A ~110-metre wall of sand on the edge of the Atlantic: paraglide off the ridge, sandboard down the back slope, then cool off with oysters straight from the Arcachon Bay farms. The longest drive in the series — plan for real charging stops both ways.
It's the tallest sand dune in Europe — roughly 110 metres of pure sand piled up between the pine forest of the Landes and the Atlantic, and it's still migrating inland a few metres a year. The dune itself is a real paragliding launch site: pilots run off the ridge into the onshore wind and soar the dune face, landing on the beach below. People also slide down the steep back (ocean-facing) slope on sandboards or just their feet — it's an entirely informal, free activity here, no rental industry to speak of. Add the oyster ports and pine-forest cycle paths of the Arcachon Bay right next door and this is the one true "adrenaline + beach" combo trip in reach of Meudon-la-Forêt — at the cost of a genuinely long drive.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current dune height | ~103–110 m (it's re-measured yearly by the Observatoire de la Côte Nouvelle-Aquitaine; the historic peak was 110.5 m in 2017, with readings around 103–110 m reported for recent seasons — it genuinely shifts year to year) |
| Tandem paragliding flight | From ~€70 (Dune Parapente) up to ~€90+ at other local schools, for a ~10–20 min flight (roughly 30 min door-to-door with briefing), launching straight off the dune ridge |
| Sandboarding | Free, informal — bring your own board/sled or just slide on foot down the steep ocean-facing slope; no established rental shops found on-site |
| Dune car park | €7 for 4 hours in high season (€5 low season), first 30 min free; €10 for motorhomes; €15 annual pass. Revenue funds dune conservation — the dune itself is free to climb |
Sources: ladunedupilat.com official tariffs page, Dune Parapente / Pyla-Parapente / Yumping pricing listings, Observatoire de la Côte Nouvelle-Aquitaine dune-height monitoring.
From Meudon-la-Forêt it's the A10 south past Orléans, Tours and Poitiers, then the A63 toward Bordeaux and on to the Bassin d'Arcachon — roughly 610 km and 6h15 of driving before any stops.
Sources: Tesla.com Supercharger location pages (Poitiers Sud, Poitiers–Futuroscope, Saintes, Bordeaux Lac, Bassin d'Arcachon/Biganos).
Long driving day — leave early. Charge at Poitiers — the one stop you'll likely need — then push on toward the dune; Saintes or Biganos/Bordeaux Lac are there as an optional top-up if you'd rather arrive with more buffer. Arrive at the campsite in the late afternoon, set up, cook, early night.
Book a tandem paragliding flight in advance with one of the schools that launches directly off the dune ridge (Dune Parapente, Pyla-Parapente, or similar — season runs roughly April to September, weather-dependent). Between flights, climb the wooden staircase or the loose sand to the summit for the full view over the bay and the forest, then slide back down the steep back slope — sandboarding here is just you, gravity, and whatever board or sled you brought; there's no rental counter. Park at the official Grand Site car park.
The bay is ringed with real working oyster-farming villages — the ports ostréicoles of La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras (which has seven separate oyster ports), and Cap Ferret across the water — all worth a stop for a plate of oysters straight off the boat, the trip's one comfort meal. In the afternoon, ride the shaded cycling network through the Landes pine forest (the Vélodyssée long-distance route runs right through here) linking the dune, the campsites and the bay villages — flat, easy, and genuinely pleasant after the adrenaline of day 2.
Early start, same Supercharger stops in reverse. Split the return over two days if a 6h15+ drive after a physical weekend feels like too much in one go.
Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no range penalty on the long drive down. The Arcachon Bay pine forest has an excellent flat, shaded cycling network (part of the Vélodyssée Atlantic coast route) connecting the dune, the campsites, and the oyster villages — an easy recovery ride after the paragliding and sandboarding.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tolls (A10/A63, round trip) | ≈ €70–90 |
| Charging (2 Supercharger stops round trip, more if using optional buffer stops) | ≈ €55–75 |
| Lodging — Camping de la Dune, 2–3 nights | ≈ €55–130 |
| Dune car park (2 days) | ≈ €10–14 |
| Tandem paragliding flight (the splurge) | ≈ €70–90 |
| Oyster meal at a bay port (comfort meal) | ≈ €15–25 |
| Food, self-cooked, remaining meals | ≈ €25–35 |
| Total | €230–310 |