Go to Biarritz

Biarritz - Atlantic Beach Holidays

Surfing in the Middle of the City

A beach with direct access to the city, this is the Grande Plage of Biarritz. Here, from spring to autumn, life shows its sunniest side, to the delight of surfers and bathers. Higher waves build up at low tide, so there is a plenty to see, while the promenade has enough cafés and restaurants to get you through the day with pleasure. A walk to the white lighthouse, the Phare de Biarritz built in 1834 and open to visitors in July and August, is be rewarded with great views of Biarritz. Assuming of course that you have first climbed the 248 steps!

Tourism Biarritz

Swim with 700 Sharks

The Cité de l'Océan on Avenue de la Plage is already a highlight from the outside: The 2011 award-winning building is shaped like a wave. Interactive and immersive experiences await visitors inside to bring them closer to the fascinating world of the oceans. Go on a virtual journey aboard a deep-sea submarine, a floating 4-D cinema. Or you can surf the perfect pipe as a surfer and face the mythical waves of the world. The feeling of swimming among 700 sharks doesn't really leave anyone cold either - virtual and augmented reality technology at its best!

City of the ocean

Rock of the Virgin

The landmark of Biarritz is the Rocher de la Vierge, the Rock of the Virgin. A beautiful path leads to it, first through flowering gardens, then over an iron bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1887. The idea for the bridge came from Napoleon III, whose wife, Eugénie, had her summer residence in Biarritz. A white statue of the Madonna with Child has stood on the top of the rock since 1865 as the patron saint of fishermen. Under the reef, there is a tunnel that ends in a viewing area, from where you can see the Madonna and the beaches. Be sure to have a look into the water as well, because there are always lots of fish around the rock.

Rocher de la Vierge

Tickling Fish at the Museum

The daily feeding of the seals is a wild sight at the Musée de la Mer. Up to four kilos of mackerel are devoured by each seal every time - you certainly don't want to get in the way! At the museum's “touching pool”, visitors can carefully reach into the water and touch the exotic plants. The large aquariums house sea creatures such as moray eels, eagle rays, and octopuses, and more recently hammerhead sharks. The exhibition shows the fishing traditions of the region, a whale skeleton, the differences in the sea beds, and much more.

Biarritz Aquarium

Basque Delights

What do the Basques eat at night? Le Crabe Tambour restaurant at 49 Rue d'Espagne has the answer. It celebrates regional cuisine with Basque and French specialities. We recommend the fresh fish dishes, such as the Spanish sea bass fillet, to which the chef adds a particularly refined touch, or the cod with lemon butter. But it also has beef classics such as a grilled entrecote, or the very spicy Basque veal dish: Axoa de veau Etxeko. Incidentally, the wine list is more extensive than the menu - but both are at a very high level at this cosy restaurant, which also caters to vegetarians.

Le crabe tambour