France has an amazing culture and the best baguettes ever! Perhaps you are looking for some alternatives to just visiting Paris? Well, Biarritz has to be one of those stops. Finishing our 16 day trip to Biarritz didn’t come easy, the place is most definitely one of the top spots to visit.
We decided to come here because of the surfing competition happening in Hossegor (Steve is crazy about surfing !:-)) and didn’t really do much research on the area. See the photos below from the contest. It was pumping waves pretty much the whole waiting period. Congrats to Gabriel Medina
The accommodation was booked a week in advance through AirBnB for €40 a night in a one-bedroom apartment in Anglet 10 minutes away from the Chambre D’Amour.
We also decided to go for car hire because of the distance to the competition ( 30min to Hossegor), and Hertz was the cheapest by far. We used Discover Cars to find the best rate!
Sixteen days for € 280 with €150 deposit refunded the day after return, and the process couldn’t be easier.
Why stay in Anglet rather than Biarritz?
Anglet is small and charming, with plenty of great places to eat, drink and embrace the French culture.
Biarritz is only a few minutes away, and if you wish, you can take a coastal walk to the place and discover views and the unique architecture of this town.
Highlights:
Chambre D’Amour with Lagunak bar serving amazing coffees in the morning and good cold sunset beers.
The place is closed afternoon so make sure to go for a morning walk to grab a coffee (espresso only €1 and beer €2.50) before noon and come back 6-7 pm to enjoy the sunset.
Diavoli restaurant, located close by, serves great Saturday lunch.
Check out Tabac Journaux de 5 Cantons for Sunday lunch.
This food market is packed with people enjoying oysters/cheese/ham/wine/beer, so order and eat at the counter or take away – up to you 🙂
Boulangerie Patisserie has massive queues at weekends, but the wait is worth it.
Baguettes and croissants are to die for!
Tony Vespa pizzas(Anglet) – mushrooms and truffles are a must-try if you are nearby.
In Biarritz, we enjoyed Etxola Bibi bar, located on the cliff overlooking the beach and Rocher de la Vierge (Virgin on the Rock – a great viewpoint from there too).
The must-do in this town is to walk through its streets and the coastal walk, where you can enjoy both architecture and ocean views.
Hotel du Palais, standing between Grande Beach and Beach de Miramar, is one of the most iconic places in Biarritz and can’t be missed.
Hotel de l’Ocean restaurant serves the best mussels we ever had!
There is a countless amount of restaurants here but make sure that you are aware of the serving times as if you miss lunch hours (usually 12.30-2.00) you may have to stick to pastry shop until 6 pm when the dinner starts.
Hossegor 30 min drive from Biarritz or Anglet ( tolls cost €1.70 one way) has great surf/chill/relax vibe.
The centre of the village has again restaurants packed with people and the beachfront serves good wine (beach 3 min drive from town centre). Apparently, after the surf contest and in winter, it’s a ghost town.
Hossegor also has surf shop warehouses with massive sales so if you are planning shopping do check them out.
We hope that you enjoy the place as much as we did and find these tips useful 🙂