France / South-West & Occitanie / BiarritzBiarritz
Surf Town of the French Basque Coast
A belle-époque resort turned surf capital on the Atlantic: the Grande Plage, the Rocher de la Vierge, surf schools on the Côte des Basques, and the Basque towns of Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Espelette (famous for its red pepper) close by. San Sebastián is about 50 km away in Spain, a separate country (also Schengen). The Atlantic is cool, about 22 °C at best in August. TGVs from Paris take about 4 h 15; flights about 1 h 15.
Highlights
- Surf lesson on the Côte des Basques
- Rocher de la Vierge
- Grande Plage
- Bayonne old town and chocolate
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbour
- Espelette peppers
- La Rhune rack railway
Things to do
- Surf lesson on the Côte des BasquesMorning · 2h 30m
- Rocher de la Vierge and the Grande PlageAfternoon · 2h
- Bayonne old townAfternoon · 3h
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz and La Rhune railwayMorning · 5h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: June – September
Worth knowing
Peak Summer: Crowds and High Prices on the Coast
July and August are French school holidays: beaches, coast roads and trains along the Mediterranean and the Basque coast are packed, rooms cost 30-100% more and often need a minimum stay, and Corsica's ferries and flights sell out. Book months ahead, or come in June or September, when the sea is still warm.
- Fêtes de Bayonne — Five days and nights of Basque street festival in Bayonne, ten minutes from Biarritz, everyone in white with red scarves. Over a million visitors: rooms all along the Basque coast are taken months ahead, and the streets are rowdy late at night.