Top Beaches

Biarritz has two main beaches, though if you drive up and down the coast, you will come across more: The Grande Plage is the main beach, which stretches out in front of the Hotel du Palais and is packed with people during the high season. The surf here varies and can be rough on some days and gentle on others. Don't expect fine Caribbean powder; the Basque coast is lined with a grainier sand. The Atlantic here is refreshing, as you find around Nantucket or in Long Island.

If you want to swim in a more protected bay, head to the Vieux Port, a small stretch of beach where locals come in the early morning for their daily swimming routine. (Many year-round residents swim every day until it gets too cold, though there is also a Polar Bear Society of hard-core aquatics who continue through the winter).

Surfers prefer the Plage de la Côte des Basques, further south, where the surf is normally higher than at at Grande Plage. The beach here is a fun spot to watch the action in the water; for lunch you can grab a light bite at casual-cool Le Surfing restaurant.