The Basque Country does not stop at the border. Biarritz, on the French side, is the elegant seaside town that made surfing famous in Europe, and with Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz it forms the French Basque Country (Iparralde to Basques).
Biarritz
- The Grande Plage and the promenade below the Hôtel du Palais, the former imperial villa.
- The Rocher de la Vierge, a rock in the sea reached by a footbridge.
- Surf: the Côte des Basques beach is where surfing arrived in Europe in the 1950s; schools rent boards and give lessons.
- Les Halles, the covered market, for oysters and a glass of wine at the counter.
Around
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a fishing port with a beach in a sheltered bay and a lively old centre.
- Bayonne, the capital of the French Basque Country: the cathedral, the riverside houses and its famous ham and chocolate.
- Espelette, the village of the red chilli peppers hung on its houses.
Getting there from Spain
From San Sebastián it is about 40 minutes by car; buses link the two cities, and the Euskotren "Topo" goes from San Sebastián to Hendaye, on the border, where French trains continue to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz and Bayonne. Biarritz airport is also a good way in: see getting to San Sebastián.
Data across two countries
A trip that crosses the border needs data in Spain and France. A Europe eSIM covers both with one plan, so your maps and bookings keep working as you cross.