Flames surrounded it on the land side for days in the dramatic fires that have ravaged the Gironde in recent days. Closed since July 13, Dune du Pilat, which has welcomed up to 2 million tourists in recent years, reopens to visitors this Wednesday, July 27, however. “in safe conditions and in guided ways”, indicates the prefecture (read the box). On the way to the Arcachon Basin, approaching the exit of the highway, you see a sign indicating its direction, but something is wrong; its spelling is not the same from one sign to another. The first sign suggests that Dune de Pyla is less than twenty kilometers away, while a little further on is the Dune du Pilat car park, taking the first exit on the right. But what is the correct spelling? To cut the suspense short, you have to spell “Dune du Pilat” with an “i” and a “t” at the end. Simple, basic. It’s just its official name, which comes from Gascon, a variety of Occitan (itself a Romance language spoken in Occitania). The word “pilate” or “pilot” can literally be translated as “heap” or “pile”.
Road signs, both on the road and on the edges of forest trails, continue to maintain confusion. Adobe Stock / Eleonore H
In fact, the confusion comes from the sand’s proximity to the seaside resort of Pilas-sur-Mer, which was established in 1920 in La Teste-de-Buch. However, Pyla-sur-Mer is geographically closer to Arcachon, with which it shares the edge of the regions of Abatil and Moulot, and from there extends without any break in urbanization to the foot of the Pilatus basin. So if you want to admire Europe’s highest sand dune and its 6,800 hectares, follow the i’s and the t’s.
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