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THE BASQUE REGION The region has three beautiful towns which are within a few kilometres of each other - Bayonne, Biarritz and St Jean de Luz. Bayonne is built on two rivers. Its magnificent, ancient cathedral overlooks the winding medieval streets. Fashionable and glamorous Biarritz is famous for its shopping, restaurants and surf, and boasts one of the finest seafronts in France. Historic St Jean de Luz is the most typical and charming of the Pays Basque seaside resorts with its glorious, sandy beach and picturesque fishing port. The Pyrenees, with their unbeatable mountain scenery, old Basque villages and wildlife are just a short drive away. The mountains will transport you into a rural heaven as beautiful as any found in Europe. The most local peak, La Rhune, can be scaled with the help of an old mountain railway, offering views at the summit to take your breath away. The city of Pau is an important centre for skiing and is about an hour's drive away. It is also possible to ski in the morning and be on the beach in the afternoon, at certain times of the year.
Local information: The Pays Basque is known to have a warm climate with plenty of sunshine in the winter. T shirts are possible even in February and November and hardy locals swim in the sea throughout the year. Surfers make the most of the legendary coastline all year round, surfing in board shorts for the best part of the year, and donning wetsuits in the winter - but rarely wearing gloves or hoods. This area tends to avoid aggressively hot summer temperatures because it is by the coast, but the sea can become very warm, particularly in more protected bays such as St Jean de Luz.
Being so close to the Spanish border opens up a different world of culture, gastronomy and architecture. The old Spanish town of Hondarribia (Fuenterrabia) can be reached by a swift 5 minute ferry ride from Hendaye or by car (25 mins drive from Guethary). This old town, with its castle and old church, is famous for its many tapas bars - the locals seem to spend all day eating, drinking and socialising. San Sebastian, for many one of the most sophisticated and architecturally beautiful cities in Spain, has a glorious esplanade looking onto golden sands and blue sea. For those who think to book well in advance, San Sebastian offers one of Spain's finest and best known restaurants, Arzac. Within 2 hours, you can drive to Bilbao, most famous nowadays for the truly remarkable Guggenheim Museum; a triumph of contemporary architecture which is unrivalled throughout the world. Guernica
Pablo Picasso, 1937 |  St-PéeThe village is a typically Basque affair with its fronton (traditional sports arena), church and selection of essential shops. The fronton is where, in 1857, local Pelote enthusiast, Gantixiki Harotcha, first used the chistera - the little 'basket hand' for gaining extra speed with the ball. That day, Cesta Punta was born. Try and watch a game in the village (which is played on Friday nights) whilst you're here, or just watch the children gather at the fronton to play the game after school. In the Middle Ages, the village was on the pilgrim route to Compostella. The village's chief antiquities are a 16th century château and its church, which dates back to a similar age. Today, one of the main draws in the immediate area is the leisure lake of St-Pée. It's about 4 kms along the road to Sare and a great place for a day out. This purpose-built lake has sandy beaches, a water slide, mountain bike routes, quad biking, fishing, tennis, picnic areas and a range of watersports. It's a great alternative to the beach if you're feeling in need of a little more peace or if the surf is too high; there is bathing surveillance here in the high season. There is a small, yet excellen, tourist office in the village. A link to its website is given to the right of this page. This site also provides links to activity organisations based at the lake. There is a large supermarket in the village, a couple of Hypermarches in close proximity by car, plus a small selection of restaurants. In theory, the village should provide all that you need. The Hotel du Fronton restaurant in neighbouring Ibarron comes highly recommended by previous visitors and the take-away Pizza shop on the High Street in the centre of the village is second to none! Out & About
Emen Ongi is a few kms from the local mountain pass into Spain, the Col d’Ibardin. This was formerly a smuggling route and today is still a place to buy cheap wine and spirits. These mountain pass towns exist all along the Pyrénées.
A great trip for the kids is a ride on Le Petit Train de la Rhune. Standing over 900m high, La Rhune is the distinct and symbolic peak of the western Pyrénées. It can be reached by foot – a lovely day’s walking – or by funicular train. The 360 degree views from the summit are spectacular.
There are great beaches all along the coast from the Spanish border at Hendaye, north into the Landes and Gironde départements. Because the Côte d’Argent is so vast, the beaches are less crowded than on the Mediterranean.
The area is totally under-visited for its golf despite the game’s rich history in this region and the presence of some wonderful courses: Chantaco, Nivelle, Biarritz Le Phare, Arcangues, Makila, Chiberta, Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets are all within an hour’s drive. José-Maria Olazabal’s course, Fuenterrabia, is just across the border into Spain. Horse-riding, mountain-biking and fishing are also popular. Surfers will already be familiar with the Côte Basque, and there are plenty of surf schools for beginners.
Thalassotherapy and thermal spa are big attractions in this area – people come from all over France for sea and freshwater therapies; there are venues across the region including Hendaye, St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Dax.
The countryside is a delight; the rolling green hills are popular with the few British visitors that the region receives. The foothills rise to the mountains of the Pyrénées which are home to dozens of hiking trails including the famous coast-to-coast GR10 track. Eagles, wild horses and the occasional brown bear make this one of Europe’s most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers will be kept busy twitching. The Pyrénées also provide thrill-seekers with a range of extreme sports from white-water rafting to paragliding. The mountain landscapes are at their finest in the Haut-Béarn region.
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