Biarritz beaches — a guide to the best ones
Beaches and surfing — not to mention a wonderfully mild climate— are at the heart of Biarritz‘s enduring appeal as a holiday resort. Its ideal location in the Bay of Biscay on France’s Atlantic coast means that Biarritz has become the surfing capital of Europe. But even for those who want a less strenuous time at the seaside, the beaches offer a great place to relax, take a dip or simply soak up the rays. Biarritz’s six beaches offer plenty of variety. Some are perfect for swimming or surfing, others are ideal for families with small children. Here’s our guide to help you choose the right beach for you and your family. And don’t for get to check on the tides before you visit the beach!
Le Grande Plage
The central beach close to the town centre is the Grande Plage (the name means ‘Big Beach’ or ‘Main Beach’). This is the beach shown most often in photos of Biarritz and where the famous and not-so-famous come to bathe, relax and pose in the heart of this resort. But thanks to the large waves that roll in from the Atlantic Ocean, it is also viewed as one of the finest surfing beaches in Europe. The waves can be huge! The Grande Plage runs between the famous Casino on the seafront to the even more famous Hotel du Palais. This beach has all you need for a perfect day on the sand; beach clubs for the youngsters, cafés and restaurants all around and three underground car parks if you’re driving.
You can hire shelters and parasols here and learn to surf at a surf school. Inevitably it can get pretty crowded in peak season; if you can, and the weather’s nice, try to get to the beach fairly early in the morning. The beach is likely to be most crowded early afternoon from around 2pm until say 5pm. Be warned, though, that the lifeguards don’t start work until around 10am in peak seasons (July to August) and not until midday in June and September. Another key point is to check the tide times for your holiday and build your time around them.
Bear in mind the beach feels even more crowded at high water! Sometimes the designated swimming areas and surfing zones are moved according to the state of the tides and how busy the beach is. Incidentally, it wasn’t always known as the Grande Plage. It was originally known as the Plage des Fous (‘Beach of the Crazies’) because of the recklessness of early bathers plunging into the giant waves and then the Plage de l’impératrice
(‘Empress’s Beach) in honour of the Empress Eugénie (this was in the mid-19th century when she was the wife of Napoleon III) for whom the Hotel du Palais was built.
Plage du Miramar
The Miramar beach is really a continuation of the Grande Plage after the Hotel du Palais — perhaps less popular with the glitterati because it’s a bit further to walk! Surfing is not allowed here though bodyboarding is.
There are more rocks here and when the sea is a bit rough or there’s a high tide, the currents can be dangerous, dragging the unwary out to sea. Lifeguards operate from late June to the end of August. That said, it is a charming and usually less busy beach for a quiet dip and sunbathing and used by many who love the ambiance of the main seafront but not the crowds. Some say the sand is softer than on the Grande Plage. Please note you’re not allowed to swim out to the big rock known as the Roche Ronde just off the shoreline as this is a bird sanctuary. Nor can you go on the Plage Bernain beach further up the coast because of the risk of falling rocks.
Plage Port Vieux
The Port Beach is south of the Grande Plage, and as its name suggests it’s right next to the Port Vieux or Old Port in Biarritz. This small beach is set in a rocky cove which shelters it from the wind and large waves. This means it is not great for surfing — but is very good for people with young children. This is definitely a family-friendly beach.
The Port Vieux beach is in fact popular all-year round with locals. There are swimming and diving clubs based on the beach, plus nearby cafés and restaurants. Lifeguards are in operation from mid-June to early September.
Plage Côte des Basques
The Côte des Basques beach is just south of the Port Vieux beach but could hardly be more different. While Port Vieux beach is small and intimate, the Plage Côte des Basques beach (literally ‘Basque coast beach’) is very long, open and a surfing paradise. In many ways out of all the Biarritz beaches this is THE surfing beach, and is where surfing in France all started (see here).
It has remained popular with local surfers ever since. Visit this beach and it’s not hard to see why: set against a backdrop of cliffs, it has views of the Pyrénées mountains and of the Spanish coast, while the wild breakers of the Atlantic just keep rolling in. Even if you’re not into surfing there’s still a great long stretch of sand to enjoy, not to mention the views.
There’s a car park nearby plus a free shuttle bus from Vieux Port. Perhaps the only fault of this wonderful beach is that swimming has to be suspended at high water because the water comes in so far. The sandy beach and normal exits disappear! So watch out if you do go there on a rising tide.
There’s lifeguard cover from early June to late September. If you want the authentic Biarritz surfing beach experience then this is probably the beach for you.
Plage Marbella
Marbella Beach is essentially a continuation of the Côte des Basques beach. It’s an attractive beach and has a slightly wilder feel than some of the neighbouring stretches of sand The setting and waves make it good for surfers and beachborders, though because of the difficult access down steps and across rocks it is not ideal for people with limited mobility.
Lifeguards are around from June to August and there is a café/restaurant at the beach.
Plage La Milady
This is a large beach which is especially popular with locals — perhaps because it’s usually less crowded than some of the others and the fact that there’s plenty of free car parking nearby. There’s also a lovely walk around the beach and a play area for children, plus a café. All in all it’s a great beach and one of the Biarritz beaches that’s often overlooked by tourists. One thing to note: the breakers can be a bit lively when the tide’s in!
See also our guide to the best Surf Beaches in Biarritz.
Photo by Andrew Gustar / CC BY 2.0 image cropped