An extraordinary beach stretches out at the foot of the Dune du Pilat on France's Atlantic coast. The largest shifting sand dune in Europe towers up inland along the coastline – a gigantic mountain of sand over a hundred metres high and three kilometres long. So wondrous that this natural monument is surrounded by legends. So attractive that two million tourists trudge up to the ridge every year. The beach and dune are home to a highly-adapted flora and fauna that defy climate change, forest fires and boisterous human leisure activities.