Towns & cities · Biarritz
1 Biarritz
A chic seaside resort of the Basque Country, cradle of European surfing, whose Grande Plage and Rocher de la Vierge overlook the Atlantic Ocean.
View full page →3 days in the Basque Country
Between ocean and mountains, the French Basque Country fits into a few dozen kilometres: surf and clifftop road, white villages with red half-timbering, pilgrims and ridges.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Biarritz to La Corniche Basque
Biarritz and the Basque corniche, facing the Atlantic.
Driving for the day: about 23.6 km, or 21 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
↓ 23.6 km · about 21 min by car to the next stop
Natural wonders · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
2 La Corniche Basque
The Basque Corniche is a unique natural site. It is 6 km long on the part belonging to Urrugne.
View full page →Day 2 — La Rhune to Ainhoa
La Rhune (by little train or on foot), then Sare and Ainhoa, two of the most beautiful villages of Labourd.
Driving for the day: about 14.2 km, or 28 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Natural wonders · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
3 La Rhune
La Rhune can be seen from all beaches within 100 km! Its panorama extends, on the French side alone, from the Landes to the central Pyrenees.
View full page →↓ 5.2 km · about 15 min by car to the next stop
Villages · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
4 Sare
A high place of wood-pigeon hunting, Sare cherishes the country's traditions and cross-border life.
View full page →↓ 9.0 km · about 13 min by car to the next stop
Villages · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
5 Ainhoa
It is one of the most typical villages of the Basque Country.
View full page →Day 3 — La Bastide-Clairence to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
La Bastide-Clairence, then Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a stage town on the Way of St James at the foot of the Pyrenees.
Driving for the day: about 41.5 km, or 48 min behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Villages · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
6 La Bastide-Clairence
The village was founded in 1283 with the building of a fortified house on the banks of the Joyeuse, a river that flows to join the Adour.
View full page →↓ 41.5 km · about 48 min by car to the next stop
Villages · Pyrénées-Atlantiques
7 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
In the foothills of the Pyrenean piedmont, between the Basque Coast and the Spanish border, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is an unmissable destination in the Basque Country.
View full page →Practical tips
Sites are numbered in the recommended order. Basque weather is changeable: keep a windproof jacket and a plan B for La Rhune when the fog comes down.
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