Stroll along the allée Jacques Thibaud

The Promenade Jacques Thibaud is 3.7 km long. The walk starts from the signposts next to the Handiplage signs at the pointe de la Sainte-Barbe. You then pass along the Grande Plage and the Flots Bleus beach, before finally reaching the Pointe de Sainte-Barbe. This coastal route offers great views of the Socoa fortress, Ciboure and the harbour.

As you stroll along, you're likely to come across plenty of people, as it's a favourite spot for sports enthusiasts, but also for locals who like to stroll around. And if you're taking your dog with you, they're welcome to join you, provided they're kept on a lead.

Along the way, you'll come across several points of interest. The red Art Deco lighthouse, for example, was designed by Pavlovsky, a twentieth-century French architect who was heavily involved in the development of Luzian architecture at the time. For the record, the lighthouse has a twin brother in Ciboure, on the other side of the river. Both lighthouses are listed historic monuments and indicate the channel for boats entering the port. Along the way, you'll also come across La Pergola, a famous shopping arcade that resembles a cruise liner. The Pergola was a chic promenade between the wars. Many people still stroll here today, enjoying the souvenir shops, restaurants, ice-cream parlours and terraces.

Basque houses

Don't miss the houses with footbridges, a brilliant idea for direct access to the beach. Their atypical architecture, with its small red shutters, reflects the style of houses in the region. The Basque house, known as an "etxea", comes in a variety of architectural styles, depending on the province. The most emblematic of all is the Labourdin style. This style is characterised by a white facade interspersed with exposed half-timbering and red-painted shutters.

Originally, ox blood was used as a paint to protect the wood from insects and rot. This distinctive dark red, known as "baigorry", is named after "ibai gorri", the Basque word for "red river". Since the 19th century, variations have appeared using different types of green: wagon green, fir green and even black green, as well as blue. It is also said to be "Luzian blue", related to the colour sapphire).

🍴 Restaurant Toki Goxoa

Just north of the allée Jacques Thibaud, a stone's throw from the Saint-Jean de Luz casino, is the Toki Goxoa restaurant. Here you can sample a number of local specialities. If we can recommend one, try the taloas. This dish is a patty made from flour, maize and water that can be filled with a variety of foods: lomo, ventrèche, ewe's milk cheese, xistora sausage... A quick bite to eat with typical products. All with a splendid view over the bay.

👛 Prices

A taloa here costs between €9 and €14, with around ten different recipes to delight every taste bud. For more information, visit the restaurant's website.