22 hot tips for summer
Philippe Garcia
Chic corner of France
Pack a picnic basket and trudge 150 steps to the top of the Dune of Pyla, Europe’s tallest sand dune (350 feet) and gem of France’s southwestern Atlantic coast. The panorama includes pristine blue waters leading to Arcachon Bay, a swirl of a sandbank, Cap Ferret, the Landes forest, and the 1.8 mile-long dune. If you want the view but no sand on your feet, follow the ‘‘It’’ crowd a few miles up the coast to LaCo(o)rniche. Perched on a cliff, the hotel-restaurant reopened last year after a chic makeover by French designer Philippe Starck. Plan ahead: Terrace tables are coveted at sunset. LaCo(o)rniche, 46 Boulevard Louis Gaume, Pyla-sur-Mer, 011-33-55622-7211. Starters $21-$32, main courses $31-$52. High-season rooms from $372. www.lacoorniche-pyla.com. Dune of Pyla, 33115 Pyla-sur-Mer, www.dune-pyla.com/english.
Susie Woodhams
Pack a picnic basket and trudge 150 steps to the top of the Dune of Pyla, Europe’s tallest sand dune (350 feet) and gem of France’s southwestern Atlantic coast. The panorama includes pristine blue waters leading to Arcachon Bay, a swirl of a sandbank, Cap Ferret, the Landes forest, and the 1.8 mile-long dune. If you want the view but no sand on your feet, follow the ‘‘It’’ crowd a few miles up the coast to LaCo(o)rniche. Perched on a cliff, the hotel-restaurant reopened last year after a chic makeover by French designer Philippe Starck. Plan ahead: Terrace tables are coveted at sunset. LaCo(o)rniche, 46 Boulevard Louis Gaume, Pyla-sur-Mer, 011-33-55622-7211. Starters $21-$32, main courses $31-$52. High-season rooms from $372. www.lacoorniche-pyla.com. Dune of Pyla, 33115 Pyla-sur-Mer, www.dune-pyla.com/english.
Susie Woodhams