The old oyster port bears witness to the centuries-old practice of harvesting oysters on the mudflats of the Médoc peninsula. Local fishermen had a concession to harvest wild oysters every year. The oyster port at Le Verdon sur mer is one of the last remaining witnesses to this activity, which has now disappeared.
Today, it’s a popular destination for artists, conservationists and guinguettes.
Oyster fishing
Wooden huts, painted with the colorful remains of fishing boats, line the channels where oyster farmers brought in their harvest. They transported the oysters on “plates” (a kind of small flat-bottomed boat) by sculling or, for the luckiest among them, pushed by a motor.
They unloaded their oysters into metal baskets that were stacked alongside the peeling shack.
Then began the long, monotonous task of separating the oysters from each other and cleaning them: de-stemming.
But cadmium pollution from the Aveyron and the construction of a commercial port put an end to this activity in the 1970s.
The old oyster port today
The revival
Today, all that’s left of the old oyster port are the sheds. But in recent years, the municipality of Le Verdon has decided to give the old port a new lease of life. It has once again become a place of life and activity.
Artists, craftsmen and restaurateurs have set up shop in this typical estuarine setting.
Three painters, resin sculptor Sébastien Rideau, world-renowned painter-sculptor Alben, wood sculptor and ceramist, as well as a photo club workshop/exhibition room, have taken up residence in the old port huts.
A visit, a lunch
Lunch or dinner at the old oyster port takes you back into the history of this village, often overlooked by tourist guides. You’ll find :
- A crêperie
- A guinguette for grilled meats and gambas
- A tapas bar.
- An oyster bar
A night market is held every Tuesday evening in summer.
The old oyster port takes on an air of Jacques Tati’s “Jour de fête”. An old-fashioned, good-natured atmosphere emanates from the place. The locals rub shoulders with the occasional holidaymaker, who has had the good fortune to be more curious than the rest. It’s like strolling through time.
A 20-minute drive from Euronat, the charm of the old oyster port makes for a simple, pleasant evening.
From the old port to the oysters
To find the old oyster port:
Location of the old oyster port
To find the old oyster port:
