Plage De La Cote Des Basques(Plage Cote des Basques, Plage de la Cote des Basques, Plage de la Cote des Basques)

Located in the city of Biarrtiz within the French Basque Country, La Cote des Basques – also called Cote des Basques Beach and Plage de La Cote des Basques – is a one-kilometer long, large, and popular beach with light brown sand, a few large rocks, and nearby seawalls and cliffs in southwestern France.  The British newspaper The Telegraph listed this beach as one of the best beaches on the Basque Coast in 2010.  In addition, Vogue also featured this beach in its 2023 article “Biarritz Is Having a Moment in the Sun.”  TripAdvisor also listed this beach as one of the best 25 beaches in the world in 2017 as part of its annual Travellers’ Choice awards, and it also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

La Cote des Basques has lifeguards on a seasonal basis, usually between mid-June and early September. In addition, this beach and the cliff-top area above it have many other amenities, including showers, watersports equipment rental facilities, a nearby walkway, benches, grassy recreational areas, picnic areas, and restrooms. 

Dogs are not allowed here; however, if you are a disabled visitor who has a support dog, you can bring your pet to this beach after speaking with the lifeguards.

La Cote des Basques offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, surfing, skimboarding, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, paddleboarding, boating, surf-skiing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is popular with all kinds of surfers because the water offers fun surfing waves. It is particularly ideal for longboard surfers. The southern part of the beach is ideal for stronger surfers because the waves are a bit sharper here. La Cote des Basques hosts many fun surfing competitions. 

If you are planning to swim, surf, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.  Swimming is also sometimes prohibited here during high tide.  In addition, surfing can also get difficult for beginner surfers during high tide.  The rocks around the beach can also cause serious injuries.  If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, les plus belles Plages de La Cote Basque offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Bay of Biscay and the southwestern French shoreline, particularly at sunset.

There are other beaches in Biarritz that you can visit including Plage du Port Vieux and Grande Plage.

If you like shopping, the area around the Centre Ville area of Biarritz – which is located near the beach – offers a variety of interesting shops and restaurants.

La Cote des Basques offers a wheelchair-friendly access ramp for visitors with disabilities.  This access ramp is located 50 meters south of the lifeguard post here.  In addition, there are reserved parking spaces for disabled visitors near the beach.

Getting to La Cote des Basques is easy – the parking lot for this beach is located along a road named Avenue du Beau Rivage.  This parking de la Plage de la Cote Basque Biarritz charges a small fee in summers, and it is free in winters.  As an alternate access option, the northern part of this beach is easily accessible from another nearby road named Boulevard du Prince de Galles – there are very few free street parking spaces near the beach. 

We recommend visiting this beach at low tide because at high tide portions of this beach can get significantly waterlogged.

The beach’s name – La Cote des Basques – roughly translates to the “Coast of the Basques'' in French.  The beach received its name because of its popularity with the local Basque peoples.  In addition, the city of Biarritz and its beaches have also been popular with the memes of the French nobility and high society in the past.

There are many attractions near Biarritz Cote des Basques.  Rocher de la Vierge is an extremely popular offshore rock formation shaped like a boat’s hull.  This rock formation has a statue of the Virgin Mary – it also has an observation area which offers amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Southwestern French shoreline.  Biarritz Aquarium – also called le Musee de la Mer – is an aquarium which is set in an Art Deco-style building that is home to many aquatic animals including seals, sharks, many kinds of fish, moray eels, and eagle rays.  This aquarium hosts interesting seal-feeding programs and it also has a gift shop.  City of the Ocean – also called Cite de l'Ocean et du Surf – is a museum with interesting interactive exhibitions on oceans including a virtual surfing simulator, an ocean-related 3D film screening, and a documentary screening on sharks with virtual reality enhancements.  This museum also has an auditorium, a restaurant, and a cafe.  Sainte-Eugenie Church of Biarritz is a cathedral that was built in the Neo Gothic style in the mid 19th century.  It was dedicated to the Christian saint Eugenia, the patron saint of Eugenie de Montijo, the former Empress of France.  Casino Barriere Biarritz is a casino that offers many fun card games, table games, and slot machines.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Phare de Biarritz – also called the Biarritz Lighthouse – is a 74 meters tall lighthouse that was built in 1834 and it offers amazing views of the Bay of Biscay and the Basque Country shoreline. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Plage des Basques Biarritz.  Etxola Bibi is a waterfront restaurant which offers a variety of excellent dishes for breakfast and lunch including sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, waffles, and pita bread – it also offers refreshing beverages.  Restaurant L'Impertinent is an upscale restaurant that offers many interesting gourmet dishes including seafood, lamb dishes, duck, and vegetarian dishes - it has also been awarded a MICHELIN star.  Chistera & Coquillages offers great oysters and a variety of other seafood dishes, along with great burgers, duck, Spanish-style rice, and beef dishes.  Prima Les Colonnes is an Italian restaurant that offers many excellent dishes including pizza, pasta, carpaccio, gnocchi, arancini, and Italian-based desserts.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Le Glouby is known for serving excellent pizzas and it also offers other dishes including burgers, salads, and lasagna - it also offers live music performances.

If you are looking for a hotel near La Cote des Basques, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Hotel Du Palais Biarritz – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt offers many amenities including a fitness center, multiple pools, a gym, a boutique, a bar, a kids’ club, a spa with a hot tub, and multiple restaurants.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Radisson Blu Hotel, Biarritz which offers many amenities including a spa, a game room, a fitness center, nearby running trails, a pool, a lounge, nearby running trails, and multiple restaurants.  The 4-Star Hotel Jules Verne Biarritz, BW Signature Collection is another upscale hotel which offers many amenities including a pool, a lounge bar, a restaurant, and a lawn.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-star ibis Styles Biarritz Plage which offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar with a piano, and access to a nearby spa and fitness center.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Best Western Hotel Kemaris Cote des Basques offers many amenities including a lounge, a salon, and a coffee shop.