Fight to keep the coast clear goes on all over country

To walk the cliffs between Ciboure and Hendaye, through stunning countryside, is to thank the Conservatoire du Littoral. The 64 hectares on this outcrop, along with a few more nearby, are now the only construction-free spaces on the French Basque coast, stretching between l'Adour and Bidossoa on the country's southern Atlantic coastline.

And the fight goes on - the dune at Pyla, in the Gironde, is at 103 metres the highest in Europe: 31 hectares belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral - but not enough, apparently. Recent plans for the seafront included permission for a "zone urbaine" for up to 4,000 inhabitants at the foot of this special site. However, swift action by local authorities knocked the plans on the head.