It all started in the summer of 1957. Peter Viertel, an American screenwriter filming “The Sun Also Rises” with Tyrone Power, spotted the waves at Biarritz and had his surfboard shipped from California. He was the first to surf the waves at the Côte des Basques.
The first Basque generation
Young Biarrots watched Viertel and imitated him. Within a few years, surfing took root locally. France’s first surf school opened in Biarritz. In 1968, Biarritz hosted the first European surfing championship.
Surfing as identity
Today Biarritz holds the French Surf Federation’s “Ville de surf 3 étoiles” label — the highest distinction. It has 18 surf schools, hundreds of surf shops and a wave culture that permeates all local life, from fashion to gastronomy.
The Cité de l’Océan
The museum dedicated to the ocean and surfing in Biarritz is one of the best in Europe. Open year-round, it traces the history of surfing from Hawaii to Biarritz with interactive installations.