Page 356 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

de l’Océan. On the way you’ll rolled into one spectacu- while the offshore reefs
pass some fantastic stretches of lar attraction. Inside the offer some exceptional
sand just calling for you to dip a eye-catching building surf for the brave.
toe in the sea or hang ten on a you’ll learn how the
surfboard. The Drive » It’s another
ocean was born and seriously traffic-clogged 7km
watch giant squid and down the D810 to St-Jean de
3 Cité de l’Océan sperm whales do battle. Luz. This short hop should
only take 10 minutes but it
We don’t really know The Drive » It’s an easy 6km rarely does! Sadly, there’s no
whether it’s fair to call drive down the D911 (av de worthwhile alternative route.
Biarritz’s new showpiece, Biarritz) and the D810, passing
through the village of Bidart,
Cité de l’Océan (%05 59 to the ocean views of pretty
22 75 40; www.citedelocean. Guéthary. Traffic can be awful. TRIP HIGHLIGHT
com; 1 av de la Plage; adult/ 5 St-Jean de Luz
child/family €11.50/7.50/39, If you’re searching for
joint ticket with Musée de la Mer 4 Guéthary the quintessential Basque
€18.50/13/63; h10am-10pm Built onto cliffs overlook- seaside town – with at-
Jul & Aug, 10am-7pm Easter, ing the ocean south of mospheric narrow streets
Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, shorter Biarritz, this red-and- and a lively fishing port
hours rest of year), a mere white seaside village has pulling in large catches
‘museum’. At heart it’s a gained a reputation as the of sardines and ancho-
museum of the ocean, but Basque Country’s chichi vies that are cooked up at
in reality this is enter- resort of choice for the jet authentic restaurants –
ATLANTIC COAST 32 BASqUE COUNTRY
tainment, cutting-edge set. The pebble beach be- you’ve found it.
technology, theme park low the village offers safe St-Jean de Luz’s
and science museum all beautiful banana-shaped
bathing for all the family,
sandy beach sprouts
stripy bathing tents from
June to September. The
DETOUR: beach is sheltered from
Atlantic swells and is
SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN among the few child-
Start: 5 St-Jean de Luz friendly beaches in the
Spain, and the elegant and lively city of San Basque Country.
With plenty of bou-
Sebastián, is just a few kilometres along the coast tique shops, little cafes
from St-Jean de Luz and put simply, San Sebastián
is not a city you want to miss out on visiting. The and pretty buildings,
town is set around two sickle-shaped beaches, at walking the streets of
least one of which, Playa de la Concha, is the equal the pedestrianised town
of any city beach in Europe. But there’s more to the centre is a real pleasure.
city than just looks. With more Michelin stars per Don’t miss the town’s
capita than anywhere else in the world, and arguably finest church, the Église
the finest tapas in Spain, many a culinary expert has St-Jean Baptiste (rue
been heard to say that San Sebastián is possibly the Gambetta; h8.30am-noon
world’s best food city. & 2-7pm), which has a
By car from St-Jean de Luz, it’s just a short splendid interior with
20-minute jump down the A64 (and past an awful lot a magnificent baroque
of toll booths!), or you can endure the N10, which has altarpiece.
no tolls but gets so clogged up that it will take you a 54 p357
good couple of hours to travel this short distance.

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