Le Figaro Bordeaux
Who has never dreamed of buying an island?
For the metropolis of Bordeaux, the dream is about to become a reality.
After several years of talks, the Gironde community announced that it would acquire the island of Arcins, located just six kilometers from the center of Bordeaux, for around 1.7 million euros.
This site could become a
“public river park”
, announces Bordeaux Métropole, by making the island accessible to the public
“a few months of the year”
.
Surrounded by the shores of the municipalities of Bègles, Villenave-d'Ornon, Bouliac and Latresne, to which it is attached, the island of Arcins stretches approximately two kilometers long and 300 meters wide.
Covering 37 hectares,
“the island is classified as a Natura 2000 zone, a natural zone of the PLU [local urban planning] and a flood zone”
, specifies the metropolis.
A royal domain in the 16th century, it was dedicated to agriculture until 1955, before its purchase by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA, which became Inrae in 2020).
The island of Arcins (in orange) is located to the south-east of the Bordeaux metropolis.
Screenshot / OpenStreetMap
The cradle of the first kiwis in the South West
An ideal place for agronomic experiments, it is on the island of Arcins that the first kiwi trees (actinidia) in the South-West were acclimatized.
The passage of storm Martin in December 1999, however, forced INRA to put the island up for sale, its installations having been too badly damaged by this devastating hurricane.
An investor then took it over in 2002 and built two pontoons to access the island with the aim of opening it to the public.
An ambition which turns out to be more complicated to achieve than expected, leading him to also look for a buyer for this green setting.
Around 22 years later, this island surrounded by the Garonne is today a true haven of peace for many animal and plant species, with around 400 species of trees and plants recorded.
“Fig trees, giant bamboos and cypresses give a jungle feel to this green space where kites, herons, deer and wild boars live peacefully
,” explains the Bordeaux tourist office.
“A real little paradise where it practically never freezes.
In fact, temperatures are on average two degrees higher than on dry land, which is not to displease its inhabitants.
A service envisaged for the river shuttle
This little paradise should soon be able to reveal its charms to the inhabitants of the metropolis.
“The acquisition of this island is an unprecedented opportunity in terms of protection and enhancement of a unique island natural heritage in the heart of the urban area
,” explains Bordeaux Métropole.
“This “ecological reserve” will make it possible to observe and analyze
the effects of climate change
and overall the hydrological functioning of the Garonne”
.
But before being able to consider opening to the Bordeaux region, a
“four-season diagnosis”
will be carried out, with the aim of
“knowing precisely the ecological issues in order to identify the natural habitats, the most sensitive species and the protection issues”
.
Other studies will then be carried out regarding the actions to be taken to open it to the public.
The BatCub, the river shuttle that the metropolis wants to develop, could eventually serve the island of Arcins, which will nevertheless remain a preserved natural area.