Saint-Jean-de-Luz: 7 Charming Things to Do (& Insider Tips)

Part of the windswept Atlantic coast of France’s Basque Country, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is often compared to its flashy, fashionable neighbor, Biarritz, just 20 minutes away. But don’t let that comparison fool you into thinking Saint-Jean-de-Luz doesn’t stand out. It deserves to stand alongside Biarritz, rather than in its shadow.

The town center is compact enough that you can see the main sights in a few hours if you rush… but in France, you’ll quickly learn that “fast” runs counter to the way of life: savoring life’s daily pleasures. If you can, plan for an overnight visit. Better yet, stay for a few days to soak it all in.

My family lives nearby in Occitanie and loves road trips, so they often spend weekends exploring the Basque coastline. When I was visiting home, they took me to all their favorite spots from past trips.

Now I’m passing along their insider tips (plus a few of my own!) in this quick guide to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, complete with the best restaurants, photo spots, and things to do.

Things to Do in Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Walk its beach promenade or have a beach day

Being on the coast, of course Saint-Jean-de-Luz draws a lot of beachgoers to its Grand Plage (French for large beach — many towns have one dedicated ‘grand plage’) in its summer months. Though word to the wise, the Atlantic doesn’t always get the memo that it’s summer — it’s often rather cold, so brace for that!

You maybe have seen photos of its colorful striped bathing tents, a classic photo spot in this town, and a bit of an icon of the town.

What makes this beach special is its location in a sheltered inlet along the Bay of Biscaye, one of one in the French Basque Country. Because of the protected location, the water here is much calmer than anywhere else along the coast.

Everything has its trade-offs, though, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz isn’t as great for surfing (though there are still some surf schools in the area)… better off going to Biarritz for that! But if you’re more in the mood for a relaxing swim or wade without battling the waves, this is a great spot to lay down your towel and enjoy.

Browse and buy at the traditional covered market Les Halles

One of the best places to visit in any French town is the local covered market, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz’s Les Halles is no exception. This is where locals come for their daily shopping, picking up meats from the boucherie, cheeses from the fromagerie, and the freshest catch from the poissonnerie.

The market opens bright and early at 7 AM and closes for the day by 1 PM — yes, really, 1 PM! But I assure you that it’s worth getting an early start (even if that means setting your alarm on vacation) to see the market properly.

For most travelers, it’s more of a people-watching and browsing destination than a place to shop ’til you drop, unless you have access to a kitchen, as most goods are not prepared. Still, I think it’s one of the best spots to soak up that unmistakable French way of life, and it’s a can’t-miss when you’re visiting St-Jean-de-Luz.

Wander the beautiful shops and streets

It’s a bit of a cliché to recommend just wandering and getting lost when you visit small town — but I still maintain that it is indeed one of the best things to do in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to simply wander.

The historic town center is full of streets lined with typical French Basque architecture (a mix of stonework, brightly-painted shutters, and a bit of a half-timbered look), with boutiques, bakeries, and cafés taking up the ground floors and giving the town its liveliness.

I’ll be honest: when I visited, it happened to be the day of an airshow, so the streets were packed with people bunched in the streets to watch planes swoop over the bay. This made walking through the town a lot less enjoyable than I imagine it would be on a normal day.

Still, I loved exploring the little streets around Les Halles (the town’s covered market). The lively squares in town, Place Louis XIV in particular, reach a perfect balance of lively everyday buzz while maintaining the town’s easygoing charm.

If you prefer a more guided way to strolling around town, here are a few places I recommend you stop, which just so happen to bring you to some of the cutest streets in St-Jean-de-Luz.

• Maison Adam for Basque macarons and gateau basque on on Rue Léon Gambetta (a main walking route)
• Labechiloa Sarl for all your patisserie wishes come true on Rue Louis-Fortuné Loquin
• Chocolaterie Henriet for some delicious artisan chocolates and fruit jellies (pâtes des fruits) on Boulevard Adolphe Thiers
• Cafés Kikeran and Thés Dammann Frères for all your coffee and tea wishes on Boulevard Victor Hugo

Wander the Port de Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Right next to Place Louis XIV you’ll find the fishing harbor area (Port de Peche de Saint-Jean-de-Luz), which is full of boats and has a really lovely view to some mountains in the distance and the less busy area of Ciboure on the other side of the harbor.

While Saint-Jean-de-Luz has mostly pivoted away from its fishing roots and given itself over to tourism, this is where you’ll see its humble beginnings being maintained.

Eat a delicious seafood meal

Since Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a coastal town, it’s all but mandatory to eat seafood when you’re there… that is, unless you have allergies or dietary restrictions, of course.

We had an amazing meal at Chistera, which is a standout even in the excellent French food scene, truly one of my favorite meals from my last two weeks in France.

A few recommendations from what we ordered: the grilled squid, the oysters, the croquetas (always get croquetas anywhere in the Basque Country!), and the pink seafood platter with shrimp, langoustine, and cured salmon. I don’t know what it is about shrimp in France, but they’re always so sweet and flavorful, way more tasty than shrimp anywhere else.

For dessert, I can highly recommend the gâteau basque, which is more of a pie than a cake if you want to get technical, but basically, a short pastry filled with baked custardy cream.

Pop in to see the unique interior of Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste

I’ll be honest, after years of traveling Europe, I’m really not that interested in churches. So I stepped inside the main church of Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste) mostly out of a sense of obligation, as I know many travelers — especially travelers from overseas — love seeing churches and cathedrals while they’re visiting Europe.

But honestly, I was taken aback by how beautiful this church was on the inside, and how unique, too. Nearly every church has an organ, an apse, and an altar, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a model ship hanging from the church’s ceiling, a special touch that called back to St-Jean-de-Luz’s humble fishing roots.

Browse the charming Librairie Laketoki

If you’re anything like me, you might love visiting bookstores when you travel. Even if I don’t end up buying anything, I never regret stepping inside one: second to cafes, they’re one of my favorite places to people-watch a bit.

Plus it’s a good spot to grab any small souvenirs like postcards and they’re usually more affordable and better quality than the souvenir shops. Admittedly, the book selection at Librairie Laketoki is almost entirely in French, but it’s still worth a visit.

Allison Green

Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.