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.