Biarritz walking tour & city guide

Along the seafront

The Grande Plage is the town's main beach, overlooked by the Hôtel du Palais, the former summer residence built for Eugénie, and by the art deco casino. To the north, the Miramar beach leads to the Biarritz Lighthouse on its headland, with sweeping views up the coast.

To the south, an iron footbridge, often credited to Gustave Eiffel's workshops, leads out to the Rocher de la Vierge, a rock topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary, with waves crashing all around. The little Port des Pêcheurs, the old fishermen's harbor, is tucked below the cliffs nearby.

Surf and Basque culture

Surfing arrived in Europe in Biarritz in the late 1950s, and the Côte des Basques beach, beneath its cliffs, is still a favorite place for surf lessons. The town is also deeply Basque, with red and green flags, pelota courts and a food culture shared with Spain just across the border.

A classic walk through Biarritz

Start at the lighthouse and walk down to the Miramar beach and the Grande Plage, past the Hôtel du Palais and the casino. Continue to the Port des Pêcheurs and out over the footbridge to the Rocher de la Vierge.

Then follow the cliff path past the Aquarium to the Côte des Basques beach, and come back up through the town center to the covered market. The walk is about 5 kilometers.

Visiting tips

Biarritz is lively in summer and calm the rest of the year. Bayonne, with its Basque old town, is next door, the fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a short drive south, and San Sebastián in Spain is less than an hour away.