Bayonne Travel Guide

 
by bijo69
 
  •   Bayonne
    by bijo69
  •   Bayonne
    by bijo69
  • Quais sur la Nive
      Quais sur la Nive
    by mikey_e
  • New murals
      New murals
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  • Keep your eyes open for bull
      Keep your eyes open for bull
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Explore Bayonne

Things to Do  

Biarritz

Biarritz, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  If you're staying in Bayonne you should definitely visit nearby Biarritz. This luxurios seaside town started of as a whaling port back in the 12th century. The rich and famous started to swarm to Biarritz in the 19th century when Queen Eugenie began to come to Biarritz... 

Basque Museum

Basque Museum, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  The Basque Museum is a great place to go to learn more about basque tradition and also about the history of Bayonne. I found the exhibits very interesting, but I think they could have been organized a bit better.Opening times: Tuesdays-Sundays from 10am to 6:30pmAdmission is... 

Old Castle

Old Castle, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  The Old Castle was built in the 11th century by the Viscounts of Labourd. During the century it was altered a few times and now belongs to the army and therefor can't be visited. You can have a peek into the courtyard though. 

Cloister

Cloister, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  The adjoining cloister was built between the 13th and 14th century and was intended as a cemetary. Later it was also used as a meeting place for the city council and as a base for merchants.Opening times: Mondays-Sundays 9am-12.30pm and 2pm-5pm (16.09.-15.05.) 2pm-6pm... 

Cathedral Notre Dame de Sainte Marie

Cathedral Notre Dame de Sainte Marie, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  Bayonne's beautiful gothic cathedral was built between the 12th and the 16th century, with the two spires added only in the 19th century.Visiting hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-11.45am and 3pm-5.45pm Sundays 3.30pm-6pmAmission is free 

Statue to Charles Martial Lavigerie

Statue to Charles Martial Lavigerie, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  Charles Martial Lavigerie was a pioneer of Catholic-Muslims relations, you could say. Born in 1825 in Bayonne, he taught at the Sorbonne and discovered Islam and Arab culture in Syria. He was an Cardinal and named the Primate of Africa by the Holy See, as he founded the... 

La Nive

La Nive, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  The Nive is the second, smaller river that runs through Bayonne and that splits Petit Bayonne off from Grand Bayonne. In fact, Bayonne is where the Nive ceases to be a separate river, as the city is at the confluence of this river and the Adour. The Nive is an entirely... 

L'Adour

L'Adour, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  The Adour is the river that flows through Bayonne, cutting Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne from the quarter of Saint-Esprit and the train station. It is also a significant river with respect to linguistics and dialectology, as it represents a rough border between the... 

La Mairie

La Mairie, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  French cities generally have pretty impressive town halls (La Mairie). Bayonne is no exception, and if you enter the city from the train station, you will certainly notice the grand building to your right that dominates the entrance to the city. The thing is that the... 

Église Saint-Esprit

Église Saint-Esprit, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  The Église Saint-Esprit is in the autonomous commune of Saint-Esprit, which is located across the Adour from Bayonne. The ironic thing is that this commune is home to the Bayonne train station, and as such will likely be the first place you visit in Bayonne if you arrive by... 

Hotels  

La Villa Hotel

 15 Opinions

Etap Hotel Bayonne

 73 Opinions

Restaurants  

Cafe Moka: Good value Bayonne lunch

Cafe Moka: Good value Bayonne lunch, Bayonne

 aaaarrgh Says:  Cafe Moka is a brasserie/bar in Petit Bayonne, opposite the Chateau Neuf. It serves excellent value lunchtime formules - for example, starter/main course/coffee for 8.50 euros. There was an extremely wide choice of dishes, freshly cooked and tasty. The staff were extremely... 

cheval blanc: 1* michelin restaurant

cheval blanc: 1* michelin restaurant, Bayonne

 ilovespain Says:  I came for dinner while staying in Biarritz one night. The restaurant has a small but interesting menu. For 80 euro, you can have a 5-course meal- appetizer, seafood plate, meat plate and two desserts. Very good deal indeed. I should have, but I would feel so guilty eating... 

Transportation  

Local buses

Local buses, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  Quite a few bus lines run between Bayonne and Biarritz via Anglet. Tickets can be bought at special kiosks or tobacconists or from the driver. The single fare is 1,20 EUR.The services usually start after 6am and stop around 9pm. 

To Bayonne by train

To Bayonne by train, Bayonne

 bijo69 Says:  Bayonne is located on the TGV line from Paris Montparnasse to the French/Spanish border at Hendaye. It also can reached by regional trains (TER) from Bordeaux or Hendaye.The beautiful train station was built in the early 20th century and is located in the Saint Esprit... 

Shopping  

Le Choco Musee Puyodebat: Ville du chocolat

Le Choco Musee Puyodebat: Ville du chocolat, Bayonne

 aaaarrgh Says:  Of course, the Choco Museum is a cunning, generous and imaginative attempt to sell you some Bayonne cocoa products ;-) It is the size of a medium shop and, okay, three quarters of the space is filled with chocolate tools, adverts, molds, grinders and information about... 

Local Customs  

Basque Politics

Basque Politics, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  Ok, I don't want to anger or upset anyone with this tip, so I won't be too detailed, but I do think that it is worth explaining some of the aspects of nationalist politics in the Basque Country. This is especially true for the northern Basque Country (i.e. Bayonne), since... 

Basque lettering

Basque lettering, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  I've always found Basque lettering interesting and somehow attractive. The Basques use the same Latin alphabet as the Spaniards (that is, it includes ñ and considers rr a single letter), but, like the pre-WWII Germans, a special script is sometimes used to write Basque,... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

The Weather

The Weather, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  Bayonne, Biarritz and Anglet frequently get lumped together and – lucky for Bayonne – are stuck with Biarritz’s glamorous reputation. Bayonne, however, is further inland, at the confluence of three rivers and closer to the mountains. The result is a climate that is not as... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Parc Leon Bonnat

Parc Leon Bonnat, Bayonne

 mikey_e Says:  I don't know that this park is actually called Léon Bonnat, but given that I can't really find a name for it and that it is in fact on Avenue Léon Bonnat, it seemed like this was the best name to give it. It is in a newer part of Grand Bayonne, not far from the Tourist... 

ProformArt ~ maybe with added refreshments

ProformArt ~ maybe with added refreshments, Bayonne

 aaaarrgh Says:  ProformArt is a small private art gallery behind Bayonne Cathedral. An exhibition had opened the day before I visited and the gallery was offering free food and drink. Considering they open a fresh exhibition of work every six weeks or so, your chances are reasonable to get... 

The Place

Plan a Bayonne vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Bayonne locals

Experience Bayonne
  •   62 Tips and Reviews
  •  153 Photos
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Map of Bayonne
 

The People

5 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
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 Overlooking the Adour River, I waited in the hotel lobby until noon when the restaurant finally opened. For the appetizer, I had mussels baked in saffron sauce.... 

5 members live in Bayonne

 

Questions and Answers

langfordj profile photo

Q:  Three of us will be in Bayonne April 24, 2009 and will get into the train station around 8:30 pm. We are looking for two cheap... 

pfsmalo profile photo

A: Can only suggest the "premiere class Bayonne" for cheap, which is about a mile from the station. Cost is 40 euros per room. 

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Top Bayonne Writers

1

Iparraldea

mikey_e profile photo

 The first time I was in Bayonne was in 1998, when I came to France/Spain with my dad and we visited the city during it's festival season, which is the beginning of August. So, when I went off on my...... 

2

Bayonne

bijo69 profile photo

 Bayonne is a beautiful town in the French Basque Region on the banks of the rivers Nive and Ardour. 

3

Bayonne ~ Ville du chocolat... sluuurp!

aaaarrgh profile photo

 Currently my favorite French city! For the whole of my stay here and didn't hear or speak a word of English (except in the Tourist Information Office). Bayonne is also very proud of its Basque... 

4

In the heart of the Cote Basque

ilovespain profile photo

 I like Bayonne! It is not as ritzy and glamorous as Biarritz, or has a nice sandy beach like St. Jean du luz. I can take a stroll along the two rivers, or in one of the many gardens. The town has a...... 

5

Red & Green Shutters...

cookncoffee profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Bayonne. I'd love to share with you the 1 tip I've written, the 2 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

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