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BIARRITZ
The pretty seaside resort is the city of all contrasts, welcoming surfers in search of the most beautiful waves and wealthy tourists! You have to stroll through its historic center and admire the elegant villas to understand it. Between the Basque half-timbered houses, the seaside villas, the luxurious hotels and the art deco casino, the architectures are very varied. Then walk along the Grande Plage to the fishermen's port. Full of charm, this small port offers a totally different atmosphere from the rest of Biarritz, more intimate and relaxed. It is even possible to snack on some specialties in the middle of the small houses and old boats. The walk which winds on the plateau of Atalante is particularly pretty to discover the curiosities by the sea. You will see the waves crashing against the dike, the pretty rock of the virgin and in the distance, the lighthouse of Biarritz. You can also enjoy the impressive and fascinating sea museum, or the superb beaches of the Biarritz region. The most athletic will find themselves on the beach of Marbella or that of the Basque coast, popular with surfers from all over the world. But the Grande Plage ideally located in the city center is also one of the most beautiful on the Basque coast for swimming.
Activities
Biarritz: Private Guided Walking Tour
From €50-60 for a duration of 1h30-2h
Basque cooking class in Biarritz
From €110 for a duration of 2h30
A day of surfing around Biarritz
From €230 for one day
Guided walking tours of Biarritz
From €20 for 1 hour
Biarritz Aquarium
Biarritz local market guided tour with tasting
From €72 for 1h30
2 hour private surf lesson in Biarritz
From €120 for 2 hours
Council of premises:Go to the Halles de Biarritz to savor all the local specialities. The products are of good quality and the place is also worth a visit for its atmosphere and its architecture.
ANGLET
Anglet is a small seaside town renowned above all for its eleven fine sandy beaches which extend over 4.5 km. It is sometimes nicknamed "little California" and you quickly understand why by browsing its beaches. Each has its own atmosphere! Those of the Cavaliers welcome professional surfers, while the beach of La Barre is more geared towards families. In August, it hosts the World Surf League, where it appears as a stop on the circuit. Head to la Madrague beach if you prefer a trendier beach. But Anglet does not only offer beaches, the interior of the land is also very pleasant. The pine forest allows you to go for walks or bike rides, or even golf. You can also visit the Izadia Ecological Park, at the mouth of the Adour. For couples looking for romance, the segment of the Côte d'Argent, called the "Chambre d'Amour", will take you to the edge of the coast to offer you a spectacular panorama of the Atlantic Sea. Also venture into its cave, which still attracts lovers and curious people today.
Presentation
Situation ? What to visit? What to do ? What events?
Activities
Surf lessons in Anglet near Bayonne
From €35 for a duration of 1h30
Group lessons for 6/10 year olds in Anglet
From €28 for 2 hours
Group Surf Lessons in Anglet
From €28 for 2 hours
Izadia Ecological Park
Council of premises:If you are looking for a slightly wilder beach, head to the superb Ocean Beach. It is less easily accessible, but definitely worth the detour!
HENDAYA
Last city before Spain, Hendaye is a seaside resort that can be reached by taking the Basque corniche. Third marina of Aquitaine, this town offers many water activities in its two bodies of water: the bay of Txingudi and the Atlantic Ocean. Vacationers can also pay a visit to the former Casino Croisière and stroll through its shops, businesses and cafés.
Presentation
Situation ? What to visit? What to do ? What events?
Activities
Towed buoys in Hendaye
From €20 for 15min
PIOU PIOU Surf Lessons in Hendaye
From €25 for 2 hours
Off-road scooter descent near Hendaye
From €29 for 2 hours
Abbadia Castle
CAMBO LES BAINS
Located in the heart of the Basque Country, the spa resort of Cambo les Bains is ideally located to enjoy both the mountains and the beaches of the Basque coast. Cambo les Bains has both the elegance of a spa town and the strong character of the surrounding Basque villages.
Activities
Thermal baths of Cambo-les-Bains
Puyodebat Chocolate Factory-Museum
The Arnaga Villa
Built by Edmond Rostand in Cambo-les-Bains, Villa Arnaga is located south of Bayonne. Inspired by Basque farmhouses with white and red facades, the house and its park have been the home of many artists such as Cyrano de Bergerac or Jules Massennet. The entire domain is classified
"Historic Monument" and welcomes 90,000 visitors each year. Everyone comes to admire its set of gardens over more than 15 hectares, the magnificent 20m theatrical fresco designed by Jean Veber and the multiple wooded rooms of the villa.
SAINT JEAN DE LUZ
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a charming seaside town, very pretty, which has managed to preserve its authenticity and its traditions. As soon as you get there, you easily feel on vacation! You have to discover the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, one of the city's must-sees, with its small colorful boats surrounded by beautiful half-timbered houses. Its historic center is a mixture of stone houses and typical Basque white houses, of great beauty. Don't miss the house of the Infanta, and the magnificent Basque church of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where Louis XIV was married in 1660! Then go to the sea side, in the superb bay closed by the Fort of Socoa. Stroll on the promenade, the view of the golden sandy beach is magnificent and allows you to discover a more upscale part of the city.
Activities
Saint-Jean-de-Luz: Private Walking Tour in English
From €60 for a duration of 2 hours
Live a relaxing moment on a paddle
From €30 for a duration of 2 hours
Slide on the water during a group surf lesson (1 to 5 lessons)
From €30 for a duration of 2 hours
Council of premises:Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach is truly one of the most beautiful on the Basque coast. Surrounded by typical houses and protected from the waves, it is perfect for families. So don't hesitate to plan a little more time in Saint-Jean-de-Luz if you want to take advantage of it.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES
Beach of the Côte des Basques Large beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Cavaliers Beach in Anglet
Large beach of Hendaye
Cénitz beach in Guéthary
The Basque Country only has about thirty kilometers of beaches, and yet some are reputed to be among the most beautiful in France!
THE CASTLE OF URTUBIE
Built on the ruins of an old feudal site, the Château d'Urtubie is an authentic charming hotel in the French Basque Country. Since 1974, it has been listed in the inventory of “historical monuments”.
The walls of the building tell six centuries of Basque history, from the Middle Ages to the Roaring Twenties. Furnished and decorated, each room bears witness to the finesse of Baroque architecture. Visitors can also go to the gardens of the castle. On 6 hectares, admire its flowerbeds and the exhibitions of the Orangerie.
THE COASTAL TRAIL
From Bidart to Hendaye via Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, the coastal path offers magnificent panoramas. The Pyrenees on one side, beaches, strikes and cliffs on the Atlantic side.
The ride continues on the Spanish side from Hondarribia to San Sebastian, a nice stopover in the harbor of Pasaia before discovering the bay of Donostia.
Presentation
A website allows the downloading of the itinerary.
THE CAVES OF ISTURITZ AND DOXOCELHAYA
The caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya are an emblematic site of prehistory, classified as a Historic Monument. They have been occupied for - 80,000 years, adorned with magnificent and surprising concretions.
In Lower Navarre, the caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya are a must for visiting the French Basque Country. Notice to history and speleology buffs. These sites are vestiges of prehistory. Parietal art dots the walls of the two caves. You can also find engravings, plaques and clay constructions dating from the era
Palaeolithic.
Isturitz is a unique place of regrouping of populations of the Cantabrian Pyrenean chain. Oxocelhaya is the sanctuary cave.
An Internet siteprepare for the visit.
Council of premises:These two caves are
geologically more impressive than that of Sare, especially for those who are not on their first underground visit.
THE RHUNE
Let's move away from the coast to discover the peaks of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Culminating at 905 meters above sea level, the summit of La Rhune marks the border with the Spanish part of the Basque Country. To climb this small mountain and enjoy a breathtaking view of the region, several routes can be taken.
In order to discover all the richness of the natural heritage of the Basque Country, do not hesitate to go hiking and admire the perfectly preserved fauna and flora on the side of the Rhune.
Thanks to the different routes you can take, you can climb La Rhune or redo it and discover new landscapes by taking another path, especially if you are spending your holidays in Urrugne or your holidays in Ascain. Departing from Ascain, Olhette or Sare, you will find the most suitable ascent path depending on the level of difficulty. For a faster climb, you can take the little Rhune train from the Col de Saint-Ignace station. Whichever route you choose, you are guaranteed to find a 360° panorama when you arrive at the summit.
Awebsiteallows you to prepare your visit andseveral routesare possible to climb the Cold
Council of premises:If you take the little train, don't just stay at the top, but also walk around a bit to admire the view of the mountains and meet the pottoks.
THE BASQUE CORNICHE
Over ten kilometres, the Basque corniche or "road to the corniche" is a protected natural area. This rocky coast, at the crossroads of Ciboure, Urrugne and Hendaye, is made up of jagged cliffs, heather moors, creeks and agricultural areas. With magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal path will offer you excellent family or romantic hikes.
The last protected natural area on the French Basque coast, the Corniche Basque offers striking landscapes, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and at the foot of the Pyrenees.
The site is characterized by steep cliffs, creeks and two famous rocks "the Twins" witnesses of the decline of the coast. The cliffs tell, in fact, in a few hundred meters, millions of years of history of the earth.
Vast meadows, the Atlantic moor, groves sculpted by the winds offer the image of a space of nature contrasting with the towns of Hendaye or Biarritz that can be seen nearby. Arriving in Hendaye, on the Domaine d'Abbadia, the Maison de la Corniche (or Asporotsttipi farm) offers a reading of the fauna and flora of this space.
Its permanent multimedia exhibition allows you to discover the particularities and secrets of the Basque Corniche.
Welcome door for hikers who wish to embark on the Sentier du Littoral or enjoy a view of the ocean, the Maison de la Corniche is open all year round. Free entry.
Every year, on the 4th weekend of September, the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques joins forces with the Conservatoire du Littoral to celebrate the Corniche and its natural heritage: it is the Corniche Festival.
Remarkable monument of theBasque cornice, do not miss the visit of theAbbadia Observatory Castle.
SPAIN – SPANISH BASQUE COUNTRY
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Gaztelugatxe, Spain
Located 45 minutes north of Bilbao, Gaztelugatxe is a small island connected to land by a stone bridge with the hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe at its summit, which dates from the 10th century AD. These steep coasts announce the typical landscape of the Spanish Basque Country, reputed to be wild.
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Bilbao and its Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao is a clever mix of contrasts between the old town (Teatro Arriaga) and modern architecture (the Euskalduna Palace or the Zubizuri footbridge). But its particularity, which makes the reputation of the city, is the Guggenheim Museum. Designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum, a museum of modern and contemporary art, is a true architectural masterpiece made of stone, glass and titanium. The deconstructivist spirit of the artist is found in these undulating and organic forms.
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The beaches of San Sebastian
La Concha Beach Located a stone's throw from downtown San Sebastian, La Concha Beach is home to 1,350 meters of fine sand where you can practice lazing, beach volleyball or even surfing! Once the visit to the beach is over, be sure to take a walk on the side of Parte Vieja (downtown). The old center of San Sebastian has many picturesque alleys where you can enjoy delicious tapas.
Zurriola Beach 800 meters long, Zurriola Beach is a popular beach for surfers and young people. The beach hosts jazz concerts and surfing competitions every year.
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Cathedral of Santa Maria of Vitoria, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Located about sixty kilometers south of Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz is a city famous for the Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria. Built in 1200 and in the Gothic style, a visit to this magnificent cathedral allows you to learn more about the history of the city. Other places of interest in Vitoria-Gasteiz are the Museo de Bellas Artes de Álava, the contemporary Artium Museum and the churches of San Pedro Apóstol and San Vicente Mártir.
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