Biarritz Holidays

Biarritz is the elegant Belle Époque resort on the French Basque coast, the place where Empress Eugénie built her seaside palace in 1855 and Europe's first proper surf scene took off a century later. Atlantic waves crashing against cliffs at one end of town, Art Deco casinos and grand hotels at the other, and the Basque cross-border food culture flowing through the middle. A different French resort altogether from the Riviera version, and properly distinctive for it.

✨ Highlights of your holidays to Biaritz 2026 / 2027

• 🏄 Europe's surf capital: Biarritz is where European surfing began in 1957 when a visiting Californian put a board on the Côte des Basques. Six surf beaches now stretch along the coast, with surf schools, board hire, and waves for every level from beginner to international competition.

• 🏰 Hôtel du Palais and the Empress era: The 1855 imperial palace built for Empress Eugénie still dominates the seafront, now a working hotel and the symbol of Biarritz's Belle Époque heyday when European royalty wintered here.

• 🥐 Basque food culture: A cross-border culinary identity blending French refinement with Spanish-Basque small-plates traditions. Pintxos bars, fresh Atlantic seafood, Bayonne ham, Irouléguy wines, and the famous Basque cake (gâteau basque) from local pâtisseries.

• 🌊 Six distinct beaches: From the family-friendly Grande Plage in the centre to the surfers' Côte des Basques south of the town, plus Marbella, Milady and Plage du Port Vieux for swimming and Plage Miramar for cliff-walking views.

• ⛪ The Rocher de la Vierge: The dramatic offshore rock connected by an Eiffel-designed footbridge, topped with a statue of the Virgin since 1865. The classic Biarritz coastal walk and the postcard image of the resort.

• 🎰 The Casino Barrière: Art Deco casino on the seafront from the 1920s glamour era, fully operational for an evening out and properly atmospheric whether you gamble or just go for the bar.

💡 Good to Know

☀️ Weather: Summer (June to September) sits at 22-26°C with reliable sunshine, autumn cools gradually to 16-20°C with the Atlantic swells getting bigger and the surf season hitting its peak, winter is mild at 10-13°C with frequent showers, spring (April to May) is mild but warming at 14-18°C.

💷 Money: Biarritz is on the Euro (€). Expect upmarket French-resort prices. A casual lunch is £15 to £25, dinner with wine at a Basque bistro £30 to £55, a coffee or glass of Irouléguy wine at a café terrace £4 to £7.

🌍 Fun fact: Empress Eugénie's husband Napoleon III built her seaside palace as a 26th-birthday present in 1855, kicking off Biarritz's transformation from a small Basque whaling town into Europe's most fashionable seaside resort. The palace is still a working hotel, now part of Hyatt's collection, and the Eugénie suite goes for around £4,000 a night.

🏨 Hotels

Browse all Biarritz hotels for the full range or check out our top picks below...

✨ Luxury

• Hotel Du Palais Biarritz, Part Of Hyatt. The 1855 imperial palace built for Empress Eugénie, now Biarritz's headline 5-star property. Second Empire decor with tapestries and original artwork, indoor and outdoor pools, full spa centre, multiple restaurants and a beachfront position with Grande Plage on the doorstep. The Biarritz signature stay.

• Grand Tonic Hotel Biarritz. Modern 4-star property in central Biarritz with a properly indulgent spa setup, indoor heated pool, sauna, hot tub, Turkish bath, on-site restaurant and a Junior Suite option. Two minutes' walk to Biarritz Beach, 7 minutes to Les Halles market.

💕 Couples

• Alfred Hotels Port Vieux. Boutique 21-room property freshly renovated in 2024, just 50 metres from the beach, with elegant rooms nodding to Basque Country heritage, a gourmet breakfast spread, and a garden area. The intimate-romantic Biarritz base.

• Hotel Mercure Biarritz Centre Plaza. Art Deco hotel with ocean views from many rooms, on-site bar, restaurant and massage facilities, dead central for both the beach (3 minutes) and the Casino (4 minutes). The reliable mid-range couples' pick with proper Belle Époque atmosphere.

👨‍👩‍👧 Families

• Ibis Styles Biarritz Plage. Coastal pick with views over the Pyrenees and the Atlantic, kids' playground on-site, restaurant and bar, free parking. 5 minutes' walk to Marbella and Milady beaches, 17 minutes to the Aquarium. The practical family base.

• Hotel Mercure Biarritz Centre Plaza. Family rooms in a central position 3 minutes from the beach and 10 minutes from the Aquarium, on-site restaurant and café for fussy eaters, and the museum-and-shopping district within a short walk.

👯 Groups

• Grand Tonic Hotel Biarritz. Spa facilities, indoor pool and hot tub for post-surf-lesson recovery, soundproof rooms for staggered group sleep patterns, on-site restaurant and bar. The natural group base with proper amenities.

• Sure Hotel by Best Western Biarritz Aeroport. Game room, restaurant and bar, free parking, 500 metres from the airport for groups flying in late. Modern, basic and good for groups who'd rather spend their money on dinners than rooms.

💰 Value

• Sure Hotel by Best Western Biarritz Aeroport. The airport-side value pick with all the standard comforts, restaurant and game room, 14 minutes from the city centre by bus.

• Okko Hotels Bayonne Centre. Sits 6km north in Bayonne (still within the Biarritz area on On the Beach), modern chic city-break style with The Club rooftop lounge for snacks and drinks. The right pick for travellers wanting Bayonne's historic centre as their base.

👉 All Biarritz hotels

🗣️ Local Lingo

Biarritz is officially French, but Basque has co-official status here and you'll see Basque street signs alongside the French ones. Across the border in Spain (15km away by car) Basque becomes the dominant language. A "kaixo" (Basque hello) lands well, but French covers everything.

• Bonjour, bon-ZHOOR, Hello

• Kaixo, KAI-show, Hello (the Basque version, much appreciated)

• S'il vous plaît, seel-voo-PLAY, Please

• Merci beaucoup, mair-SEE boh-KOO, Thank you very much

• L'addition, s'il vous plaît, la-dee-SYON seel-voo-PLAY, The bill please

🛏️ Where to Stay

Biarritz is small enough that everywhere central is walkable to at least one beach, but the districts have distinct characters.

👨‍👩‍👧 Families

🏖️ Around the Grande Plage is the family base, gentle beach with sun loungers and surf schools for kids, walking distance to the Aquarium, the Casino and Les Halles market. The southern end at Marbella/Milady is the quieter alternative for families with toddlers, calmer water and properly local rather than tourist-heavy.

💕 Couples

💞 The Hôtel du Palais quarter is the romantic base, the imperial-palace seafront with the grandest hotels and restaurants. Port Vieux is the boutique alternative tucked into the old town with the chocolate museum, intimate restaurants and a smaller beach for cliff-walk sunsets.

👯 Groups

🌊 Near Les Halles market is the natural group base, central to the tapas bars and the nightlife scene, walking distance to both Grande Plage and Côte des Basques. The Côte des Basques itself works well for surfing groups, with surf schools, board hire and the lively daytime beach-bar scene.

🧳 Travel Guide - Things to do on your Biarritz holidays 2026 / 2027

👨‍👩‍👧 Families

• 🏖️ Surf lesson on Grande Plage. The main central beach has all the surf schools, board hire and waves manageable for primary-age kids. Bookable through hotels or directly with schools like Biarritz Surf Training.

• 🐠 Biarritz Aquarium. The historic 1933 Musée de la Mer on the cliffs, sharks, sea turtles and Atlantic species, with the seal-feeding shows running multiple times daily. Around 90 minutes works for primary-age kids.

• 🌊 The Cité de l'Océan. Interactive ocean-science museum nearby, virtual-reality surfing experiences, deep-sea exploration exhibits, much more hands-on than the Aquarium and better for older kids.

• ⛪ Rocher de la Vierge walk. The famous offshore rock connected by an Eiffel-designed footbridge, 5-minute crossing to the rock itself, views back along the coast. Free and the classic Biarritz photo.

• 🍫 Biarritz Museum of Chocolate. Small, sweet and properly informative on the Basque chocolate-making tradition, with a tasting at the end. Best for primary-age kids on a rainy afternoon.

💕 Couples

• 🌅 Sunrise on the Côte des Basques. The surfers' beach south of town, golden cliffs catching the early light, surfers already in the water at 7am. Bring coffee from a Port Vieux bakery and walk the cliff path.

• 🏰 Cocktails at the Hôtel du Palais. Even non-guests can sit at the terrace bar of the 1855 imperial palace and order a properly Belle Époque cocktail with the Atlantic as the view. The Biarritz heritage moment.

• 🍰 Afternoon at Miremont Pâtisserie. The 1872 café on Place Clemenceau, gâteau basque, chocolate éclairs and a hot chocolate that's been Biarritz tradition for 150 years.

• 🦞 A seafood dinner at Chez Albert. The fishing-port institution at Port des Pêcheurs, grilled Atlantic fish straight off the boats, the seafood platters, the Basque-style mussels. Book ahead in summer.

• 🌃 The Biarritz Lighthouse climb at dusk. 248 steps to the top of the 1834 lighthouse, 360-degree views over the resort, the Atlantic and the Pyrenees behind. The sunset slot books up but it's worth the timing.

👯 Groups

• 🏄 Group surf lesson at Côte des Basques. The surfers' beach has the best instructor density and runs group sessions for beginners (most schools), intermediate and competition-prep. Most schools take 4-8 in a group lesson.

• 🚴 Cycle the coastal path to Anglet and beyond. The coastal greenway runs north from Biarritz through neighbouring Anglet to Bayonne and beyond, mostly flat, bike hire from several shops in town.

• 🍷 Pintxos crawl at Les Halles. The covered market and surrounding streets have the densest concentration of Basque tapas bars in the resort, properly different from a French-bistro evening. Bar Jean is the lively go-to.

• 🚂 Day trip to Bayonne. 10km north, the historic Basque capital with half-timbered houses, the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie, the ramparts walk and a dense network of pintxos bars and chocolatiers. Easy 20-minute train hop.

• 🍇 Wine tasting at the Irouléguy vineyards. A 45-minute drive inland into the Basque country, the small AOP wine region producing distinctive reds, whites and rosés. Several producers welcome walk-ins, others need booking ahead.

🌍 More Destinations

• 🇫🇷 France: The full France guide with Paris, the Riviera, Provence and the wider country.

• 🍷 Bordeaux: The wine-country capital 2 hours north, classical 18th-century architecture, the obvious base for Saint-Émilion and Médoc château tours. Same Nouvelle-Aquitaine region as Biarritz.

• ⛵ La Rochelle: The medieval port city further up the Atlantic coast, harbour-arch towers, fortified old town and easy access to the Île de Ré island just offshore. The Atlantic-coast alternative.

• 🏛️ Perpignan: France's Catalan-leaning south, near the Spanish border on the Mediterranean side rather than the Atlantic. The southern French alternative.

• 🌅 Nice: The Côte d'Azur headliner on the Mediterranean coast, Belle Époque palaces, the Promenade des Anglais and pebble beaches. The other French-coast option entirely.