Diving the French Atlantic Coast | Rochebonne, Arcachon & the Gouf

About Atlantic Coast

The French Atlantic coast runs from the Vendée through the Charente and the Arcachon basin to the Basque Country, a long sweep of sandy bays, islands and the deep submarine canyon of Capbreton. The Plateau de Rochebonne off La Rochelle draws huge shoals of fish, the Île de Ré and Fort Boyard offer rocky reefs, and the Bassin d’Arcachon is a calm nursery of cuttlefish and seahorses. The Basque coast adds the dramatic Gouf de Capbreton, a canyon plunging to pelagic depths where tuna, dolphins and whales are possible on technical dives. This region is gentler than Brittany but richer than the Mediterranean in big fish, with a strong surf culture ashore and a reputation for excellent, if cool, diving from May to October.

Highlights

• ✓Le Plateau de Rochebonne: an offshore plateau with large shoals of fish
• ✓Fort Boyard reef: rocky reef beside the famous fortress
• ✓Le Bassin d’Arcachon: calm nursery with cuttlefish and seahorses
• ✓Le Gouf de Capbreton: a deep submarine canyon with pelagics
• ✓Le Phare des Baleines: walls with lobsters and conger

Getting There

Fly into Nantes (NTE), Bordeaux (BOD) or Biarritz (BIQ), or take the TGV to La Rochelle, Bordeaux or Biarritz. The coast is reached from Les Sables-d’Olonne, La Rochelle and the Île de Ré, Arcachon and Cap Ferret, and Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, all on the A83/A10/A63 autoroutes.