tmemedia

I going to be around Biarritz for a few days in June. Any recommendations on places to stay? Something small and charming, perhaps in St. Jean de Luz or environs. Close to beach or otherwise with beautiful view would be great.

Teresa

Maribel

This may be a bit hard if it's late June, but here are a few options:

In St-Jean-de-Luz, my favorite Pays Basque fishing village, there's the small La Deviniere with only 10 rooms from 100-135 euros.
See it at www.hotel-la-deviniere.com/
But it may already be fully booked. It's a Karen Brown favorite,
www.karenbrown.com

Or on the more pricey side (170 euros and up) try the Relais et Chateaux Hotel Parc Victoria, a Napolean III home in manicured gardens just outside of town.
www.relaischateaux.com or
www.karenbrown.com

Or outside of town, there's another Karen Brown selection, the Maison Tamarin, a pretty Basque farmhous with pool.
www.lamaisontamarin.com/

About 15 min. outside of Biarritz in a parkland , there's also the lovely Chateau du Claire de la Lune, a romantic country villa.
But book a room in the main chateau rather than the annex.
www.chateauduclairdelune.com

Also just 1 mile from Biarritz in Bidart, there's the restaurant-with-rooms Les Freres Ibarbourne with fabulous food!
www.freresibarboure.com/

For something quintessentially Basque, a wonderful old Basque country farm house, try the Maison Irigoian in Bidart. But only 5 rooms, starting at 76 euros.
www.irigoian.com

Hope you find something just right!

Michael

If you are interested in B&Bs, you can try this web site, specify Biarritz and look at what is available:

http://www.gites-de-france.fr/eng/

cigalechanta

I booked the Clair de Lune and they put us in the hunting lodge so we were very disapponted with them. Everyplace was booked for dinner so we ended up at a road house. We checked out the next day.

Traveler2

Can anyone recommend a good hotel on the beach in S.J.de L.,Biarritz or San Sebastion?

Travelnick

Hotel Londres or Nice both looked nice right on sea front at San Sebastian. We thought SS was more interesting than Biarritz and looked like it had much better value accommodation than Biarritz. We checked a few places in Biarritz but were not that happy with what we saw for value for money - settled on an OK 3 star, but pretty forgettable, so cannot remember name.

Maribel

Treaveler2
Facing La Concha beach in S.S. is the Abba de Londres y de Inglaterra, a 4 star, (www.hlondres.com) and the more modest but nice for the price Hotel Niza (www.hotelniza.com). Right above Ondarreta beach there's the 4 star Costa Vasca.

In St.-Jean-de-Luz, the luxury Edwardian style Grand Hotel (www.luzgrandhotel.fr) is directly facing the beach but there are other moderate options, like the Marisa, only a block or so away. La Deviniere is maybe 5 blocks away off the main pedestrian shopping street, the Rue Gambetta,

I really agree with Travenick about not much value for money in Biarritz.

Traveler2

Thanks to both of you! You have been very helpful. Maribel, I especially appreciate the helpful web addresses! I think you both have a point about the S.Sebastion having more value for the money.
What did you think of St. Jean de Luz in comparison with S.S? Would you prefer S.S. over S. J. de L.?

Travelnick

St J de Luz is very pretty but a lot smaller than SS. Beach at SS is more impressive. Suburbs of SS on the way in by train from Biarritz are positively grim but the old town area and around the bay are both great. I would stay at SS and take a day trip to St J de L.

Maribel

Traveler2,
We can't decide btwn the two so we split the difference and stay in Hondarribia for a week, midway between. From there we bus to S.S. and drive to St. Jean, Biarritz, Bayonne.

The Pays Basque countryside around St. Jean is just glorious, as pastoral, as scenic as it comes, and the interior villages (Sare, Ainhoa, Bastide Clairence) picture postcard perfect. And St. Jean itself provides most everything a vacationer could want-beach, golf, great food, history, markets, nice shopping, water sports, even spa treatments, all on a small scale. I do prefer it to ritzier Biarritz. It's far more Basque in feel, but the area immediately around it on the coast is one huge traffic-clogged suburb in July-Aug.

For me, San Sebastian is one of Spain's top 5 best small cities. It's elegant, stately, refined with lovely Belle Epoque architecture, slightly Parisian, (and also the gastronomic capital of the Basque Country), has a splendid setting on the bay with its beautiful La Concha beach (yes, more impressive!) plus a lively Old Quarter with picturesque pier and unbelievable tapas bars (not found in St. Jean). Plus closer to Bilbao (but the industrial suburbs do blight the area around it). You could stay happily in S.S. for 4 days, although you'll prrobably hit 1 rainy day in those 4.

cigalechanta

We didn't see the rooms at the Parc Victoria as they were fully booked when we inquired about a room but we dined there and had a wonderful time with the charming hosts who loves cats and the dining room is decorated with imagesof felines.
The garden is very lush.

Traveler2

Thank you Travelnick! Maribel thanks so much for the wealth of information. You both have convinced me to stay in SS as it sounds lovely. Hopefully it will not be terribly crowded when we will be there (the last week of Sept.)
I am looking forward to trying the Tapas bars.

Maribel

Traveler2,
Just so you'll be aware, the dates of this yr's International Film Festival in S.S. are Sept. 18-27, so the city will be extremely busy then.

http://www.sansebastianfestival.ya.c...3/es/index.htm

The tapas bars are terrific!

Traveler2

Thank you Maribel!! I am so glad you warned me! I may have to skip the area now.