Why choose a luxury hotel facing Cap Ferret rather than on the peninsula?
On a map, the two shores almost seem to touch. To the north, the Lège-Cap Ferret peninsula stretches between the ocean and the lagoon all the way to its tip. Its villages of wooden cabins, its pines and its wild beaches make up the scenery that built its reputation. To the south, Le Pyla answers back, set against the highest dune in Europe. Between the two, the channels form the mouth of the lagoon, which the tide fills and empties without pause. It is there, between the tip and the mainland, that the islets of the Banc d’Arguin drift, a national nature reserve since 1972. Choosing a luxury hotel facing Cap Ferret therefore means choosing the shore from which you look at the peninsula, rather than the one from which you look at the dune.
On a booking map, the two shores look like neighbours; by car, they are not. From Le Pyla, reaching the tip by road means driving right around the Bassin d’Arcachon, whose waters have been protected by a marine nature park since 2014. By water, on the other hand, everything gets shorter. The crossing takes just half an hour from the jetty in Arcachon, about ten kilometres from the hotel. All you need to do is book your outbound and return times in advance. The boatmen’s shuttles even welcome dogs, for a small supplement. At Ha(a)ïtza, you sleep on the side of the dune, the station and the airport, without giving up the peninsula:
– Peninsula side: nine oyster villages, the lighthouse and the ocean beaches.
– Pyla side: the dune, the hotel and the station 9 km away.
– In between: a thirty-minute crossing, with bikes available on arrival.
This position offers another privilege, less visible in photos. A few minutes from the hotel, the Dune du Pilat rises at the heart of a protected site of 6,800 hectares, between ocean and forest. Early risers climb it while the sand is still cool, to watch the tip stand out on the horizon. From the top, the eye runs north to where the peninsula closes off the lagoon. In the afternoon, the hotel’s Pâtisserie de Famille rewards walkers with its Paris-Pyla.
Ha(a)ïtza, a house best enjoyed at the table
In the evening at Ha(a)ïtza, luxury plays out first in the conservatory of the Skiff Club. Three rowing skiffs hang from the white timber frame above the tables, among boater hats and photographs of races from another era. The atmosphere remains elegant and familial, slightly old-fashioned, like places that seem to have always existed. The MICHELIN Guide awards it two stars in its 2026 selection, and the house presents it as the only two-star table on the Bay. Chef Stéphane Carrade champions what he calls progressive terroir, shaped by the holidays of his childhood on the shores of the lagoon. His love of sharing comes from a grandmother who passed cooking on to him from the age of five. His menu runs to four starters, four mains and four desserts, renewed with the market of the day. More than 1,200 references fill the cellar, enough to find the right match for every plate.
Before dinner, the bar draws regulars from around the Bay, curious about the latest creation of its head bartender, Hugo Pied. Rewarded as early as his apprenticeship, this local talent signs a pine needle cocktail that smells of the nearby forest. For easy evenings, the Café Ha(a)ïtza, set opposite the hotel since 2015, serves bistro cooking without reservations until 10.30pm. Residents of the Bay, families and travellers gather around the same tables. Philippe Starck sees it as the brasserie of our collective memory, transposed to Le Pyla. On Sundays, the hotel’s brasserie lays out a brunch with buffets of seafood, crêpes and desserts, to be booked in advance.
Between meals, the brasserie serves continuously from noon to 11pm, in the Grand Salon, on the terrace or by the pool. Salads, omelettes, club sandwiches and charcoal grills sit alongside the house pastries. No reservation is needed, whether you are back from the beach or crossing the Bay the next day. On leaving the table, the Boutique du Pyla extends the evening until midnight with its selection of clothing, objects and cosmetics. That too is the luxury of a house open all year round: finding your table and your pace, from a relaxed lunch to a starred dinner.
Cross the Bay in the morning, back to Le Pyla for dinner
A day on Cap Ferret starts early, on the jetty in Arcachon. Half an hour later, you step ashore on the other side, where rental bikes can be waiting just by the jetty. Then head for the Cap Ferret lighthouse, whose 258 steps lead 57 metres up. From the top, the view takes in the oyster beds, the channels and the dune. It even reaches Le Pyla, the shore where you are staying. The current lighthouse dates from 1947, its predecessor having been destroyed during the war. The monument also houses an Art Deco style exhibition space, with its mosaic sea chart and animated nautical maps. On the way back, stop in one of the nine oyster villages of the peninsula, where the wooden cabins still shelter the work of the oyster farmers. The French word for oyster farming, ostréiculture, comes from the Latin ostrea, the oyster, combined with colere, to cultivate.
You head back in the late afternoon, just in time for a last swim under the glass roof. Booked direct, our rooms and suites benefit from the best available rate and secure payment with no extra fees. Confirmation is immediate, with no intermediary between you and the house. Our offers and news add to these conditions as the seasons change. Above all, booking direct opens a conversation that no platform can replace. An accessible room, a table to hold at the Skiff Club or a question about the crossing are all handled directly with our reception. Out of season, the peninsula is explored in peace: in winter, you can find yourself alone or almost at the top of the lighthouse.
A luxury hotel facing Cap Ferret, Ha(a)ïtza ultimately brings together the best of both shores: the peninsula by day, Le Pyla by night. To get a feel for it, our gallery gives a foretaste of the glass roof, the Grand Salon and the rooms. Every space bears the house’s signature, down to the stained glass windows designed by Ara Starck. Just 600 metres away, our sister house La Co(o)rniche completes the experience with its terrace facing the Banc d’Arguin. Two addresses run by the same family, for two ways of living Le Pyla.
