Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach

Saint-Jean-de-Luz – Introduction

Nestled close to the Southernmost border between Spain and France in the Basque area, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a small city of some 15,000 inhabitant but with a big history. More about the history further on…

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located South of Biarritz and on the Atlantic coast. It has a large and long beach, which is quite calm since the entrance to the beach enclave is dominated by big sea walls (and of course a fortress).

The city is pleasant, particularly if you like walking and discovering interesting buildings and streets. The inner city centre is pretty with compelling buildings.

The streets, many lined with outdoor terraces, vary between wide & spacious and narrow.

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4
Terraces and cafes along many of the streets in St-Jean-de-LuzTerraces and cafes along many of the streets in St-Jean-de-Luz
Popular square in St-Jean-de-LuzPopular square in St-Jean-de-Luz
Streets with shops and restaurants in St-Jean-de-LuzStreets with shops and restaurants in St-Jean-de-Luz
Narrow streets of Saint-Jean-de-LuzNarrow streets of Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Buildings

The buildings in Saint-Jean-de-Luz are not tall, 1 or 2 floors high; so no skyscrapers to mar the view. The houses and buildings are mostly “old” since the city escaped the horrors of WWII bombardments.

Here for example is the City Hall (in French “Mairie” or “Hotel de Ville“), a building built in 1656 in the shape of a “U”. Rumours has it that it was built in such a way to spoil a widow’s view of the harbour, a widow who rejected the romantic advances of the then Mayor:

Photo 1Photo 2Map
Saint-Jean-de-Luz City Hall (Mairie)Saint-Jean-de-Luz City Hall (Mairie)
Flag and bell at the St-Jean-de-Luz City HallFlag and bell at the St-Jean-de-Luz City Hall

The widow, Maria Sol, lived in the house built in 1643 by her former husband and wealthy shipowner and buccaneer, Johannis de Lohobiague. The house, now called Maison Louis XIV, was renamed in 1660 to honor King Louis XIV (aka the “Sun King”) since the King had lived in this house for 40 days while negotiating a peace treaty with Spain to end a long and bloody war (more about that later on in this article):

Photo 1Photo 2Map
Maison Louis XIV in St-Jean-de-LuzMaison Louis XIV in St-Jean-de-Luz
Louis XIV sign on the Maison Louis XIV in St-Jean-de-LuzLouis XIV sign on the Maison Louis XIV in St-Jean-de-Luz

Another special house is the “La Maison de l’Infante” named after Marie-Therese of Austria (who was the daughter of the King Philip IV of Spain… confused?), who was to be married to the King of France, who was his cousin. She stayed in this house in 1660 with the Queen Mother while the wedding was being prepared.

The house is now called “La Maison de l’Infante” (the House of the Infanta), but was built in 1640 by the Basque shipowner & buccaneer Joannot de Haraneder.

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Map
Maison de l'Infante at St-Jean-de-LuzMaison de l’Infante at St-Jean-de-Luz
House sign of the Maison de l'Infante in St-Jean-de-LuzHouse sign of the Maison de l’Infante in St-Jean-de-Luz
House sign of the Maison de l'Infante in St-Jean-de-LuzHouse sign of the Maison de l’Infante in St-Jean-de-Luz

Other houses and buildings to be found (but not limited to)

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4
One of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-LuzOne of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-Luz
One of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-LuzOne of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-Luz
One of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-LuzOne of many old style houses in St-Jean-de-Luz
Old fashion cinema in St-Jean-de-LuzOld fashion cinema in St-Jean-de-Luz

One of the more important, and quite impressive, buildings to be found in Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the church; the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church.

Photo 1Map
Saint-Jean-Baptiste church Altar in Saint-Jean-de-LuzSaint-Jean-Baptiste church Altar in Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Click here to read more about the church and its historic importance in one of our articles.

Fishing is an important part of Saint-Jean-de-Luz’s economy (next to tourism), so it’s no surprise that the harbour is packed with fishing boats. The harbour was used in previous centuries by corsairs (privateers or buccaneers, who were allowed to attack ships from other nations).

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Map
Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbourSaint-Jean-de-Luz harbour
WWII memorial sign at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbourWWII memorial sign at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbour
Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbourSaint-Jean-de-Luz harbour

Like most places in France, there’s quite a large covered food market.

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Map
The food market of Saint-Jean-de-LuzThe food market of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Inside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz food marketInside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz food market
Outside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz food marketOutside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz food market

Of course, like almost all covered food markets in France, it’s called “Les Halles”. But here you can find some nice and fresh food, many of the Basque cuisine traditions.

Waterfront

The beaches of Saint-Jean-de-Luz are very much favoured by beachgoers in France. The reason for that is the sea walls that protect the city and harbour. Not only did they protect the city from raiding pirates and storms, but also make sure that water is calm for bathers.

Alongside the houses next to the beach is a tall and wide sea dyke. The dyke itself is also the promenade, allowing people to walk the length of the beach without getting sand in their shoes.

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5
Dykes next to the Saint-Jean-de-Luz beachDykes next to the Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach
Long beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. On the outer side you can see the sea wallLong beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. On the outer side you can see the sea wall
Beach area close to the city of Saint-Jean-de-LuzBeach area close to the city of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Beach area close to the city of Saint-Jean-de-LuzBeach area close to the city of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Spas alongside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz beachSpas alongside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach

At the end of the sea walls, protecting the city from storms and raiders is a fortress called the “Fort de Socoa“. It’s not part of Saint-Jean-de-Luz but belongs to the neighbouring town of Ciboure.

Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Map
Fort of Socoa of Cibourne next to Saint-Jean-de-LuzFort of Socoa of Cibourne next to Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Part of the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-LuzPart of the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Part of the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-LuzPart of the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Small chapel on the cliff next to the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-LuzSmall chapel on the cliff next to the sea walls of Cibourne / Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Summary

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a very nice place to visit and stay. It has been so for centuries. People tend to choose between Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz for their summer holidays, and when King Louis XIV came here, the city became a “must be seen” places for the gentry.

If you are into beaches, this is a great place to be thanks to the great climate and calm water.

Related Posts

  • 10000
    Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Saint-Jean-Baptiste ChurchThe Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a special church, both in beauty and historic importance. The first mentions of this church were already found in the 12th century, however, the real construction of the church was in the 15th century. The church is located, like most churches, quite in the…
  • 10000
    Saint-Jean-de-Luz - TipsTransport Getting there Air: There is no airport at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, but the Biarritz/Bayonne airport is 20 minutes away. Ferry: There are no ferries operating to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The closest city that offers international ferries is Bilbao, Spain. Within Saint-Jean-de-Luz The city is flat, with narrow streets. So you'll not find an…
  • 10000
    Biarritz - IntroductionBiarritz, in the South of France along the Atlantic ocean, is a very special place to visit. It has been special for over a century and half, as you can see from the who-is-who of celebrities that have and still do visit. Biarritz is part of the Basque country, so…
  • 10000
    Bayonne - IntroductionBayonne, located in the South West of France, is particularly known for its ham and its chocolates (and its rugby club). Apart from that, the city is a medieval city that has been reasonably well conserved over the centuries. The inner part of the city centre is old but well…
Scroll to Top