Our last time in the region dated back to 2017, and many things happen since. Even if Biarritz or Bayonne didn’t exactly conquer my heart, the Basque country and everything that comes with it, deserves more than one trips. This time we discovered Biarritz from a different angle, which in some way started a new chapter of our lives. So if on these pictures we look too happy with ourselves, it is for a reason. 😊

Our next visit to Biarritz happened with quite a grey sky. By then, we should have known better than photographing with such light conditions but the atmosphere and waves were irresistible. After all, it can’t be bright and sunny all the time…or can it?

Our favorite by far Biarritz activity is people watching. I think you can easily guess its main idea, I modestly claim that we excel in it. Biarritz in its turn offers so many beautiful people to watch – surfers of both sex who totally assume the game of the French California. Random tourists like us are also cute. :)

After spending a week in Landes launching our surfing adventure, we went crazy about it. Half of our thoughts was about our last surfing session while another half – about the next one. It was a marvelous time, which was similar to our dancing years – being passionate about something is a great gift. Today, in 2023, we are crazy about drawing, and this obsession does feel like surfing! Anyway, we came yet again to Biarritz and Anglet to practice with an intention to do so until the cold days of late autum make it impossible.

That time we also received a tip that for beginners like ourselves, fighting the strong waves of Biarritz and Anglet was too bold. Indeed, we spent more time turning in the waves as if in a washing machine with the board banging on our heads than actually standing on it. Which is fine for the beginners, but when it happens again and again, it becomes a tad frustrating. Thus, we had to face it – so far, our place was among beginners in Hendaye.

Hendaye it is then. We quickly understood why – the waves are regular but even, they don’t hit like a rock, the beach is long and safe and we almost regretted not coming here earlier. Hate to say it, but renting the equipment, staying in campings during the season etc. is not cheap, so could we at least enjoy some kinder waves? Please?

We took several more group classes and, moreover, even managed to surf real waves and not just hopping on the foam. Hendaye is clearly more budget and family friendly place but we didn’t mind, as long as the waves kept coming.

This is the short resumé of our short one- or two-days trip on the coast to surf. I miss that time, I miss that beauty and our obsession, I miss that vibe. A little spoiler for the future: no, we didn’t really master surfing and decided to come back to it when the next pandemic hits. 😅 We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, the last surfing-Basque-nostalgic article is coming, and after that we will travel another year earlier to our beautiful Normandie. By 2030 I will probably put online the articles from 2011, but I can’t promise anything.