Biarritz is one of my favourite places. I used to spend a lot of time here when I lived in France. I’d take the night train down from Paris on a Friday, spend the weekend here surfing and eating paella, and then take the night train back up on Sunday. Every few years I have a chance to return, and it just doesn’t change…which is a great thing. 

Biarritz is a walking town. There are tons of interesting little shops selling clothing, items and desserts you can only find in this small region of the world. If the Basque were to take over the world, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. There is a Basque vibe that is addictive and relaxing and all of the cities in Basque country are perfect. The food is amazing…gosh ok, better book a trip back. 

One thing that I haven’t found much of in Biarritz are hot chocolates. The go to place though is the famous salon de thé-patisserie Miremont. The hot chocolate was made from milk chocolate but was very sweet for my tastes (but may be perfect for you if you have a sweet tooth) but everything else was perfect. 

Miremont celebrated 150 years since its creation this year. It was opened in 1872 by a young Swiss pastry chef and then taken over by another Swiss man named Joseph Miremont. Its rococo décor and mirrored walls have attracted many royalties, including queens and kings from France and beyond. They were then replaced by famous writers and thinkers so who knows who might have sat in this very chair. They would order the different flavours of caramel, the Beret Basque, the Paris-Biarritz cake with cherries and many more pastries…as should you if you visit. Many spots such as this in France are often taken over by tourists but here all the patrons were French (us pretending to be French counts) and the staff are friendly (not the case in many spots but I may get a bit tired too if I were serving tourists all day). 

We went early in the morning and had the whole space to ourselves. The seats near the back window have the perfect view of Biarritz so you get the best of all worlds: French pastries, a stunning historic café and a to die for view.  We sat here for hours, eating our pain au chocolat as slowly as we could, picking up every last crumb.

Once you have lingered long enough that the staff wonder if you want to move in (with that view I would), the shops should be open (they are in no rush to open, this is Basque country after all). Here are just a few things you can do with your day.

  • Have lunch or afternoon snack at Marche Halles. You can get all sorts of hams, cheeses, meats and seafood, vegetables, anything and the vendors are very friendly and generous with their time and information (and tastings). 
  • I’ve stayed at so many different accommodations in Biarritz. On this trip we were at Hotel Georges V1 which was very nice. 
  • Café Bleu for a another coffee/croissant
  • Go window shopping on Rue Mazagran. You can do some serious shopping at Galleries Lafayette as well. 
  • On Rue du Port Vieux you will see giant (and I mean giant) paella pans. During the afternoon, staff will start filling these up and by evening they are ready to eat. Find a terrace, order a drink and fill yourself with paella.
  • Go back to the area around Marche Halles for a late-night snack and more drinks. 
  • Walk along the Esplanade du Port Vieux from Plage du Port Vieux, around to the left to the next beach where all the surfers (and giant waves are). 
  • Walk along La Grande Plage
  • Buy pastries at Maison Adam
  • Sit and do a lot of nothing, on terraces, at the beach, listen to the waves.
  • Visit Librarie Darriagde to admire beautiful books. Even if you don’t speak French, they are still beautiful. 
  • Walk down the zig zag path to the Port des Pecheurs. There is sea food restaurant there. I’ve never been but it looks magical. At the top of the hill there is a place that serves ice-cream on freshly made cones. 
  • Pick a direction and walk. Honestly, I can’t say I have found a part of Biarritz I didn’t like. If you find a good hot chocolate, please let me know. Next time I’m back, I really need to find one!

If you have done all of that you can take a short bus ride to Bayonne, the chocolate capital of France or do what we did and continue you over the border to San Sebastian. 

Verdict: Always say yes to Biarritz. But don’t tell everyone because I don’t want it to change