Biarritz Things to Do

The beach to the North West of the city center is long, wide and sandy beach. Plenty of room for laying out and soaking some rays. Life guard stands provide some assurance of safety as the waves are crushing.

This is, in my humble opinion, the only sight worth visiting in Biarritz: its beach, the "Grande Plage". Located between a rocky hill and a lighthouse, it boasts a good 500m of fine sand and some spectacular waves. These can be quite dangerous: back in Biarritz's glory days, Otto von Bismarck, the later first Chancellor of the Reich, almost drowned here on August 22, 1862! He was saved by the lighthouse keeper Pierre Lafleur and became godfather of his son. Ironically, Pierre Lafleur himself drowned only a month later during another attempt of rescueing somebody. French historians are still in excitement about this anecdote: had Lafleur not saved Bismarck, Europe's (and France's) fate might have been completely different...

Nowadays, the beach is under constant surveillance during the day and the lifeguards are very vigilant. More daredevil spirits use the treacherous waves and currents for surfing.

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Seemed to be a very popular activity for a windy October day, imagine parking in a safe underground car park, a 5 minute walk to the sea and the shopping later on, with a visit to the casino, all without walking more than a few 100 metres.
There is also a lovely walk along the sea wall. Lots of little stone bridges to cross.

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This lovely sea museum has aquariums, a sharks’ tank, seals’ tank, and various collections, models, and exhibitions and is well worth a visit.

There is a panoramic bar in the museum which gives you great views over the ocean and the Rocher de la Vierge.

There is an opportunity to see the seals being fed (check website for times).

Biarritz's casino, opened in 1901, helped transform the town into European tourist destination. This striking white building is located right off le Grand Plage Beach, and still offers slots machines, roulette, blackjack, restaurants and a night club.

Le musee du chocolat is a nice little building full of great aromas, located right in the heart of Biarritz. You'll learn all you've ever wanted to know about chocolate: from the introduction of the cacao bean in Spain by the conquistadores, to the Aztecs, all the way to the arrival of chocolate in France through the port of Bayonne. In addition, they have old machines, molds and several sculptures made entirely of chocolate. You also just might find some tasting samples here and there....

Bottom-line: Obviously quite a draw for chocolate lovers. For the rest of us, there are better things to do in Biarritz.

Just south of le Grand Plage, take the elevated walkway to the Rocher du Vierge. Its name is owed to the white virgin statue adorning the rock. From here you'll find a great view of Biarritz, and plenty of salty sea air.

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Built atop le Rocher de la Vierge, a rocky outcrop just south of le Grand Plage, the main beach of Biarritz, le Musee de la Mer offers several nice exhibits and a great view of the town's shoreline. The location right off the coast creates a very authentic setting, with the distinct smell of salt water and the sound of waves crashing below. The main draws are the seals and sharks, but there are other exhibits from seahorses to pufferfish.

Quick tip: Check out the seal feeding at 10:30am and 5:00pm daily

Cost: Adults - about 7 euro
Students and Kids - about 4.50 euro

Bottom-line: Not the largest aquarium, but rarely will you find one in a better location. Also, the view of Biarritz from the seal pool is excellent.