Day 5 - Biarritz

Today we spent the entire day exploring this beautiful beach town of Biarritz. We first headed out for a nice cup of coffee and discovered a wonderful market in Old Town. The Halles market area truly feels like the social heart of the city, where locals gather for fresh seafood, cheeses, meats, produce, and all kinds of Basque specialties. There was also an outdoor artisan market filled with local goodies. I somehow refrained from buying everything in sight — and those who know me know that was a huge sacrifice! Haha.

After the market, we started walking down the coast. The promenade in Biarritz is famous for its dramatic ocean views, and lively seaside atmosphere along the Bay of Biscay. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking with rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, crashing waves, and surfers everywhere. Walking along the promenade, you pass landmarks like the Hôtel du Palais, originally built as the summer palace of Empress Eugénie and Napoleon III.

Biarritz is considered the birthplace of surfing in Europe, and it was so fun watching surfers ride the waves throughout the day. We stopped at a café right across from the ocean where I enjoyed a smoothie that I really needed after all the walking. As I sat there, I realized the café was named Carlos, which made me smile.

We continued farther down the coast and came upon the beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary sitting high on a rock overlooking the Atlantic. The Rocher de la Vierge is one of the most important symbols of Biarritz and has deep ties to the town’s fishing history. According to local legend, fishermen caught in a violent storm were guided safely home by a mysterious light that appeared on the rock. In gratitude, the statue of the Virgin Mary was placed there in 1865 to protect sailors and fishermen.

After all that exploring, we decided to head back to the hotel for a little rest and a nice afternoon nap.

In the early evening, we headed back out and walked along the coast again to Grande Plage, Biarritz’s main beach lined with grand hotels and cafés. The promenade became fashionable in the 19th century when European royalty began vacationing here. We sat at one of the cafés, enjoyed a drink, and spent some time people watching while listening to the sound of the ocean.

We ended up walking over 7 miles today, so before calling it a night, we treated ourselves to some ice cream — so yummy!

Now it’s time to relax and get up early for our last day in Biarritz ❤️Read more