8 kilometres south of Biarritz, Guéthary has always been on the map of the Basque coastal strip. But in the 2000s it came close to becoming just another upmarket residential suburb of the Biarritz-Saint-Jean-de-Luz conurbation. It didn’t happen.
Why Guéthary holds on
The village has a unique seafront: a 20-metre cliff overlooking the ocean, with a fishing harbour perched on the rock. This configuration protects it from mass beach tourism — there’s no sandy beach directly accessible. Visitors come to walk, look at the sea and eat well.
The surf spots
Guéthary is well known among experienced surfers: its reef breaks are powerful and technical, reserved for the competent. Parlementia, the main spot, is one of the best tubes on the entire European Atlantic coast when conditions align.
What to do in Guéthary
Walk through the village. Eat at one of the restaurants overlooking the ocean. Watch the surfers from the clifftop. Visit the 17th-century Basque church. And leave before the crowds arrive — in summer, the village fills up between 11am and 4pm.