Biarritz remains the great must-see. The Hôtel du Palais, the former summer residence of Napoleon III and Eugénie de Montijo; the Grande Plage; the Rocher de la Vierge and the villas that survive from its cosmopolitan heyday explain the city far better than any shopping list. For dining and buying produce, Les Halles continues to be a reliable stop.
Bayonne operates on another level, and precisely for that reason it deserves a few hours. Its old town, the façades along the Nive, the Sainte-Marie Cathedral and the streets of Grand Bayonne will make you want to return. It is also the place to take chocolate seriously: Bayonne was one of the great historical centers of its introduction and production in France, a tradition still upheld by houses such as Cazenave.
Anglet, where the hotel is located, is often unjustly eclipsed by its two neighbours. Its approximately 4.5 kilometres of coast and eleven beaches form one of the great surfing territories of the area. The Chambre d’Amour is the best known, but it is worth strolling along the coast toward La Barre and also stopping in the Chiberta area, among pines, golf courses and residential architecture.
If you have a car, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is about half an hour away and works very well as a day trip: a fishing port, traditional houses, a market and a bay much more sheltered than the open beaches of Biarritz and Anglet. From there, the Spanish border is practically right next door.
