plenty of water activities you can do around Andernos. Everything from sailboarding to SUP and surf classes.
In the summer the region gets quite busy so be sure to book all these activities a bit in advance.
How to get to Andernos les Bains from Bordeaux
The best way to get here is by car. It’s one of the places in Arcachon where traffic is not bad even in the summer. And usually, parking is not that hard to find, so if you have the option to rent a car I highly recommend it.
But you can actually get here by bus from Bordeaux too. Line 601 leaves from the Quinconces station every 30 – 45 minutes during the day and has several stops in Andernos les Bains, including the center. See all the info, including the timeline – here.
Where to stay in Andernos les Bains
Andernos les Bains has plenty of small boutique hotels and amazing camping sites. One hotel I particularly like is L’Anderenis Boutique Hôtel, a beautiful boutique hotel in the hyper center of Arcachon and a minute’s walk from the beach.
If you’re coming here with a group of friends or a big family, this villa in the city center is perfect for you. It’s located within a few minutes walk from all the shops and restaurants and not far from the oysters port.
What events not to miss in Andernos les Bains
There are a lot of small events taking place in Andernos les Bains, I update about these in my newsletter throughout the year. However, there are a few big events that attract many people from Bordeaux and other towns in the region.
Here are the best events in Andernos les Bains:
Andernos Jazz Festival – a big Jazz festival at the end of July with plenty of free concerts in the city center and on the beaches.
Cabanes en Fête – every December, Andernos is celebrating its oysters with a weekend of music, white wine, and oysters of course.
I have plenty more articles about the Bassin d’Arcachon to help you plan the perfect stay there, so check them out!
Where to stay in Arcachon
Best camping sites in Arcachon and Cap Ferret
Best beaches in Cap Ferret
What to do with kids in Arcachon
Best things to do in Arcachon
All the best towns to visit around the Arcachon Bay
You can also get plenty of tips on things to do in the Southwest of France via lost in Bordeaux’s social media accounts and email list, check them out here:
Facebook |Instagram |Email | Facebook group
*Note – Some of the links in this article include affiliate links for which I earn a small commission. It adds absolutely nothing to your cost and helps me continue writing about this amazing region. Don’t worry, I’m not getting rich here, I’ll never recommend anything I don’t believe in 🙂
