The highest dune in Europe measures exactly 102.4 meters according to the last survey in May 2022. This highest point in the Dune of Pilatis 1.8 meters lower than in 2021. The dune has been measured annually since 2009, by the Observatory of the coast of New Aquitaine (OCNA) who keeps an eye on this monument of sand, one of the most visited tourist sites in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
5.5m lost since 2009
The morphology of this natural structure, 2.9 km long and 616 meters wide, is modified mainly by two phenomena: erosion which modifies the coastline and dune migration which is explained by the action of the prevailing winds.
This raised altitude of 102.4 m is the lowest since 2009. But if the differential is 5.5 m between 2009 and 2022, a gradual evolution is not at work since “the maximum altitude reached by the Dune was 110.5m in 2017,” says the Observatory.