Southern Aquitaine

delight between the Atlantic and the Pyrenees

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The region between Biarritz and the Basque hinterland is full of contrasts: rugged stretches of coast, sandy beaches, lush green rolling hills and bleak mountain ranges. Whilst enjoying the bracing Atlantic air, surfers look on in their search for the perfect wave. However, just a few kilometres further on and you could be forgiven for believing that you are a world away as gentle rolling hills fringe the horizon and drawn-out bends serve to ensure motoring pleasure on the way to the Pyrenees.

Route profile

Country: France
Distance: 207 km
Absolute Driving time : 4 h
Recommended tour duration: 1 Day
Best touring season: Apr. - Oct.

Route course

Biarritz - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Espelette - Salies-de-Béarn - Arcangues - Biarritz

Route character

Track
exhilarating 0 relaxing
Landscape
wild 1 picturesque
Destinations
intellectual 2 pleasurable

Comments:
All BMW routes are available exclusively to BMW ConnectedDrive contract customers for import to vehicles via BMW Online. Select a BMW route of your choice in your vehicle and discover some of the most beautiful areas of Europe, conveniently guided to your destination by your BMW navigation system.

Destinations

  • Hotel Le Beaumanoir

    0 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Hotels

    Elaborate crystal chandeliers grace the rooms. The ambience is intimate, elegant and cheerful. Frédéric Hubert skilfully sets the stage in the former stables of a Victorian palace. The boutique hotel houses eight avant-garde style rooms. Unusual wallpaper, high-quality fabrics and baroque elements serve to stress the style. The unusual property is bordered by four hectares of parks, palms and olive trees. A 25-metre pool stretches stylishly into the rural paradise.

    Adress:
    Le Beaumanoir, 10, Avenue de Tamamès, 64200 Biarritz, France
    Contact:
    Frédéric Hubert, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–2489 29 Fax: +33–(0)559–2489 29
    E-Mail: reception@lebeaumanoir.com
    Parking:
    Parking available directly outside the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round.
    Good to know:
    Heavenly peace in the heart of the French Basque country: situated near Biarritz, it is only a short walk away from the sea.
    More informations:
    www.lebeaumanoir.com

  • Blue Cargo Plage

    5 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Food & drink

    Two gigantic sails stretch over the sun terrace leading out towards the beach. An Anglo-Norman style villa situated right at the sea. During the day, surfers and sunbathers relax casually in this beach bar on sun loungers between cacti and cocktails. The relaxed atmosphere, the sea breeze, and the straightforward dishes of fish and typical Basque products carry the aroma of holiday. By night the bar turns into a glittering "place to be" for the rich and beautiful under the starry sky.

    Adress:
    Blue Cargo Plage, Bar & Restaurant, Plage d'Ilbarritz, 64210 Bidart, France
    Contact:
    Julie Caillau, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–235487 Fax: +33–(0)559–235487
    E-Mail: j.caillau@yahoo.fr
    Parking:
    Parking available directly outside the building.
    Opening hours:
    March - December Tue. - Sun. from 11:00 - 02:00 hrs; open daily during the summer months.
    Good to know:
    The Blue Cargo is Biarritz's answer to the "Bestial" in Barcelona or the "Puro Beach Club" in Palma, probably the "hippest location" on the coast!
    More informations:
    www.bluecargo.fr

  • Patisserie Maison Adam

    17 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Local manufacturers

    The sweet-smelling macaroons with their unmistakable aroma of fresh almonds are well known. Maison Adam is a traditional patisserie. Jean-Pierre Telleria-Adam still makes these sweet treasures painstakingly by hand, according to an old family recipe dating back to 1660. For the chocolate, Maison Adam only uses the finest Grand Cru Valharona chocolate. A particular speciality is the "Gateaux basques". This simple cake is a homage to the warmth and pleasure-loving nature of the Basque people.

    Adress:
    Maison Adam, 6, rue République, 64500 Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France
    Contact:
    Francois Telleria
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–260354 Fax: +33–(0)559–260354
    E-Mail: info@macarons-adam.com
    Parking:
    Parking available in the immediate vicinity.
    Opening hours:
    Open daily July - September, October - June Tue. - Sun.
    Good to know:
    Gormandizing for home! The delicious macaroons keep for 8-10 days in the refrigerator.
    More informations:
    www.macarons-adam.com

  • Restaurant L'Auberge Basque

    29 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Food & drink

    He learned of Alain Ducasse, cooked at his side at Le Plaza Athénée, and assisted Jean-Francois Piège in Paris. In March 2006 Cédric Béchade fulfilled a dream by purchasing his L'Auberge Basque restaurant. With the help of good friends he spent eleven months renovating, modernising and improving the historic property. The result is a superb restaurant and eleven rooms and suites in astonishingly urban design. Similar to his style of cuisine is the flair of the building - elegant, simple, linear.

    Adress:
    Restaurant L'Auberge Basque, Vieille Route de St Jean de Luz, 64310 Helbarron/ Saint-Pée, France
    Contact:
    Cédric Béchade, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–5170 00 Fax: +33–(0)559–5170 00
    E-Mail: contact@aubergebasque.com
    Parking:
    Parking available in the immediate vicinity.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round; Wed. - Sun. dinner from 20:00 hrs; open for lunch Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 12:30 hrs; Closed Monday and Tuesday.
    Good to know:
    The French Gault Millau 2008 awarded Cédric Béchade with their "discovery of the year" prize. Conde Nast recommended the L'Auberge Basque for the "Hot List 2008".
    More informations:
    www.aubergebasque.com

  • Town of Espelette

    43 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Sightseeing

    A French seaman who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his voyages of discovery introduced chilli to the Basque country. Peppers and chilli have since been cultivated in Espelette. Today hardly any world-class kitchen can do without this gourmet chilli. Piment d'Espelette is slightly milder than cayenne, fruity and sweet. The peppers hang on strings of the roofs. After harvesting in autumn chilli decorates the façades and balconies of all buildings. The village is festooned in fiery red.

    Contact:
    Office de Tourisme d'Espelette
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–939502
    E-Mail: espelette.tourisme@wanadoo.fr
    Parking:
    Parking available in the immediate vicinity.
    Good to know:
    The locals celebrate the "Fete du Piment" on the last October weekend every year in the honour of chilli. A colourful spectacle based on the spicy capsicum.
    More informations:
    www.espelette.fr

  • Pas De Roland

    53 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Sightseeing

  • Restaurant L'Auberge Ostapé

    60 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Food & drink

    A deluxe country idyll! Sunlight floods into the dining hall. The ambient is rustic and charming. Masterly minimised, the interior decoration surprises with modern, rural style. The L'Auberge Ostapé is one of Alain Ducasse's five extraordinary countryside hotels. The Gault Millau selected the L'Auberge as France's "best hotel 2007". 40 hectares of forests and meadows surround the private sanctuary. Sheep's cheese, black pudding and river trout are procured from nearby farms.

    Adress:
    Restaurant L'Auberge Ostapé, Chahatoa, 64780 Bidarray, France
    Contact:
    Francois Ricau, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–3791 91 Fax: +33–(0)559–3791 91
    E-Mail: contact@ostape.com
    Parking:
    Parking available in the immediate vicinity.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round; in the summer months open daily from 12:00 - 14:00 and 19:30 - 21:00 hrs. Reservation required!
    Good to know:
    The winding drive through the bottom of narrow valleys leads along the Nive river. Guests park their cars in historic stables. They continue their trip to the L'Auberge in golf carts.
    More informations:
    www.ostape.com

  • Thermal baths of Salies de Béarn

    134 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Health & spa

    The hot springs are situated right in the tiny town. Rows of historic buildings jut out on stilts along the riverside dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Here the roots of spa therapy trace back to 1875. Ever since the healing salt has been extracted from natural salt water which flows from a spring high up in the Pyrenees. The water is rich in magnesium and other minerals such as zinc and silicon. Ten times saltier than sea water, it is particularly good for relieving rheumatic pain.

    Adress:
    Thermes de Salies de Béarn, Place du Jardin Public, 64270 Salies-de-Béarn, France
    Contact:
    Mathilda Boulin
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–381011 Fax: +33–(0)559–381011
    E-Mail: reservations@thermes-de-salies.com
    Parking:
    Parking available directly outside the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round; Mon. - Sun. from 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 hrs; (Wednesday until 17:00 hrs; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday open until 19:00 hrs).
    Good to know:
    Admission charges: From € 8.00 per person depending on the length of stay. The special mineral-rich salt can also be ordered for home-delivery.
    More informations:
    www.thermes-de-salies.com

  • Maison Montauzer Hams

    163 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Health & spa

    Christian Montauzer is an Ibaiona ham producer of the third generation. Ibaiona is a particularly exquisite ham, slightly nutty, and comes from the French Basque country. The ham is produced from Basque pigs fed on maize, chestnuts and whey. The hams are left to mature in the air in huge halls for at least six months; some of them are matured for 18 months. The hams are also rubbed with ash or Piment d'Espelette. This gives them their unmistakable aroma.

    Adress:
    Maison Montauzer, Bourgade, 64520 Guiche, France
    Contact:
    Nelly Montauzer
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–568404 Fax: +33–(0)559–568404
    E-Mail: charcuterie.montauzer@wanadoo.fr
    Parking:
    Parking available directly outside the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round, Mon. - Fri. from 08:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 17:00 hrs.
    Good to know:
    A fascinating sight: some 250 hams weighing 12 kg each are hung to dry in the great hall. A tour is available on request.
    More informations:
    www.montauzer.fr

  • Golf club d'Arcangues

    199 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Golf courses

    In 1990 Guy and Jean d'Arcangues founded the golf club d'Arcangues. American architect Ronald Fream designed the course on the family-owned property. The fairways wind their way around the little town of Arcangues and the historic castle. Palms and old tree populations bring variety and challenge to the game along open and vivid landscapes. The club house is situated in a charming farmhouse dating from the 15th century with a beautiful sun terrace.

    Adress:
    Golf d'Arcangues, Chemin Jaureguiborda, 64200 Arcangues, France
    Contact:
    Arnaud D'Arcangues, club manager
    Tel.: +33–(0)559–431056 Fax: +33–(0)559–431056
    E-Mail: golf.arcangues@wanadoo.fr
    Parking:
    Parking available directly outside the building.
    Opening hours:
    One 18-hole course open year-round; reception open daily from 08:30 - 19:00 hrs; tee times daily from 08:30 - 19:00 hrs. April - October, open daily; November - March closed Mondays.
    Course:
    One 18-hole course (Par 72).
    Handicap:
    One 18-hole course (Par 72).
    Greenfee:
    One 18-hole course (Par 72).
    Golf Pro:
    Dominique Beigbeder
    Good to know:
    There is a beautiful sun terrace with a view over the Pyrenees.
    More informations:
    www.touradour.com/golfdarcangues