Easily one of the most attractive cities in the Basque Country , from its pretty beaches to its attractive old quarter, Saint-Jean-de-Luz Donibane Lohizune in Basque is a jewel in the Basque Country crown. This small beach community is charming, from its port lined with colorful boats to its boutique shops selling surfing gear and lessons year-round. Saint-Jean-de-Luz is on the French Atlantic coast , the last major town before the border into Spain just six miles 10 kilometers away.
Take the train or fly to Biarritz. Then take a train every 12 minutes to Saint-Jean station on av de Verdun on the edge of the town center and near the beach. Saint-Jean was a wealthy port from its Atlantic fishing and whaling and the even more lucrative profession of pirates from the 17th century onwards. The town figured later in the ongoing conflicts between France and England when the Duke of Wellington set up his headquarters here during the Peninsular War of Saint-Jean was always a strategic port.
They were taken out to the passenger ships that took part in the evacuation bound for Liverpool. First and foremost, Saint-Jean-de-Luz stands in a beautiful and protected sandy bay. It has good beaches, making it ideal for families. Surfers can make their way up to Biarritz for the pounding Atlantic waves that make this such a big draw for the athletic.
The long stretch southwards from the Bay of Arcachon near Bordeaux has some of the best surfing in France with its exposure to the great breakers of the Atlantic ocean.
But Saint-Jean is protected by being on an estuary between two headlands, a natural barrier that was extended by huge dikes and the Artha breakwaters. You get a great view from the quays across the harbor to the old town.
