About 110km, roughly an hour and a half by car — close enough to combine a coastal stay with a day trip into the Béarn foothills.
Discover Authentic Basque Country & Béarn: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Basque Country & Béarn, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Imperial Chapel in Biarritz, La Maison du Surf and the Don Quichosse espadrille workshop.
Top 5 Things to Do in Basque Country & Béarn
Biarritz
Belle Époque villas line the seafront above the Grande Plage, and the town has been a serious surf destination since the sport arrived here in the 1950s. Come for the waves, stay for the views from the Rocher de la Vierge.
Bayonne
Bayonne's historic centre — half-timbered houses along the Nive river, the Basque Museum, the old ramparts — moves at a different pace to the coast. The town also has one of France's oldest chocolate-making traditions, dating back to converso refugees who settled here centuries ago.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
A working fishing port with a seaside promenade lined with tamarisk trees. The sheltered bay makes it one of the calmer beach towns on this stretch of coast — good for families, less about nightlife than Biarritz.
Espelette
Strings of red peppers hang drying from the whitewashed, red-shuttered façades here from late summer into autumn. Piment d'Espelette carries a protected AOP label, and you'll find it in every savoury Basque dish worth ordering.
Pau
The Béarn's capital sits with the Pyrenees on the horizon — the Boulevard des Pyrénées terrace was built specifically for the view. The château here is the birthplace of King Henri IV, now a museum you can walk through.
Explore Basque Country & Béarn's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Basque Country & Béarn
We've mapped local spots across the Basque Country and Béarn, from Biarritz waves to Béarn bakeries.
Biarritz
Imperial Chapel, Biarritz
Behind a modest brick façade, a listed chapel that dazzles: Romano-Byzantine and Hispano-Moorish decoration, grisaille paintings and stained glass. Guided tours only.
Biarritz · Chapel · Perfect for architecture
Chemin des Lacs, Biarritz
Three walking loops of 5 to 8 km around Biarritz's lakes, Marion and Mouriscot, with a variant towards Milady beach. Lace up.
Biarritz · Walking trails · Ideal for a nature walk
La Maison du Surf
Since 2016, surf enthusiast Julien Roulland has run this home for surf history and culture, with workshops, talks, concerts, films and exhibitions.
Biarritz · Surf culture centre · Made for surf fans
La Grande Plage
Biarritz's iconic two-kilometre golden beach: striped tents, the promenade, the casino. Dive in.
Biarritz · Beach · Perfect for a swim
Rocher de la Vierge and the Old Port
The rock joined to the shore by a footbridge – the image of Biarritz. Walk out and feel the spray.
Biarritz · Landmark · Great for a seaside walk
Les Halles de Biarritz
Built in 1885, the covered market of food shops and bars, open daily from 7am to 2pm. Pintxos for breakfast? Why not.
Biarritz · Market · Made for pintxos
Villa Belza
A neo-medieval 1880s villa above the Côte des Basques, often used as a film set.
Biarritz · Landmark · Perfect for photos
Casino de Biarritz
A listed Art Deco building facing the Grande Plage since 1929.
Biarritz · Art Deco monument · Ideal for architecture
Béarn & Soule
Don Quichosse espadrilles
In Mauléon-Licharre, a fourth-generation artisan still makes Basque espadrilles on century-old machines. Watch them take shape, visit the little museum and walk out in a new pair.
Mauléon-Licharre · Espadrille workshop · Made for authentic souvenirs
Exotic Park
Two hectares beside the Lac des Carolins in Lescar, home to flamingos, wallabies, primates and reptiles, with a tropical vivarium. 10 minutes from our Mercure Pau Palais des Sports.
Lescar · Zoo park · Great for families
Boulangerie Navarrine
Oloron-Sainte-Marie · Bakery · Perfect for local pastries
Bayonne & inland
Musée Bonnat-Helleu
Bayonne's fine arts museum, built around painter Léon Bonnat's collection of more than 2,500 works.
Bayonne · Art museum · Made for art lovers
Musée du Judaïsme
Opened in 2022 near the synagogue, it traces the Jewish community's place in Bayonne since the 16th century.
Bayonne · Museum · Ideal for history
Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle
Bayonne's oldest museum, by the Nive, devoted to the biodiversity of the Western Pyrenees.
Bayonne · Museum · Great for families
Chocolaterie Cazenave
Bayonne · Chocolatier · Perfect for hot chocolate
Cidrerie Ttipia
Traditional Basque cooking in a 17th-century building, with cider poured straight from the barrel. Txotx!
Bayonne · Cider house · Made for Basque food
Trinquet Saint-André
One of France's oldest Basque pelota courts, with a bar-restaurant. Catch a game and cheer with the locals.
Bayonne · Pelota court · Ideal for local sport
Isturitz and Oxocelhaya caves
600 metres of galleries in a major European prehistoric site, 30 minutes from the coast.
Saint-Martin-d'Arberoue · Caves · Great for families
La Rhune rack railway
A century-old rack railway that climbs to 905 metres. At the top, the whole Basque Country spreads out below.
Sare · Train · Perfect for views
La Dinguette du Maharin
A guinguette-style food truck in Anglet's Parc du Maharin, from March to November. Grab a table in the grass.
Anglet · Food truck · Ideal for a picnic
FAQ
Yes, Biarritz has been a surf town since the sport arrived in France in the 1950s, and there are surf schools catering to first-timers along the beach.
Peppers are picked and hung to dry from late summer into autumn, with a dedicated festival held in the village at the end of October.
At La Maison du Surf, a space dedicated to surf history with talks, screenings and exhibitions.
At Don Quichosse in Mauléon-Licharre, where espadrilles are made on century-old machines.
Visit Exotic Park in Lescar, 10 minutes from Hotel Mercure Pau Palais des Sports.
Where to Sleep in Basque Country & Béarn
See our Mercure hotels across Basque Country & Béarn, ideally placed to explore these picks.