French and Spanish Atlantic Coast

The second day on the route, starts by discovering the Rocher de la Vierge, that is a big rock located on the north side not far from the beach of Port Vieux.
The history of the rock is dated back to the XV century, when it was bigger and almost looked like an island, until in the XIX century, Napoleon III built a bridge of 76 mt, which connected the rock to the mainland and put inside a statue of the Virgin, that is today a much cherished symbol for the population.

Continuing further north, there is another landmark of the city of Biarritz, that is its Lighthouse.
Located on the cliff of Pointe Saint Martin, it stands as a frontier from which a hundred kilometers-long sandy coastline starts.
The Light house was built between 1830 and 1834 and with its approximately 80 mt height, it is possible to enjoy a breath-taking view on the coastline until the chain of Pyrénées.
The opening hours to reach the top are everyday from 2 pm to 6 pm in the months of June and September, and from 10 am to 7 pm in July and August. Here it is the official site for more info.

Since you are on the coast, it is a must to stop by the beach to have some rest before going on the road again and if the weather allows it, go for a swim too.
Maybe the most beautiful beach in Biarritz is the Plage du Port Vieux, located in a cove between the Rocher de la Vierge — that is admirable from this beach — and the beach of Cote des Basques.
This is a small beach compared tot he others of the coast, but considered a gem especially by local people, thanks to the fact that the bay is protected from the wind.
The beach is accessible through some stairs which depart from the square of Port Vieux, where you can find also a parking lot. Or if that one is full, especially during the summer, you can find a place in the parking lot Sainte Eugénie, that is about 400 mt from the beach.

To have lunch, you won't have to move from the beach, literally!
There is the restaurant La Petite Plage, located right on top of the beach of Port Vieux, with a beautiful view on the sea and a brand new inside décor in perfect summer style with a real "sandy-floor".
It is renowned also for its cocktail menu that you can find here together with the contacts to make a reservation.
The restaurant is open from April to October everyday until midnight, and in the months of July and August until 2 am.

Leaving Biarritz, you will drive on the panoramic route La Corniche, alongside the coastline, which connects the coast of Saint Jean de Luz to Hendaye, where it is the next stop.
Here there is the beautiful Château d'Abbadie, built in the second half of the 19th century by the explorer Antoine d'Abbadie on a project of the architect Viollet-le-Duc.
The castle is located on the cliff of the point Saint Anne, that overlooks on the Atlantic Ocean, and it hosts an astronomical observatory inside with a library linked to the activity of the explorer.
The site comprehends also an outside park with English gardens that can be visited together with the inside of the Castle. You can also book a guided tour of the entire place or just some selected parts.
To check out the opening hours and days you can visit the site where there is a very detailed schedule.

The Château d'Abbadie was the last stop in the French territory, before entering Spain.
At this point of the trip you have reached Donostia-San Sebastiàn, a little city on the coast in the Basque Country in the north-east of Spain.
San Sebàstian is famous for its coastline and for this reason it is a very popular tourist location especially during the summer.
But there is not just this, one of the most popular attraction of the city is also its Aquarium, one of the first oceanographic museums in Europe.
Its history started in the 1908 with the purpose to study, collect and improve the science of the ocean life and activity.
Today it hosts more than 40 species of fishes and 5 species of sharks, with a tank tunnel that extends to 360° and contains 1.500.000 liters of water.
The Aquarium is open all year round from 11 am to 7 pm, except for the months of July and August that is open until 8 pm, and the weekends of June and September. Check out the site for more info and to book a guided tour if you desire.
Once arrived in San Sebastiàn you can check-in at the hotel Casa Nicolasa (that is the suggestion to stay for the night and you will find all the info at the bottom), which is close to the Aquarium in old town, and leave the car in its parking lot, so you can enjoy the walk through the city.

After the visit to the Aquarium, a requested stop is the most famous and beautiful beach of the city, Playa de la Concha, in the Concha bay.
This is the largest and most frequented beach of San Sebastiàn, it is a clear sand beach which extends for almost 1,5 km along the coast, and its name means shell due to the shape of the bay, similar to a shell with a pearl.
It has been selected one of the most beautiful beach of Europe and also included among the 12 treasures of Spain. It is definitely worth a visit!

Just few minutes walk from the beach, starts a promenade - the Spanish paseo - along all the Concha bay where it is possible to admire the coast and also its emblematic buildings such as the Miramar Palace, the London Hotel and La Perla, a symbol of Belle Epoque and also a royal origins linked to the Queen Maria Cristina.

If this charming paseo maritimo whet your appetite, this next stop is the right choice.
You cannot leave San Sebastiàn without having had a dinner tour of pincho!
They are similar to the tapas but bigger and more elaborated and in the old town there are a lot of places to try the best pinchos of Basque Country, since San Sebastiàn is considered the capital of Pinchos.
So while having a tour of the old part of the city, you can also have a culinary tour of some of the best places of pincho in town, which are:

• Bartolo House
• Gandarias
• La La Viña
• Bar Txepetxa

An intense day is coming to end and the place to spend the night is the beautiful Casa Nicolasa, located in the old town and just a few minutes walk by the beach.
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