The Highest Sand Dune in Europe

Both times I’ve ended up at the Dune du Pilat it’s been for the same reason: being around Hossegor, a sunny day, and absolutely zero waves to surf.

The Dune du Pilat is located north of Hossegor, and it’s the highest sand dune in Europe, reaching about 110 meters in height. Lengthwise, it stretches for roughly 2.5 kilometers. That’s a lot of sand.

On one side of the dune you have the Atlantic Ocean; on the other, nothing but forest. The contrast is pretty wild.

It is, after all, a tourist attraction, and the most famous part of the dune is regulated. This is the highest section, where there are stairs that you pay to use and climb up along with everyone else.

But… there are other ways to get there. Don’t worry — we’re not suggesting anything illegal.

We’ve marked a parking spot on the map, and from there it’s just about a 30-minute walk. You end up climbing the dune from the ocean side instead of coming up from the forest side with the crowds.

You get to enjoy a huge section of the dune almost to yourself, and once you reach the top, you’re sharing it with only a fraction of the people who are in the main tourist area.

By the way, all of these photos were taken with a Canon T60 film camera and a roll of Kodak ColorPlus 200.