Saint-Jean-de-Luz: The Perfect Addition to Your Basque Country Road Trip Itinerary
- Maria DiCicco
- 2 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Looking at a map of the northernmost edge of Spain, where it connects to the Southwest Landes Coast in France, there are a number of adorable towns in Basque Country that look big enough for a stop.
I've stared at that map view many times, always wondering, is Saint Jean de Luz worth visiting? What about Hendaye or Hondaribbia? I knew about the Parador de Hondaribbia, the cute fishing villages, and the classic unreadable language and cider houses. But honestly, what made one town different from another was a toss up to me.
So, we went to explore.
If you're wondering about the French Basque Country town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, here I share imagery of what to expect, how to spend a very charming afternoon there, and what makes it the perfect road trip stop for any Basque Country road trip.
Let's dive in!
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What Makes Saint Jean de Luz Worth Visiting?
Much like the rest of Basque Country, the half-timbered, red-beamed buildings create an almost Alpine-air in its architecture, while retaining the absolutely foreign charm of their Asturias style cider houses and illegible language with all it's x's and t's thrown in there.
The town lanes burst with energy, souvenir shops selling espedrilles and Bayonne ham, and compact squares boast oompah bands and creperies.
It's French, it's Basque, and it's beautiful.
Shopping in Saint Jean de Luz
Typical Shopping
The shopping streets in Saint Jean de Luz surprised me. I expected that we'd spend maybe an hour or two in town, but quickly fell into the bustle of the busy arteries full of shops. We spent well over half a day wandering, bopping in and out of souvenir shops and boutiques.
Food stores sold local Bayonne ham products or the popular espelette pepper, offering samples to lucky passersby.
Espedrilles, often highlighted in my Spanish adventures like to Javea and Moraira, are also quite the popular footwear in French Basque Country. You'll see plenty of shops selling the handmade leather shoes.
The rope styles are not very comfortable, in my opinion, often for narrower feet, but I love the slip around the heel leather topped ones, or the wedges you can buckle in to.
The proud souvenir of my trip, I found myself the coveted classic yellow raincoat with a white and blue striped interior that I'd always wanted, and at a reasonable price around 55 euros. I'd been tracking them the whole time we'd spent in Southern France, and that seemed to be the going rate.
I bought my classic ciré breton at a shop selling mostly Esprit de la Mer brand, but there were other stores selling what looked like 'knockoff' styles a little cheaper.
Les Halles Saint Jean de Luz and Weekly Market
Les Halles is the name of most of the central Markets in Basque country, and if you navigate to the Les Halles parking garage in Saint Jean de Luz (Parking Indigo Saint-Jean-de-Luz Halles for your GPS), you'll be set up for an easy walk to the fun market building and the surrounding tourist lanes.
At Les Halles, discover rows of cheese shops, bakeries, and more. We couldn't leave without purchasing some stinky French cheese for our campground stay up the road in Hossegor.
On market day, which we discovered was Sunday in the summer months, we were delighted to explore outdoor stalls with handicrafts, soaps and other typical market fare.
The crowd was a disarming mix of American students and their teachers, which I did not expect so far 'off the beaten path', and a small number of locals, all pushing their way around to get some good bargains.
Exploring the Town Sites
Wandering for Crepes
After the market, we stumbled towards an empty morning square around 11am, determined to find crepes.
"Find a place that sells crepes", I told my husband, as we scanned the square's options. "How about this one?" he pointed about a foot and a half away towards where we were standing.
We were standing at Breizh Etxe, where I got the crepe the same name as the restaurant, and it hit the spot on all levels. SO delicious.
We watched, dining al fresco in the delightful summer morning air, as dogs and children ran through water fountain sprays, and families walked by seeking a lunch spot of their own.
Across the square the Petit Train waited for passengers to be taken around on a tour of town.
It was all quite picturesque.
The Port and Town Squares
Following the flow of foot traffic we looked out upon the equally scenic waterfront marina with its fishing nets and charming photo spots before heading in towards the aforementioned shopping lanes.
There, the town band was trumpeting a brass band diddy from the central gazebo in the Place Louis XIV that brought tears of joy to my eyes - it was just so darn quaint.
The Grand Plage and Promenade Jacques Thibaud
Then, we continued to follow the flow of people up to the seemingly random stairwell at the end of a lane that led directly to the ocean and sandy beach at the Grand Plage.
Stay awhile and walk along the Promenade Jacques Thibaud, or take a look and keep moving if time doesn't permit you to get sandy. When there are kids involved (in my case), we try to avoid the beach if we can - otherwise the whole day will be a sandpit!
We ducked into linen shops, and saw an incredible amount of diners eating on the sidewalk tables lined along the historic street.
The Town Church
The tour of shops continued past the beautiful Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, an unassuming church right there along our route. We ducked inside for a view.
Ultimately this little loop led us around back to the car, and after a solid half day or so in town, we'd felt satisfied that we'd seen enough.
Stay the Night
Of course, overnight visitors will want to add on a historic stay, perhaps at the super centralized Hôtel Txoko, sitting just steps from the beach, restaurants and shopping.
All in all, Saint-Jean-de-Luz was an absolutely absorbing stop - one I did not expect, and one I highly recommend visiting on your next road trip through Basque Country.
For more on towns up the coast near Northern Spain and Southwest France:
Read tips on my Northern Spain road trip planning guide
Go to Puerto Viejo (Getxo), a classic Basque village near Bilbao
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