Biarritz to San Sebastian; an unmissable European road trip

The route from Biarritz to San Sebastian is a ‘must do’ if you are travelling along the West Coast of France. It winds through beautiful towns caked in surf culture and home to quirky caravan cafes; perfect to stop off on long journeys. There are plenty of beaches along the route for surfing or simply just sunbathing. Whether you are on a family holiday or on a once in a lifetime trip with a friend there is plenty for all to see and do.

Approaching the border of France we came across a bustling Medieval food festival in a town named Irun. We walked around the markets looking at the homemade jewellery stalls and chatting to friendly stall men as they sold us oysters and champagne. We came across a big circular food stall with huge cauldrons; boiling octopus and legs of ham and on the other side ribs and sausages were sizzling over a coal fire. There were stacks of Padron peppers, calamari and other traditional Spanish tapas being passed around with bottles of wine and beer to a cheery family crowd. We sat down and joined in the feast. It took a while to adjust to the new language, accidentally thanking people in French but they didn’t seem to mind. After our lunch we set off again towards San Sebastian along the winding roads; dappled light seeping through the trees that engulfed the sky.

We arrived in San Sebastian late in the evening so we drove through the city in search for somewhere to camp for the night. You don’t have to go far to be surrounded by mountains and quaint Spanish farmland in the beautiful Basque countryside. High above the cliffs is a little single track road that several other roads branch off down to private houses.

In search for somewhere to pull off and camp we took a wrong turn and pulled up into a tiny courtyard where at least twenty little dogs surrounded the car. We thought the owners would be angry hearing me burn out my clutch trying to turn around amongst the yapping dogs and steep banks but to our surprise she came out smiling and helped us reverse.

Eventually we pulled up next to a park in the middle of nowhere where large groups of families and friends congregated around tables stacked with food. We found a bench amongst the crowd and made dinner whilst watching wild horses frolic in the nearby fields. As the sun set over the cliffs the landscape turned from a patchwork of greens to a palette of pinks and oranges. As morning came we woke to the sound of trotting hooves. I pulled open the door to see a family of horses all lined up at the fence waiting to be fed. We gave them our left over carrots and had breakfast overlooking the valley where a river meandered it’s way through the trees.

Afterwards, we cycled down the hill into San Sebastian where we sun bathed on the beach, watched people dancing on the promenade to jazz music and ate lunch in a bustling side street restaurant.

If you are searching for a great place to eat in San Sebastian then you have to venture over to the Old Town on the East of the Promenade. You can join in on Pintxos; A traditional activity in the Basque Country which consists of barhopping and eating a selection of small plates displayed on bar counters. You can eat at the bars or take the food out to the street where crowds of people laugh and share stories with a txikito (a small glass of wine) before heading home for a proper meal. In my opinion, the best of these bars is La Mejillonera, which is just off the harbour on the street Calle del Puerto.

The bar has similarities to a take away in the fact you shout out your order and the chefs dish out plates upon plates of calamari, patatas bravas and moules on the counter. Everybody stands around the tiny room perching on stools eating their mussels and throwing the shells on the floor. The dishes are very cheap so you can keep ordering more until you are full. At the end of a busy service the chefs run around with brooms sweeping up the shells ready for dinner service.

With a full stomach and salty wet clothes we got on our bikes and headed back towards the van. The climb back was steep and long and the heat from the sun made it nearly unbearable.As soon as we got back we stripped into our bikinis and poured bottles of water over ourselves to cool down.

The road trip from Biarritz to San Sebastian can be done as a day trip or add it to a surf trip around Europe. Either way bouncing between both cities you are able to experience French and Spanish culture at its best.

Wild Camping in Labenne

Driving south from Hossegor towards Biarritz is a town called Labenne. Its initial facade of water parks, big campsites, gift shops and a ramble of tourists can put a lot of travellers off. However, if you wind your way through the hustle and bustle towards the sea and take a right down a long bumpy road you’ll find yourself amongst the dunes in perfect seclusion. You are shaded by low hanging trees, tucked away from the town. If you park up and follow any of the paths that weave through the trees, they will lead you to the sea.

Standing isolated in the dunes is an old chapel, known as Chapelle Sainte-Thérèse. The windows and doors are all boarded up except one around the back too high to peer in. However, we were intrigued to see inside so we grabbed onto some rope hanging from the broken breeze block that filled in the window and hoisted ourselves up. As we scrambled into the chapel we could see the Sanctuary and the Nave painted in emerald green. Looking around, the interior reflected that of the 1970s; remnants of bright yellow curtains hung from the staged area and cheap plywood covered the old stone walls. However, underneath the ripped and torn decor portrayed its initial life during the Second World War where it is known that German soldiers took sanctuary there before fleeing with the Church Bell.

Behind the Chapel, you’ll hear the waves crashing against the shore. Driftwood! Piles and piles of it scatter the long white beach. Some have been made into little shelters and dens others strewn far up the sandy banks. This area of the beach is always really quiet so if you fancy sunbathing in the nude or surfing with waves all to yourself then it’s definitely worth finding.

We found a deflated football, filled it with sand and tied it up with old rope from the beach and played a game of rugby; with driftwood for posts. Later on, we made a fire and drank wine whilst watching the sunset. Being on the West Coast you get a spectacular view of the sunset every night, it is something you will never get tired of seeing; as each night the colours differ slightly or the sun appears larger when it fizzles out behind the clouds.

If you are thinking of staying the night, just bare-in-mind that the signs do say no camping so in the height of summer the Police may tell you to move on in the morning. This being said I have stayed here twice and have never had a problem.

What to do when there is no surf in Hossegor…

Hossegor is renowned for its surf scene; people of all ages skating or cycling along the streets as though it was rush hour in London, only instead of suits and briefcases; board shorts and surfboards. The miles long stretch of beach makes it a great place to stay for plenty of famous surf spots.

However, in the rare instance there is no surf for a few days people don’t seem to know what to do with themselves. Whilst we were parked up next to the Dunes we were approached by a dutch gentlemen dressed in Hawaiian board shorts, Oakley sunglasses and an unbuttoned shirt. He asked us “What is there to do here when there is no surf?” As we were suffering with the same predicament we decided to explore the other options the beautiful seaside resort had to offer. There is a large lake, where you can hire sailing dinghies or relax on the beach. The great expanse of the Landes forest lies behind the town and is popular for horse riding, hiking or cycling. There is also a popular skate park, tennis courts and Golf resort.

We explored the resort on our bikes. We brought our own, but you can hire them out for the day if not. Hossegor is connected to the towns Seignosse and Cabreton making them almost one continuous resort. So, to cycle or skate along the coast road is very accessible especially as the cycle lanes are just as wide as the road. This means in the height of summer you won’t be battling with the lost tourists in there big motorhomes engulfing the little lanes. You are also able to ignore the ridiculously confusing one way systems around the town.

The houses in Hossegor consist mainly of extravagant mansions set back amongst the trees. Every street can start to look quite similar; shaded by tree canopies and bordered with high stoned walls. This being said the eclectic mix of modern and traditional architecture built in the local Basque / Landes style is interesting to look at and envisage yourself sat on the balconies drinking Pimms and listening to Jack Johnson after a long days surf.

If you head into the centre there are lots of shops, bars and cafes to keep you entertained. We had a funny encounter when we went for a beer at the ‘Le Paris Cafe’ on the corner of the square. As we went to order a drink a lady behind the bar shouted ‘No card, go get cash’. Beguiled with her abruptness we headed over to the cash point. On return to the cafe we were distracted by a beautiful jewellery shop. As we were wandering around the shop we were startled by a lady tapping on my friends shoulder. It was the same lady from the bar looking angrily at us both. She said we had to return to the bar immediately and pay for the beer. Extremely confused we followed her back like naughty school children. She thought we had already had drinks and had run off without paying. However, she eventually realised the mistake she had made and looked very embarrassed. This being said the beer was great as we sat on the street and listened to a group of guys playing their guitar.

A couple of friends we met on a ski season were staying in Hossegor for the season, so we went to visit them. They said they had a slack line with them so we all decided to give it a go. Tying it to the trees I soon realised how difficult this was going to be. We drank beers and laughed at each others poor attempts at it; waving our arms and legs all over the place in desperate hope to cross it.

As evening approached we decided to head up to ‘Le Surfing’ bar for their famous nachos. There were four of us and only two bikes so with a little improvisation; me and my friend sat on the seats and the boys peddled. As we swayed and jolted along the coast road towards the bar people would point and laugh from their cars.

After nachos we raced down to the beach to watch the sunset. A few others joined us; one with his guitar and two others who later attempted all sorts of acrobatics on the beach. Sitting on the steps listening to the melodic soundtrack of the guitar, glugging wine from the bottle and throwing sticks for a stray dog that decided to join in was topped off by the backdrop of waves crashing into the shore and the sun sinking into the inky black sea.

So, when there are days without surf you won’t be stuck with things to do in the bustling seaside resort of Hossegor. All you need to do is get out of the car and explore!