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Top 10 Little Known Facts about Dune du Pilat

The Dune of Pilat, also called Grande Dune du Pilat, is the tallest sand dune in Europe. The Dune of Pilat is located in the Gironde department in southwestern France. It is just at the entrance to Arcachon Bay, on the territory of the small town of La Teste de Buch, about 40 miles southwest of Bordeaux.

The dune is almost 3km long, a smidge over 100 metres high and approximately 500m wide (it’s growing each year 鈥� slowly swallowing the pine forest at its feet). Man-made stairs protrude from the dune to make the climb a little less daunting. Or, if you’re feeling energetic you can scramble up the dune freestyle.

With soft golden sands and impossibly stunning views, Dune du Pilat is a natural phenomenon well worth visiting. Here are the top 10 little-known facts about Dune du Pilat.

1. The Tallest Sand Dune in Europe is the great Dune du Pilat

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The Great Dune of Pyla, located 60km from Bordeaux in the Arcachon Bay area, France, happens to be the tallest sand dune in Europe. Also known as the Great Dune of Pilat, the sand dune is enormous鈥攎easuring 500m in width, 3km in length and rising to a height of 107m above sea level.

To put it into perspective: The dune has a pure sand area of 135 hectares and is surrounded by approximately 4,000 hectares of forest. It is up to 110 meters high, 500 meters wide, about 2.7 kilometres long and has an incline of up to 40掳 on the east side (towards the forest).

At the summit, the view is spectacular with the ocean coast, the inlet of the Bay, the large pine forest and, when the sky is very clear, the Pyrenees Range.

2.  The Dune du Pilat Moves

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The dune is determined to move inwards, slowly pushing the forest back to cover houses, roads and even portions of the Atlantic Wall. The rate of the movement is unpredictable sometimes moving fast (10m in a year) and sometimes very slow (less than a metre). The estimated annual displacement is 4.9m per year.

This migration of the Great Dune has covered over twenty private properties and each year the sand of the east slope of the dune covers 8000 sqm of the surrounding pine forest. At the northeast part of the dune, a road was overlapped in 1987 after an avalanche of sand and was buried in 1991. An example of a house buried over the dune is cited in a newspaper as back as September 19, 1936.

3. Dune Du Pilat Shrank 26 Feet Since 2017

The Pilat Dune along France鈥檚 Atlantic Coast lost 13 feet since 2009 as heavy winds reduced it to the lowest recorded height in a decade. The dune, still the largest in Europe, now measures 102.5 metres (336 feet), or 3.9 meters (13 feet) less than one year ago. Its previous low since annual measurements began in 2009 was 107.9 meters in 2013, and it鈥檚 highest during that period was 110.5 in 2017, according to the Aquitaine Coast Observatory.

The observatory monitors the dune and the coastal region surrounding Bordeaux to measure the impact of things like climate change as well as natural environmental phenomenon. Scientists noted that while the height of the Pilat Dune typically ebbs and flows each year, the 8 meter drop (26 feet) in 3 years warrants closer study.

4.  Dune du Pilat is an Admired Tourist Destination

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The gorgeous Dune du Pilat now constitutes an extremely popular tourist destination in the region. More precisely, more than 1 million tourists per year visit the amazing site, on average. That places it among the most visited in the entire country it formed in.

That popularity, however, understandably endangers the stability of the formation. Fortunately, though, the local government undertook steps to provide it with at least a measure of protection. In 1994, the formation became a formally protected site.

In the summer months, a staircase is constructed to allow visitors to climb the dune鈥攁n activity that draws many visitors every year.

5. Humans have Inhabited Dune du Pilat for a Long Time

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The famous white lady impresses with her measurements: 106 m in height and 2.7 km in length. The Dune is made up of 60 million cubic metres of sand and its history dates back thousands of years. Recent archaeological digs prove that humans lived here 2,600 years ago.

The dune has also understandably, long intrigued the local population of the region. Precisely when local inhabitants discovered it remains unknown, though. Archaeological evidence indicates, though, that humans visited and made use of the site at least as far back in time as the Bronze Age.

That鈥檚 because artefacts dating back to roughly 800 BC have been discovered in the sands at the approximate base of the dune. It contains wood dating from the XVI century. Remains from that period, such as pipes, flint instruments, ceramics and coins, emerged during archaeological excavations.       

6.  The Dune is Millions of Years in the Making

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Geologists had reported that the dune was created millions of years when the Pyr茅n茅es Mountains to the south and the Central Massif Mountains to the east eroded. Local rivers carried sand from the mountains to the ocean where it drifted ashore and created the massive dune.

Between 500 AD and 1000 AD, the ancient parabolic dunes were formed during the cold medieval period with its frequent wind storms. At the end of the Middle Ages, the climate became warmer and more humid, allowing vegetation to grow in Aquitaine.

Between 1000 AD and 1500 AD, old dunes get covered with forests.  This corresponds to paleosol 3. This ground, only a few centimetres thick, undulates at mid-height.

7.  Try out Sandboarding at Dune du Pilat

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The sand dune provides the best opportunity to try this unique activity. If you do not have a board it might be tricky to find a  place to rent one. Slide down the dune, it will surely be an unforgettable experience!

Sandboarding is a board sport and extreme sport similar to snowboarding that involves riding across or down a sand dune while standing on a board, either with both feet strapped in or while standing loose, without bindings. Sandboarding can also be practised sitting down or lying on the belly or the back.

8. Dune du Pilat is a Paragliders Paradise

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For paragliders, the Dune of Pilat is one of the most beautiful and fascinating flying destinations in Europe. In addition to optimal wind conditions, this is certainly due to the unique landscape and the pleasant temperatures in spring, summer and fall.

No wonder then that the dune, in summer a strong elicits a strong attraction for paragliders throughout Western Europe. On this site, you can train in different reverse launch techniques, handling strong winds and flying in the active dynamic ridge lift.

Thanks to optimal wind conditions, the super pleasant weather and the unique landscape, the dune is attracting lovers of paragliding during spring, summer and autumn as well.

9. Dune du Pilat was Closed after a Forest Fire but has reopened

The Dune du Pilat, which is Europe鈥檚 biggest sand dune and a popular tourist destination was reopened on July 2022.  Access the Dune near to La Teste-de-Buch, where a forest fire which burnt 7,000 hectares of land was not possible.

Visitors to the Dune du Pilat will now be able to access it under secure conditions and with guided pathways. 鈥淭hey will have to arrive by bus, as the flames have damaged the site car park,鈥� La Teste-de-Buch鈥檚 mayor, Patrick Davet, added.

The La Teste-de-Buch blaze is one of two wildfires which have collectively destroyed around 21,000 hectares of land in Gironde. The cause of the fire near the Dune du Pilat is thought to be a van that burst into flames.

10.  Dune du Pilat Massive Dimensions

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2.7 km long, 500 m wide and up to 106.60 m high. These are the breathtaking dimensions of the dune that can be admired throughout the year. Even in winter, it is worth the visit. Some are even lucky enough to experience the dune covered with snow. The slope on the east side (forest) is 19掳 to 29掳, on the west side (ocean) it is ranging from 7掳 to 13掳.

Even today it is always kept in motion by wind and tidal movement and makes its way further inland. Thus, the pine forest and several campsites are gradually swallowed up by this huge and overwhelming mass of 60,000,000 cubic meters of sand. Each year, the dune advances by several meters. In fact, the sea wind has no trouble raising and carrying away this incredibly fine sand.

For some people the dune is like a desert in the middle of France, for others it is simply Europe’s largest playground and most beautiful sand box.