Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located on highways D810 and A63 (exit 3) about 25 km southwest of Bayonne and 15 km northeast of the border with Spain.
By bus
[edit]The bus halt is by the railway station. About ten buses a day run west to Hendaye and east to Biarritz and Bayonne.
By train
[edit]St Jean is on the main line which runs north to Biarritz and Bayonne, thence to Bordeaux and Paris Montparnasse: the TGVs to Paris stop here. Change at Bayonne for trains to & from Toulouse and the Pyrenees towns. The main line continues south to terminate at Hendaye on the border: Spanish railway gauge doesn't match standard European, so you have to change trains for San Sebastian / Donostia and for Madrid.
- 1 Saint-Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure railway station (Gare de Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Ciboure), Place de Verdun.
Get around
[edit]The old town is pedestrianized. Parking is available nearby and further out from the old town; free parking is available near the train station. All parking fills quickly during the busy summer months.
See and do
[edit]- Walk the old centres. St Jean's old town is very attractive with a mix of buildings in the Basque colours of white, red and green (the Basque colours). Maison Louis XIV is where the king stayed before his marriage to Maria Teresa: it's sometimes open for tours in mid-summer. The beach ("Grand Plage") stretches east of the estuary and gets busy in summer.
- 1 Église St-Jean Baptiste (Church of St John the Baptist), rue Gambetta, St Jean de Luz. Daily 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00 except during Mass. Nondescript from the outside but a remarkable interior. High galleries reflect the Basque tradition that men and women had separate areas in church; a ship hangs from the ceiling. The great Baroque altar and retable in 1660 saw the wedding of Louis XIV of France and Maria Teresa of Spain. Free.
- Église St-Vincent in Ciboure has similar galleries, and an odd bell-tower with a three-tiered roof.
Buy
[edit]The main shopping street is Rue Gambetta with lots of little shops, cafes and boutiques. Basque-related items include local condiments and textiles with Basque colours and patterns.
The covered market has a wide selection of food, including a small restaurant.
Eat
[edit]Lots of eating places in St Jean, and several in Ciboure.
- Chez Maya (Le Petit Grill Basque), 2 rue St-Jacques. Authentic Basque specialties.
Drink
[edit]- Pub du Corsaire, 16 rue de la Republique. Daily 17:00-02:00. Great selection of beers.
Sleep
[edit]Many visitors are on day-trips, but as a beach resort there's accommodation here. Book ahead if you come mid-summer.
- Hotel de la Plage, 48 Promenade Jacques Thiboud (at junction with rue Garat), ☏ +33 5 59 51 03 44, [email protected]. 3 star, white building with red shutters looking onto beach. Includes bar / restaurant Le Brouillarta.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]The main transport route is north to Biarritz and Bayonne, and south to Hendaye and into Spain. You'll need your own car to explore Basque & Pyrenees villages such as Sare, Ainhoa, Espelette, St Jean Pied de Port, and the mountaintop of La Rhune.
Routes through Saint-Jean-de-Luz |
San Sebastián ← Hendaye ← | SW NE | → Biarritz/Bayonne → Bordeaux |