Biarritz

Surf Guide

If you've come to Europe to surf elegant little waves in the lee of a castle and then compete with fur-coated matrons and tiny shit-eating poodles for an overpriced ham and cheese sandwich, then head straight to Biarritz. There are two main waves, neither as good as Anglet to the north and Guethary to the south, but what they lack in quality and punch, they make up for in atmosphere. Normally, you wouldn't surf a spot just 'cause it has a pretty view, but hell, you're in France, dude -- chill out, grab a longboard and draw some clean lines. Cote de Basque This right-hand point sandbar and assorted other peaks are right under the castle and are some of the most popular waves in the area, especially for beginners. It doesn't really hold a big swell, and the quality of the wave is largely dependent on the shifting sandbar, but it's consistently a sweet little thin-lipped peeler through the summer months and is protected from the prevailing afternoon northwest wind by the rocky headland. Surf vans litter the stone wall along the point from June through September and you'll be competing with everyone from incompetent Euros standing up for the first time to 60-year-old stately Frenchwomen who know the lineup better than Dora ever did. Grand Plage Just around the corner from Cote de Basque and directly in front of the gothic casino is a temperamental beachbreak that's the high-performance staple for Biarritz locals who don't have the time or inclination to head north to Anglet (as it breaks on the same conditions). The whole beach is extremely tide and wind sensitive. In the right conditions (i.e., east or no wind and an underhead swell), there are a few scattered lefts at the south end by the rocks, and in the center, there are a couple of peaks that can get quite hollow as they approach the inside sandbar. If you're particularly homophobic or just don't like looking at fat naked men, careful as you head north past the rocks -- you might stumble upon something you'd rather not have seen. The peaks up there aren't that good anyway. In fact, if Grande Plage is good, Anglet is probably firing, so you should probably make your way up there.