France – Gujan-Mestras (En)
Gujan-Mestras is a commune in the Gironde department, in southwestern France and the capital of oysters. Its coast extends from east to west for 7 km and comprises 7 oyster ports, from the port of Hume to the port of la Mole. With its colourful huts, oyster farmers and oyster tastings, each port has its authenticity and changes with the rhythm of the tides.
Where to stay
We decided to go to Gujan-Mestras instead of Arcachon because we found an amazing place to stay, the Anas motorhome area (44.631749, -1.104987 lat, long), located near the town of Hume and the oyster ports. One of the best places we have stayed, it has it all! A big heated swimming pool with sunbeds and sun umbrellas for sunbathing, a snack bar open for lunch, a basketball court and a tennis table. You have bathrooms and showers in the area and the swimming pool, with hot water and good pressure. Good place for washing dishes with hot water. All for 14 euros per day! We enjoyed every day the swimming pool and played ping pong. It is a great place to stay and enjoy the oysters and prawns and see the ports!
What to see
There are no less than 7 oyster ports that follow one another in Gujan-Mestras where you can observe the daily work of the oyster farmers. We saw two of those ports, first, we walked with Asha to the Port of La Hume, where we passed through the small town of Hume with its typical houses and shops. The port of Hume is fed by the Landes Canal. In the 19th century there were some sailors’ cabins but little by little it has become an oyster port. There we decided to have lunch at a super cute restaurant in the port, on the terrace over the water, and we shared a seafood plate with crab, clams and tiger prawns, all for 30 euros! They serve the wine in jugs in a plastic bag with ice.
Another day in the afternoon we went on the motorcycle to see the Port of Larros which was built in 1883 and is 110 meters long and 60 meters wide. Larros was an important fishing port during the interwar period, especially for sardine fishing. This port is today the most emblematic of Gujan-Mestras with its oyster huts, its oyster tastings and its famous shipyards. The port of Larros is also home to the Maison de l’huître, a museum dedicated to oysters that you can visit to learn everything about oyster farming, the oyster farmer’s trade, etc. After touring it we decided to taste oysters and shrimp in a restaurant with incredible views, where we admired the full moon.
And our next stop will be Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains in the Landes, which is said to be the place in the Landes most frequented by Basques, and which you will be able to see in the next post!
