Cap Ferret : the magic of L’Entre-Deux-Mers

Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Bassin d’Arcachon, Cap Ferret fascinates, charms, and draws buyers from many different horizons. Thanks to the wide appeal of this peninsula, it remains oblivious to financial crises and continues to be known as the “pearl of the Bassin”.

Cap Ferret is known for its charming addresses offering a variety of properties and settings. This is a prestigious niche market, highly-prized and restricted to a few insiders. Barnes International specializes in luxury real estate. For Sophy Vaissié, in charge of the Barnes agency on Cap Ferret, the area is highly privileged : “Cap Ferret is the perfect choice for clients in search of nature, vast beaches and a casual-chic summer atmosphere. They look for villas in quiet locations, though near the beaches, shops and trendy addresses. The role of the Barnes agency is to present prestigious properties to its discerning clients, who set their sights on beautiful villas, elegantly decorated, in desirable locations, and ready to move in.” Buyers are often Parisians or foreigners who acquire lovely villas just for their holidays. As clients are demanding, and properties of quality rare, there are very few that meet their requirements. According to Sophy Vaissié, prices are high, though not exorbitant : “This is a micro-market, where demand outstrips supply. Clients buy at the going rate, depending on a property’s real quality. Offerings are, in fact, rather diverse : we currently have for sale, for example, a small house in Le Canon, in the centre of the fishing village, and we recently handled the sale of a large exclusive villa nestling at the heart of a luxuriant garden in a prime location, inevitably on offer at a much higher price”.

While Cap Ferret offers a diverse array of properties, some are quite extraordinary. Carmen Milcent is in charge of the agency Ateliers Lofts & Associés, specializing in the sale of unusual properties, of which there are many here on the cape : “While most of the properties around the Bassin d’Arcachon are rather old, Cap Ferret can claim a real architectural culture. You come across “cabanes” with decidedly contemporary interiors. Houses here often benefit from lofty volumes, with interiors following the latest trends : central islands in the kitchens, living-rooms unfurling vast proportions…” It is hard to give an average price per sq. metre in this area, as prices vary drastically depending on views and the precise location. The average price of transactions is, however, close on 2 million euros, with a starting price estimated at 800,000 €. And if, at first glance, the budget seems pretty high, one has to take into account the scarcity of available land : “It is not rare to see buyers acquiring a property simply to raze it to the ground,” says Carmen Milcent, “in order to build a house that corresponds to their vision of the ideal home, which is often “tribal”. Many acquisitions are based on real attachment on the part of people who set their hearts solely on Cap Ferret, and for whom the ideal home has no real price”.

Here on the peninsula, one feels at the end of the world, while still being close to Bordeaux. This very special ambiance is also one of the strong points of Cap Ferret. For Marina Tonneau, manageress of the Coldwell Banker agency, the setting is simply enchanting : “It is a perfectly magical place, between the ocean waves and the calm of the Bassin d’Arcachon : at one and the same time, you are in a remote place, but also close to zones of activity. Some people prefer houses in the forest, though the majority want to be in the centre of Ferret, to be close to amenities. Most of the property market is comprised of villas”. The Coldwell Banker agency specializes in prestigious properties usually worth over 500,000 €, though on Cap Ferret, the heart of the market consists of homes ranging from 700,000 to 1.5 million euros. Then there are exceptions, on the front row. “Properties right at the water’s edge or offering direct access to the beach are, of course, highly prized and highly priced, soaring very quickly to several million euros,” says Marina Tonneau. “These properties sell at their own pace, and demands are not the same as for other residences, whose owners are not so concerned about the size of their grounds. Buyers acquiring a property on the seafront are looking for space, and the privacy that goes with it. To obtain exactly what they want, they do not hesitate to pay the price.” Between the Ocean and the Bassin, Cap Ferret is a peaceful, enchanting place where everything is done on foot or by bike.