As soon as our plane landed, we jumped at the chance to fill our lungs with clean ocean air and took a long stroll on the beach on the St-Jean-de-Luz Bay.  The first evening we dined at Kako, behind the fish market, savoring Spanish-style hake and a glass of sublime Marquez de Riscal wine….

We then got comfortable at Zazpi, a boutique hotel in the center of St-Jean-de-Luz, the last French vacation spot before Spain.  In the morning, we ate breakfast on the patio under the orange tree and then traipsed up to the roof and settled in next to the pool to enjoy the view:  in the foreground the town’s red roofs; beyond, a panorama of the Pyrenees.  Time seemed to stop…
Impossible to visit St-Jean-de-Luz without taking a boat trip to Fontarribie, just over the Spanish border.
Exploring the alleyways around the fortress, indulging in tapas of smoked ham and croquettes, and a glass of Txakuri—takes you to another world.

At nightfall, we headed towards Ferme d’Ostalapia for a nocturnal visit to the open fields.  Formerly a stop on the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela, this old home has preserved its tradition of serving restorative meals in a warm, welcoming atmosphere: for dinner, a thick steak with baby squid.
The next morning, a jaunt to Blue Cargo, near the Ilbarritz golf course, for a barefoot brunch with our feet in the sand.
In the airplane going home, we finished off a box of Adam macarons, a Basque institution.
O.C. (member of the Selection Committee)

Luxury hotels and BBs in the Basque Country, Aquitania, Business hotels and Secret places