Biarritz

Biarritz: I fly into Biarritz on June 7th.

Biarritz is a large town with several quartiers and is one of the principal resorts on the Côte Basque, and probably the most famous part of the Pays Basque.   It's renowned for good beaches, surfing and 'cosmopolitan' vibe.  Surfing started here in 1957...awesome.

I didn't stay here too long, just picked up some food, gas and then headed off to Irun for the start of the GR11 hike.

Biarritz is seen as the European 'Mecca' for surfing and I spent a day on a board to lap up the surf.  Obviously not Aussie-style waves but pretty good for EU.  Downside is it attracts a lot of people so the beaches get pretty crammed during peak season (July-August).  I don't mind a lot of surfers heading out because the vibes generally pretty sound - but this is a holiday spot for all, day-trippers, beach-blockers (you know the type, look like they're constructing an actual house on the beach at for a couple of hours) and under-21s just looking for cheap chips, and cheap booze.  Fair play to them - but that's not my idea of a top beach spot (I'm more a fan of the idyllic than the tourist trap).  

If you fancy getting away from Biarritz then take your surfboard down south to La Grande Plage in St-Jean-de-Luz.  It's still gets busy and good for surf, but I prefer it for scenery and general vibe.  

Also you can head north to the beautiful Dune du Pyla which is set in beautiful woodland, near the little French town of Arcachon.  The beaches are good around this area (known in French as La Cote d'Argent) and run almost the 200km back down to Biarritz.

A good part of stopping in the Bay of Biscay area is the possibility of spotting Cetaceans (dolphins etc.) out at sea. The Biscay Dolphin Research Centre monitor dolphins (naturally) but there are also several beaked whales that can be spotted off the coast, so taking a boat out may be a worthwhile activity.  They're particularly spotted out further south in Spain near Santander / Torrelavega as there are significant underwater canyons/ledges here where they can shelter.  If you're crossing by ferry from UK to Bilbao/ Santander you may spot some.  

Historically, probably the most impressive place to head to along the coast is Donastia San Sebastian.  The Parte Vieja (Old Part) is the traditional core area of the city, and was surrounded by walls up to 1863, when they were demolished so as to occupy the stretch of sand and land that connected the town to the mainland.  The La Concha bay is beautiful and the city itself is interesting to walk around.  There are plenty of festivals that happen in San Sebastian so it's always good to be there for one! (Basque week is probably the highlight) and the food, culture and people are very lively.