Biarritz, France
Biarritz is in the southwest of France near the border with Spain on the Atlantic ocean. This area of France along with the northwest of Spain is known as Basque country. Historically the Basque people have fought against both France and Spain for their independence but all that seems pretty settled now.
Biarritz is known as a surfing town. You see bicycles fitted with special hangars to carry their boards to the beach and lots of young guys walking through town wearing only their board shorts and carrying them. It was hard to take photos of them as the beach was vast and had several areas of surfers.
The weather was beautiful here with temps in the mid to upper 80’s. Many people were out and about with many young people running around on Vespas and families on bicycles fitted with crates for carrying up to 2 children. I wasn’t able to get any photos of this due to the speed which they went by and access to my phone to set to take a photo but I wish I had.
Harbor with the main church on the hill above. There are walking paths all along the coast.
Biarritz is a very fashionable, high end town in addition to being a surfer haven. We had a great hotel for only $123/night yet the Plaza on the main high street had a basic room starting at $335/night.
Our hotel
Not our hotel:)
The city sits on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic ocean so walking is a good workout. There are walkways all around the coast from beach to beach with 180 degree views. It is also a great place for swimming or just paddling around in the water. We chose to do the latter on a hot day but had to be careful as the broad sandy beaches become soft so you sink to your ankles. This makes it hard to walk and when the wave crashes in, hard to stand upright. After wading in the water it was time for an ice cream. We went to a shop where they have been selling ice cream and pastries since 1872!
Afternoon ice cream stop
View to the Atlantic ocean
Overview of the fishing harbor and beach from a walkway.
Inner harbor the boats pass through.
For additional photos of Biarritz including traditional Basque dancing, more architecture and more.
