Blockhauss in Capbreton

The Blockhaus in Capbreton is a group of concrete World War II bunkers scattered along the beaches south of the town centre, in the Landes department of southwestern France. They are a surviving fragment of the Atlantic Wall and one of the most photographed spots on the Nouvelle-Aquitaine coastline.

What are these bunkers?

Construction began in 1943, carried out by the German Army (Heer) together with the Organisation Todt, as part of a coastal battery known as Stützpunkt Ba 14 — the fourteenth strongpoint in the Bayonne defensive sector. The battery's purpose was to fire on maritime targets and block access to the port of Capbreton. The bunkers originally stood atop the dunes roughly a kilometre south of town. Decades of coastal erosion and rising sea levels have since brought much of the structure down to beach level, with some sections now sitting partly in the water.

How do you get there?

The most accessible section sits on Plage de la Piste, south of central Capbreton, where a Regelbau 612 casemate stands alongside the remains of a troop shelter. The historical core of the old battery is Santocha beach, where a fire-control observation post still faces the ocean. Both spots can be reached on foot along the shoreline or via the path running behind the dunes; car parks are available at the entrances to each beach.

What will you see on site?

For years, the concrete walls of the bunkers have served as a canvas for local artists — colourful murals and graffiti cover nearly every surface and are regularly repainted, so no two visits look quite the same. Some structures are now half-buried in sand or lapped by waves, a striking sight that also shows just how much this stretch of coast has eroded. The site draws plenty of photographers, especially around sunset, when the light picks out the contrast between concrete, colour, and ocean.

When is the best time to visit?

The bunkers aren't visible at all times — at high tide, parts of them can be completely submerged. To see them in full, plan your visit around low tide and check local tide tables for Capbreton beforehand. Spring and autumn generally offer the best conditions for visiting and photography, with far fewer crowds than at the height of summer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entry fee for the bunkers? No, it's a freely accessible spot on a public beach, with no tickets or opening hours.

How long does a visit take? Walking around the main bunkers and taking photos usually takes 30–45 minutes, though photographers often linger longer waiting for the right light.

Are the bunkers safe to explore? The structures are old and partly undermined by waves, so caution is needed when climbing onto the concrete, particularly when it's wet or slippery.

Are there similar sites nearby? Yes — on the other side of the canal, at Plage Centrale in neighbouring Hossegor, another casemate from the same defence line still stands, known as strongpoint Ba 11.