Travelling through the Basque country

Travelling through the Basque country

Hossegor – Guéthary – St. Jean de Luz – Hendaye

Charlie was in Hossegor because she wanted to see another edition of the Quiksilver Pro France. When this event was canceled by the WSL in July 2022, Charlie changed her plans. Her flights were booked, but it didn’t mean that she had to stay in Hossegor for the whole two weeks.

The year before, Carwyn, the owner of the surf house where she always stayed in Hossegor, had been driving her along the coast towards the Pyrenees for lunch. On their way, they had passed some smaller towns and Carwyn had mentioned great surf there. So far, Charlie had only been to Hossegor and Bayonne. This was now the opportunity to see some other places too. She spent a few days in Hossegor where she took part in the Surf Summit and saw the Quiksilver No Pro before she went further down south to see Guéthary, St. Jean de Luz, and Hendaye.

Hendaye

Charlie had no preference in which of these places she should stay. They all could be reached by train within 15 minutes. It didn’t matter where she would stay, she could see all three towns. She found a good offer for a holiday apartment right by the beach in Hendaye and the decision was made. It would be rude not to book this view!

View from the window at Hendaye beach in the morning

It was never easier to check the surf. Charlie only had to go to the window. She had rented a surfboard for those days, and she could cross the road to get in the water at any time. The spot is called “Hendaye Plage” and it is a long beach with consistent waves. There was a big swell the first few days and the waves got gradually smaller throughout the week. The set drew beautiful lines in the water. The bay faces north, and you can see the sun rise behind the buildings of Hendaye in the morning. Charlie couldn’t see it from the apartment, but from the water during a sunrise surf session. The sun is setting over the Pyrenees giving the whole bay a lovely touch of orange. At the western end of the bay is a lighthouse that you can see flashing at night.

Hendaye beach

There is a small town centre in Hendaye Beach which mostly consists of surf schools, beach shops and restaurants, and a separate train station called “Les Deux Jumeaux”. Along the beach is a wide promenade with a separate cycle lane that also invites to a skate session. The town of Hendaye itself is a lot bigger and reaches to the Spanish border. It is a 45-minute walk along the waterfront or a 10-minute bus ride from the beach to the main train station in Hendaye. You will also pass through a little park with a skate park. Charlie only went to the centre to catch a bus to Donostia-San Sebastián.

Château d’Abbadie

It is hardly visible from the town of Hendaye, but you can see it when you’re in the water. On the hill towards northeast is a historic castle. Depending on where you are in Hendaye, it is a 30 to 45-minute walk up the hill to Abbadie Castle. It was built by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc between 1864 and 1879 in neogothic style and is nowadays in scientific ownership.

The castle is surrounded by a park where you can find some non-native plants such as banana leaves. It was always dedicated to science and the park and garden are used as a botanical garden. You can see the bay and the beach of Hendaye from up there.

Abbadie Castle overlooking Hendaye beach

The opening hours of the Château d’Abbadie vary depending on the time of year. It is best to consult their website directly. Prices are as follows as of October 2022:

 

How to communicate

Hendaye is directly at the Spanish border, yet still in France. After the Surf Summit in Hossegor, Charlie was used to speaking French again and of course, the first person she spoke to in Hendaye spoke to her in Spanish. Was she able to pull that switch so easily?

Over the next few days, she still mostly spoke French with people in shops or to ask for directions, but there was also the occasional conversation in Spanish. The locals are probably fluent in both languages. Basque is another official language of the region and you can see it on all road signs, but Charlie didn’t hear anybody speak that language in France.

Guéthary

This town is the furthest north of the three and about 30 minutes south of Biarritz. As you come out of the train station, you can already see the ocean. Behind you is a small town center with restaurants and terraces to enjoy a coffee. To get to the beach, you can easily follow the path from the train station down the hill. It’s a minute’s walk to the small fishing harbour and the beach promenade. This promenade is more natural than the one in Hendaye, there are only a few small restaurants, and the rest is greenery. Towards the south, there is the harbour and a beach that is a mix of sand and pebbles. At the end of this beach is a point break where Charlie could see a few surfers that day. The waves were small everywhere else along this coast but in this spot. Charlie had to climb over some rocks to get the best view.

Guéthary

Towards the north is the beach promenade which then leads to a coastal path all the way to the beach Plage de l’Uhabia and the town of Bidart. This beach is also a popular surf spot, but it was only small that day. It was a 30-minute walk from the train station in Guéthary. Just outside the train station is a small coffee shop where you can sit down whilst waiting for the train.

Coastal Walk from Guéthary to Bidart

St. Jean de Luz

Picturesque – that is probably the best word to describe the town of St. Jean de Luz which lies halfway between Guéthary and Hendaye. There is also a beautiful bay and beach, but the town is the opposite of a surf town. The traditional basque architecture mixes here with small boutiques for big wallets, ice cream shops, and chocolatiers. The little cafés with outdoor seating create an almost Paris-like atmosphere. The town invites for a stroll and some window shopping that almost feels like a visit to a museum.

St. Jean de Luz