Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a Basque fishing port in Pyrenees-Atlantiques, France, about 30 km north-east of San Sebastian. The trip takes about 30 minutes by car or 45 to 60 minutes by public transport, using the Euskotren Topo to Hendaye and then an SNCF TER train north to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a ride of about 10 minutes; details are at euskotren.eus and ter.sncf.com. Drivers will find parking near the Grande Plage and the Halles market. The town is known for a sheltered crescent beach protected by breakwaters, which makes it calmer than most Atlantic beaches. In 1660, King Louis XIV married Maria Teresa of Spain in the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a large Basque church with a gilded altarpiece and wooden galleries. A suggested day starts with a morning visit to the church and a walk through the pedestrian streets around Rue Gambetta and Place Louis XIV, followed by the covered market, the Halles, where local produce, cheese and cured meats are sold. Basque linen shops sell striped table linens, and the town is also known for macarons and Basque cakes. Lunch is best taken at a harbour-side restaurant, where fish landed at the port is the usual choice. The afternoon is for the beach and the promenade, or a walk to the harbour and across the bridge to neighbouring Ciboure. May to September gives the warmest weather and most open shops, while the market is liveliest on certain mornings, so visitors should check days locally. Arriving before midday suits both the market and lunch. The short train ride from Hendaye keeps the trip easy, and it can be paired with Biarritz or Bayonne on a longer day.