Exploring Biarritz
After a few days and two amazing hikes in the French Pyrenees, it was time to head to the coast for some sand, sea, and surf. First stop - Biarritz - an elegant seaside town on the southwest coast of France. Biarritz is known for its surf, but the charts weren’t showing any major swell yet, so we thought we could spend the day exploring the cafes, shops, and beautiful architecture that this little city had to offer. We drove the highway from Cauterets to Biarritz, parked on the outskirts of town a mile away from the coast and began our walk inwards.
Immediately we were met with lavishly built accommodations that looked worthy of royalty, nestled amongst many that were more quaint, yet still possessed unique qualities that left an impression, including colorful shutters and doors painted to match and lush gardens spilling out over tasteful gate entrances and upstairs terraces.
Every street looked like a movie set; I half expected to cross paths with someone riding a bike, a freshly baked french baguette in the front wicker basket. The skies were blue, the temperature was in the 70’s, and as we got closer to the coast, the town seemed to come more and more to life.
This pink brick building below was one of my favorites. Even the smallest windows were trimmed with luxurious details, and on the other side of vintage window panes hung traditional French embroidered curtains, keeping secrets of what lived inside.
After a good 30 minute walk, we were close to the coast but we had worked up a serious appetite so we stopped into Vegan Le Jardin for a delicious vegan lunch followed by a couple of desserts and espressos. The homey cafe was owned by a friendly husband and wife who seemed to be working it on their own. She took our orders from the small menu and gave them to her husband who we could see preparing our food from the dining area. These sort of mom and pop shops are becoming more and more rare, so I was thankful for the experience. It felt like I was a guest in someone’s home and they were cooking for me - such a treat.
Feeling our energy restored, we walked a few more minutes and finally caught a glimpse of the coast. Nestled in between the concrete buildings was an inviting soft blue sea beneath a pale blue sky.
The end of the street opened up into a whimsical world of beautiful shops and restaurants lining the streets that overlooked the expanse of calm blue water that made up the North Atlantic. There were places to buy luxury swimwear, shoes, and jewelry tucked in with surf shops selling boards and other surf gear. White umbrellas shaded customers on the balconies of numerous eateries as they enjoyed their espressos, lemonades and gelato. At the edges of these streets were sidewalks trimmed with railings that would trail off in various places into staircases down to the beaches in each cove big and small.
Normally I’m not a fan of being around large groups of people, especially on the beach. This view normally would have filled me with dread - “so many people” I would have thought, “too many, actually.” Instead, I was provided with a sense of nostalgia, the scene reminding me of an old postcard, colorful and chaotic in its own charming way. I observed from above, taking pleasure in being a faraway bystander.
Overlooking Plage du Port Vieux below, we spent a minute talking about how we wished we had brought our swimsuits and that the van was too far of a walk to go and get them now. As much as I didn’t want to brave the crowds on the beach, I think experiencing the inviting emerald water and caramel sand up close would have remedied any reservations I had. But we looked on and enjoyed it the way we could.
Phare de Biarritz, a lighthouse built in 1834. (pictured above)
The Villa Belza pictured above was built in 1895 and has since been used in various films for obvious reasons. Both the architecture and setting are ridiculously dreamy, like something out of a fairytale. It looked closed when we walked by, possibly for renovations based on what I’ve read about it, so we didn’t get to go inside. Nonetheless, it was stunning.
As we made our way a little further down the coast, passing more beautiful buildings, we came upon the Sainte-Eugénie Church. I’m a sucker for old churches as they often have some of the most impressive architecture in a town or city. This one didn’t disappoint.
We ended our day with a slow walk back to our camper van, taking in the last bits that our adventure had to offer: pretty flowers, the Colors of Surfing surf shop (also serves a delicious chai latte), more enchanting streets, and a resident cat taking a nap on someone’s parked car.
What a day. I’m not much of a city girl, but Biarritz kind of has everything I could want - the ocean, surf, warm sunny days, an endless amount of restaurants, shops, and activities to keep you entertained, and it still possesses a quaintness that is hard to come by when faced with all the upscale qualities this seaside town has to offer. Maybe I’ll find myself there again someday. Until then, I’ll revisit this blog post.
