Protohistoric vestiges 800 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Funeral urn of the Iron Age discovered.
1708
First map entry
First map entry 1708 (≈ 1708)
Name *Pilat* on the map of Mass.
1910
A peak of the dune
A peak of the dune 1910 (≈ 1910)
Reached 115 meters high.
1913
Creation of Pyla-sur-Mer
Creation of Pyla-sur-Mer 1913 (≈ 1913)
Toponym grafted by Daniel Meller.
1943
Natural site classification
Natural site classification 1943 (≈ 1943)
Protection of the northern part.
12 juillet 2022
Fire from the usable forest
Fire from the usable forest 12 juillet 2022 (≈ 2022)
3,800 hectares destroyed near the dune.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Daniel Meller - Real estate promoter
Created *Pyla-sur-Mer* in 1913.
Philippe Jacques - Volunteer archaeologist
Search the protohistoric remains.
Origin and history
The Pilat Dune, located in Gironde, New Aquitaine, is the highest dune in Europe, culminating at 103.6 meters in 2023. It extends 616 metres east to west and 2.9 km north to south, containing approximately 55 million cubic metres of sand. Its current location once housed protohistoric camps related to salt mining, as evidenced by archaeological discoveries, including an iron age funeral urn (800 BC) found in 2013.
The formation of the dune is linked to the bank of Arguin, created by the sea currents carrying sand from the offshore and the basin of Arcachon. West winds rip sand grains off the bank during low tides, depositing them on the dune. Its constant evolution is studied: it gains 1 to 5 meters per year on the forest in the east, while its northern coastline undergoes marked erosion during storms. The dune was built between 1826 and 1922, reaching 115 metres in 1910.
Its official name, dune du Pilat, comes from the piliquet gascon ("mound"), which has been present on old maps since 1708. The toponym Pyla-sur-Mer, created in 1913 by the promoter Daniel Meller, replaces the old name Sabloneys ("sablières"). The dune, classified as a natural site in 1943 and extended in 1994, attracts nearly two million annual visitors, generating major economic benefits (11 to 13 million euros direct).
In July 2022, a fire ravaged 3,800 hectares of the adjacent usable forest, destroying five campsites and 80% of the vegetation. This event, triggered by a failed vehicle, marks an ecological and economic disaster for the region. The dune, managed by the Joint Union of the Grande Dune du Pilat, remains a fragile natural area, protected by conservation measures and land acquisitions by the Conservatoire du littoral.
The dune is home to fossilized paleosols, which bear witness to its geological and archaeological history. Four major paleosols, dating from 3,500 B.C. to the present day, reveal traces of ancient forests (pins, hazelnuts) and human remains (ceramics, shells). These layers, visible on the side of a dune, illustrate the sedimentation phases and climate change that shaped the current landscape.
