This afternoon your private guide will meet you at your hotel and you will depart for a walking tour of Biarritz. As ritzy as its name suggests, this stylish coastal town, 8km west of Bayonne, took off as a resort in the mid-19th century when Napoléon III and his Spanish-born wife, Eugénie, visited regularly.
Along its rocky coastline are architectural hallmarks of this golden age, and the belle époque and art deco eras that followed. Although it retains a high glamour quotient, it's also a magnet for loads of surfers, with some of Europe's best waves.
The main sights include the lighthouse and climbing the 258 twisting steps inside the 73m-high Phare de Biarritz , the town’s 1834 lighthouse, rewards you with sweeping views of the Basque coast, Le Rocher de la Vierge, at the end of Pointe Atalaye is Rocher de la Vierge (Rock of the Virgin), named after its white statue of the Virgin and child. Views from this impressive outcrop extend to the mountains of the Spanish Basque Country. Visit the chocolate museum if you are chocolate passionate, and delve into this real-life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for an indulgent exploration through the world of chocolate, from its earliest beginnings to the mass production of today. Near the Église Alexandre Newsky is the doll’s-house-sized Chapelle Impériale, constructed in 1864. Empress Eugénie was the inspiration for this.
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