BIARRITZ SURFING
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne International Airport is
served by Easyjet (www.easyjet. com) from London Gatwick and Ryanair (
www.ryanair.com) from London Stansted and Birmingham.
WHERE TO STAY
If you’re feeling really flush, try the very expensive four-
star Hotel du Palais (00 33 5 59 41 64 00; www.hotel-du-palais. com). But don’t be surprised if your T-shirt and board shorts get sniffy looks. Hotel Le Caritz (00 33 5 59
24 41 84; www.hotel-lecaritz-
biarritz.com) is close to the centre of town but still has great views from its terrace restaurant over the beach. If you’re lucky you might be greeted by the owner Pascal Ondarts, the famous ex-rugby pro. Set in quiet greenery with
a geranium-filled garden, Le Saint-Charles (47 Avenue
reine Victoria; 00 33 5 59 24 10 54;
www.hotelstcharles.com) offer rooms in a lovelymaison ancienne with doubles from €60.
WHERE TO EAT For the real surf dining
experience, try Le Surfing
(9 Boulevard Prince de Galles 00 33 5 59 24 78 72; www.
lesurfingbiarritz.fr). Enjoy Basque and Spanish specialities while admiring the vintage surf boards hanging from the celing. When you’re this close to
the sea it would be rude not to indulge in a few oysters. Try Le
Biarritz
Bistrot de l’Huitre (00 33 5 59 22 31 32; www.lebistrotdelhuitre. fr) right opposite the casino on Boulevard du General de Gaulle. Other good seafood restaurants
include Le Corsaire (00 33 5 59 24 63 72) and Chez Albert (00 33 5 59 24 43 84;
www.chezalbert. fr). The latter, with Basque regional specialities, is incredibly popular with the locals. For drinks and tapas head for
Les 100 Marches, up on the cliff in Square Jean-Baptiste Lascale (00 33 5 59 24 75 81). It can feel like the whole town is there sinking aperitifs and watching the sun go down.
WHAT TO DO
Surfing, and all its adherent culture, is bound to occupy
much of your time while in Biarritz. If you’re a beginner to the sport, try one of the many surf schools. Visit the tourism website
www.biarritz.fr for a lengthy list. If you’d prefer to stay dry
then you have a choice of 10 golf courses all within a 30-km radius of Biarritz. Or you could watch top-level rugby at Biarritz Olympique (
www.bo-pb.com) in the Parc des Sports d’Aguilera. At the same venue you can
experience true Basque sport by catching a game of cesta punta – the local variant of pelota – at Euskal-Jai (00 33 5 59 23 91 09). Concentrate because the ball can fly at speeds up to 180mph. After a hard day’s surfing you’ll
be much in need of some r and r. Why not try thalassotherapy at Les Thermes Marins (00 33 5 59 23 01 22;
www.biarritz-
thalasso.com). If you have any money left then
head for the Casino Barriere de Biarritz, on Avenue Edouard VII (00 33 5 59 22 77 77; www.
lucienbarriere.com).
CONTACTS Biarritz tourism office: Square d’Ixelles; 00 33 5
59 22 37 00;
www.biarritz.fr.
Clockwise, from top left: A quaint inland scene; Le Surfing restaurant, complete with board and irreverent artworks with a seaside theme; The restaurant’s walls also boast mementos pointing to Biarritz’s long affiliation with the sport; Dominic and his boarding friends prepare for a dunking
34 ■ french magazine
DOMINIC BLISS
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