Biarritz sits on the Basque coast where Atlantic surf meets Belle Époque grandeur. Once a fishing village, it became a fashionable resort in the 1850s when Empress Eugénie built a palace here, and the waves that roll onto its beaches have since drawn everyone from European royalty to wetsuit-clad surfers. Today it balances elegant seafront promenades with a relaxed beach-town energy.
The self-catering rentals nearby put you within easy reach of dramatic coastal walks, family-friendly attractions, and the quietly sophisticated pleasures of France's southwest corner. It's a place where you can spend the morning watching the Atlantic from a clifftop, the afternoon exploring a neo-Gothic castle, and the evening in a Basque wine bar, all without venturing far from your gîte.
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About Biarritz
Biarritz occupies a stretch of coastline where steep headlands and sandy bays create a rhythm of sheltered coves and open ocean views. The town grew around fishing and whaling until the mid-19th century, when Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie made it fashionable. Their Villa Eugénie became the Hôtel du Palais, and the belle époque villas that followed still line the clifftops above the beaches.
The Grande Plage remains the town's heart, flanked by the casino and a striped beach tent or two in summer. But Biarritz never feels overly precious—its surfing culture, which took root in the 1950s, gives it a younger, more informal edge. You'll find wetsuit shops next to art deco façades, and locals queuing at the market alongside visitors.
People stay in the surrounding area for access to both the coast and the Basque countryside just inland. The border with Spain is twenty minutes south, Bayonne's medieval centre is a short drive north, and the foothills of the Pyrenees rise green and abrupt to the east. It's a base that works for families, couples, and anyone who wants to combine days by the sea with excursions into a landscape that shifts quickly from beach to mountain.
Things to do near Biarritz
Start at Rocher de la Vierge, a rocky outcrop linked to the mainland by a footbridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, where you can watch waves break against the cliffs and scan the horizon for the Spanish coast. A short walk south brings you to Phare de Biarritz, the lighthouse on the Pointe Saint-Martin, which you can climb for views over the town and the sweep of the Basque shoreline.
For families, the Biarritz Aquarium offers well-presented tanks of seahorses, rays, and sharks in an art deco building overlooking the sea. Further afield, Le Train de La Rhune is a vintage rack railway that climbs to the summit of La Rhune mountain on the Franco-Spanish border, revealing views across the Pyrenees and the Atlantic. The journey takes about thirty-five minutes each way.
Château d'Abbadie, a neo-Gothic castle near Hendaye, was built in the 1860s for the explorer Antoine d'Abbadie and sits in parkland above the cliffs. The interiors are richly decorated, and the coastal footpath passes its gates. Across the border, the Cave of Zugarramurdi is a natural cavern in Navarre with a history of folklore and witch trials—remarkable for its size and the river that runs through it. Closer to Bayonne, the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne is a Gothic cathedral with elegant twin spires and a cloister that dates from the 13th century.
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Food & drink
Basque cuisine here leans on peppers, tomatoes, and the salty hams and cheeses that come down from the mountains. Bayonne is known for its jambon de Bayonne, cured in the traditional way, and Espelette pepper adds a mild warmth to piperade and other local dishes. Markets in Biarritz and Bayonne sell Ossau-Iraty sheep's cheese, charcuterie, and seasonal vegetables, and the wine lists tend to feature Irouléguy, the region's own appellation, alongside bottles from across the border in Rioja and Txakoli.
The coast's fishing heritage survives in the seafood restaurants around the old port, where you'll find grilled sardines, squid, and hake. For provisions, BAB2 shopping centre on the outskirts has a good range of supermarkets and delis. If you're exploring further south, the E.Leclerc in Urrugne is well stocked and convenient for stocking up before heading back to your gîte.
Getting there
Biarritz airport is three kilometres from the town centre, served by flights from the UK and other European cities, making it the quickest option for most visitors. If you're driving, Bordeaux–Mérignac airport is 164 kilometres north, with onward hire cars and a straightforward motorway route south along the coast.
From the UK, Saint-Malo is 576 kilometres away—a long but scenic drive through Brittany and down the Atlantic seaboard if you're bringing your own car via Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth. Paris Gare du Nord, 671 kilometres distant, connects via Eurostar and TGV services to Biarritz, though the journey involves a change and takes most of a day. For flexibility and convenience, flying into Biarritz itself is hard to beat.