Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a city with charm, sun, authentic cuisine and a number of entertaining festivals, located 20 km from Biarritz, west of the Pyrenees-Atlantiques. This is a true paradise for nature-lovers with its wild landscapes, luscious greenery and great architectural heritage. The centre of the city is very dynamic, especially in the summer with many tourists visiting each year. Saint-Jean-de-Luz has great character, with resident taking pride in their Basque culture. The Basque language is still widely spoken, and the traditional sport Pelota is frequently played.
The traditional festivals bring lively music and performance to the city throughout the year. Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located in between the ocean and the Pyrenees Mountains, a great advantage, as in the summer you can enjoy the spoils of the beaches and in winter you can escape to one of the many nearby Ski Resorts in under an hour. The main beach is simply known as “La Grand Plage” and is perfect for families with children as its crescent shape ensures that beach goers are protected from large unruly waves. There are good facilities on the beaches and activities include swimming, kite surfing, kite sailing and on shore games such as netball and table tennis. A walk along the promenade is simply a must and you will find a good variety of restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlours to try. Perhaps two of the most iconic buildings are the Grand Hotel, built in 1909, and the Casino La Pergola, with its beautiful art-deco style architecture. Rue Gambetta is the main street with little shops selling locally produced goods such as chocolates and Linge Basque, fabrics with brightly coloured stripes in the form of napkins, tea towels and linens. On this street you will find Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste, dating back to the 15th century and considered a very important part of Basque history. The main town square is full of artisanal boutiques, Basque musicians and restaurants along with the town hall and the Maison Louis XIV, built in 1643 in the typical Basque architectural style.
Conveniently, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located just 15 km from Spain and 15,7 km from Biarritz airport via the motorway.