Biarritz

Biarritz sits on the Basque coast of southwestern France, a short drive from the Spanish border, where dramatic Atlantic surf meets 19th-century seaside glamour. What began as a whaling village grew into a favorite retreat of European royalty after Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, built a summer palace here in the 1850s, and the grand villas and Belle Époque architecture that followed still shape the town's look today.

That aristocratic past now sits comfortably alongside a completely different identity: Biarritz is widely considered the birthplace of surfing in Europe, and its beaches draw everyone from beginner surf-campers to competitive longboarders. The result is a compact, walkable town that mixes rocky coastal viewpoints, sandy beaches, Basque food culture, and a lively year-round social scene.

Spring (March–May)

Mild and often breezy, with the ocean still cool. This is a good stretch for walking the coastal paths and exploring town without peak-season crowds, though wetsuits are standard for surfing this early.

Summer (June–August)

Warm and busy, with average highs around 23–25°C (73–77°F). July and August bring the biggest crowds to the Grande Plage and the highest hotel prices, alongside the town's main festival season.

Autumn (September–October)

Often cited by locals as the best time to visit: warm sea temperatures linger, crowds thin out, and the swell tends to pick up, making it a favorite window for more experienced surfers.

Winter (November–February)

Mild by northern European standards but wet and windy, with highs typically around 12–14°C (54–57°F). Surfing continues year-round for those with the right wetsuit, and the town is markedly quieter.

Biarritz Pays Basque Airport (BIQ) sits right on the edge of town, with flights connecting to Paris and a handful of other French and European cities. It's close enough to the center that a taxi ride takes only about 10 minutes.

Biarritz's train station, technically located in the La Négresse district a short bus or taxi ride from the center, connects to the high-speed TGV network, with journeys from Paris taking roughly 4 to 4.5 hours and from Bordeaux around 2 hours. Drivers coming from Bordeaux take the A63 motorway south, a trip of about 2 hours, while the Spanish border and San Sebastián are less than an hour away by car.

Central Biarritz is small and walkable, with most major sights - the Grande Plage, Rocher de la Vierge, and Port des Pêcheurs - within a 10 to 20 minute walk of each other, though the town's hills make for a workout on foot. Scooters and bikes are popular locally as a way to skip the limited, expensive parking in the center.

• Local buses connect the center to outlying beaches, the train station, and the airport
• Scooter and bike rental are widely available and well suited to the compact town
• Parking in the center is limited and pricier in summer, so many visitors leave the car at their hotel
• A car is most useful for day trips into the Pyrenees foothills or along the coast

Rocher de la Vierge

This rocky outcrop just off the coast is reached by a 19th-century footbridge, built at the request of Empress Eugénie, and topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary. It's one of the town's most photographed viewpoints, with the Grande Plage on one side and the Côte des Basques and the Pyrenees visible on the other.

Hôtel du Palais and the Grande Plage

Built as Empress Eugénie's summer villa, the Hôtel du Palais still dominates the skyline above the Grande Plage, Biarritz's main beach, flanked by the Art Deco Casino Barrière. Even without staying there, the building and the promenade below it capture the town's imperial-era character.

Cité de l'Océan and the Musée de la Mer

The Cité de l'Océan is an interactive museum devoted to ocean science and surf culture, while the Musée de la Mer (Biarritz Aquarium), housed in a 1933 Art Deco building near the Rocher de la Vierge, covers the marine life of the Bay of Biscay across dozens of tanks.

Biarritz Lighthouse

Standing on Pointe Saint-Martin since 1834, the lighthouse can be climbed via 248 steps for sweeping views over the coast and, on clear days, the Pyrenees. It also marks a good sunset-watching spot at the northern edge of town.

Les Halles and the old town

Biarritz's covered market, Les Halles, is a good stop for Basque cheese, charcuterie, and produce, and sits within an old town of narrow streets, surf shops, and seafood restaurants worth a slow wander.

Biarritz has around 6 km of coastline made up of several distinct beaches. La Grande Plage, in the heart of town, is the most central and popular, with waves suited to all levels and dozens of surf schools operating along it. Côte des Basques, just south of the center, is the town's historic surf beach and a gathering point for surfers and spectators. For calmer water, the small, sheltered cove of Port Vieux is a better choice for swimming than surfing.

Surfing has been part of Biarritz's identity since the 1950s, when it became one of the first places in Europe where the sport took hold, and the town is still often described as Europe's surf capital. Roughly twenty surf schools operate here, and beginner lessons are widely available; La Maison du Surf, a small museum and cultural space, traces the history of surfing in Biarritz from its early days to today.

• City Center / Grande Plage – The core of Biarritz, between the Hôtel du Palais and the casino, with the best concentration of hotels, shops, and restaurants within walking distance of everything.
• Côte des Basques – A residential stretch south of the center along the historic surf beach, with a quieter, more local feel and some of the best sunset views.
• Port des Pêcheurs – A small former fishing harbor tucked below the Plateau de l'Atalaye, now home to a handful of low-key seafood restaurants.
• La Négresse – The area around the train station, less scenic but useful as a transport hub and generally more affordable for accommodation.

Biarritz sits at the heart of French Basque food culture, so menus lean heavily on the region's specialties: piperade (a pepper, tomato, and egg dish), Espelette pepper, Bayonne ham, and Basque cake (gâteau basque) filled with cream or cherry preserve. As a coastal town, fresh seafood is equally central, with the Port des Pêcheurs and streets around Les Halles offering some of the most reliable spots for it.

Pintxos culture, borrowed from nearby Spanish Basque Country, is easy to find as well, especially in bars around the old town, making it possible to eat a full meal by hopping between a few small plates and a glass of local Irouléguy wine.

San Sebastián, Spain

Just under an hour away by car or bus, San Sebastián is famous for its own beaches and one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the world, along with a renowned pintxos bar scene in its old town.

Bayonne

A short train or bus ride away, Bayonne is the historic capital of the French Basque Country, known for its half-timbered riverside houses, Gothic cathedral, chocolate-making tradition, and its own Basque festival culture.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

This smaller Basque fishing port, about 25 minutes south, offers a calmer beach, a well-preserved old town, and the church where Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1660.

The Pyrenees foothills

Villages like Espelette, known for its namesake chile pepper, and Sare, a hilltop Basque village, sit around 30–45 minutes inland and make for an easy contrast to the coast, with mountain views and traditional Basque architecture.

• Biarritz Surf Festival – A summer gathering of surf competitions and beach events that draws both professional and amateur surfers to the town's beaches.
• Le Temps d'Aimer la Danse – A contemporary dance festival held each September, bringing international companies to venues across town.
• Fêtes de Bayonne (nearby) – A major Basque festival in late July/early August in neighboring Bayonne, easily reached from Biarritz and popular with visitors staying on the coast.

• Book well ahead for July and August, when both beach tourism and festival crowds peak.
• Pack a wetsuit-friendly attitude if surfing outside summer - the Atlantic here stays cool even when the air is warm.
• Biarritz's train station is in the La Négresse district, a bus or short taxi ride from the center, not walking distance - factor that into arrival plans.
• A day trip across the Spanish border to San Sebastián is easy enough to do without a car, using local bus or train connections.