Meet the Fort of Socoa

In the Middle Ages, Socoa was a fishing port where whaling boats moored. Nowadays, it is used more for small fishing and leisure boats, as well as "battelekus", colourful traditional boats.

Socoa gained in importance in 1617, when Henry VI decided to start building the fort to protect Saint Jean de Luz from the expansionist pretensions of Spain. The project was too ambitious and was abandoned. But under the reign of Louis XIII, it was revived. After an invasion by the Spanish in 1636 (who did not hesitate to rename the citadel the "Fort of Castile"), the King regained his rights over the region and decided to complete work on the fort. Two batteries were built on either side of the bay to protect access: the Socoa battery and the Sainte-Barbe battery. In 1686, Vauban undertook to reinforce the fort and had a jetty built to protect it from damage caused by storms and rough seas. The fort was finally completed in 1698.

During the reign of Napoleon III, 3 dykes were built, including one at Socoa, to protect the bay from the onslaught of the ocean. At low tide, you can enjoy a pleasant stroll along the Socoa dyke to admire Ciboure and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, with the Pyrenees in the background.

🚌 Getting there

To visit the fort, you'll need to follow the port of Ciboure, and reach Socoa beach (we recommend taking a walk there, as it's really charming, and great for photos, with its small boats). The fort is also accessible by bus. The Mairie \~ Herriko Etxea (Ciboure) stop on line 43 and the Plage de Zokoa \~ Zokoako Hondartza stop on line 39 are just a few minutes' walk from the monument.

You can only visit the fort from the outside. When you arrive, you'll see the fort towering above the sea. You can get there from the mainland, via a road that is only accessible on foot. After crossing the first drawbridge, you will enter the grounds of Fort de Socoa. A second drawbridge completes the defensive system between the tower and the garrison accommodation.

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