The Beaches
The other great attraction of the Pyrénées Atlantiques is the beaches. We are not surfers but love playing in the waves. The accessible beaches start above Pyrénées Atlantiques in Les Landes.
Seignosse
Has a large aquatic water park as well kms of beaches. The waves can get very large and will not be suitable for small children. For more details click below
Hossegor
Hossegor this is a world class surf resort but is also a great place for a family holiday as well – you just may be on different beaches! It also has a lake where you can swim and paddle board as well. For more info click below
There are many more beaches between Hossegor and Biarritz but I have not visited them so can’t give good info on them I’m afraid
Biarritz
Biarritz has a lovely feel to it. It’s a great place to wander around and again is wonderful if you are a surfer. In summer the swimming part of the beach can get very crowded but the waves are still fun to play in
Plage de l'Uhabia
Plage de l’Uhabia – this is one of my favourite beaches. It is between Bidart and Guéthary and has good parking and a beach café. The waves don’t tend to get too big and are not great for advanced surfers but are good for body boarding. It is also a great beach for smaller children – it’s a lovely large sandy beach and they can play in the waves.
St Jean-de-Luz
St Jean-de-Luz is the next place we know well. It’s a really pretty town and one can happily spend a few hours just wandering around and enjoying the atmosphere. It has a very large sheltered sandy beach so not good for waves but great for swimming and again a great beach for children
Hendaye & Hondarribia
Hendaye is the last beach in France and is a mix of surfing/nice swimming. It doesn’t have the huge waves of the resorts further north but it does have some waves. I would guess it is a great beach if you are a beginner to surfing. The other great thing about Hendaye is it is linked to Hondarribia in Spain.
Take the little ferryboat which runs every 30 minutes and suddenly you are in Spain with its tapas culture and a completely different atmosphere! Perfect day – morning on the beach, lunch in Hondarribia then back to Hendaye to sleep it off and lay in the sun. In the height of summer it can take a while to get the boat back due to the crowds though so bear this in mind.
