9 Best Things To Do In Biarritz, France, If You Are Not Into Surfing

things to do in biarritz france
Catherine
Catherine 
Updated
| 3 min read

Biarritz, France is well known for its surfing culture. A lot of people flock in the city to experience this daring activity. With its beautiful number of beaches, Biarritz has been a tourist destination offering a luxurious seaside with its array of hotels and casinos. The surfing activity is great for adventure seeking and fearless people but how about those who are not? Here are some other things you can do in Biarritz, France!

1. See Rocher de la Vierge (Virgin of the Rock)



Who doesn’t want to visit this dramatic site of the city? Here you can see a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on top of the rock while looking at the sea. The view of this place is very astonishing as you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the coastline extending from the mouth of the Adour River to the Spanish frontier. This is definitely worth visiting!

Rocher de la Vierge

Address: 64200 Biarritz, France

Visited this place?

2. Visit Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea)


One of the most popular tourist spots in Biarritz is this museum located just in front of Rocher de la Vierge. Museum of the Sea offers different shows from the feeding of seals to sharks showing off their hunting and eating habits. This sea museum aims to educate its visitors on the importance of the ocean waters. Now that’s a fun way to enjoy Biarritz while still learning!

Museum of the Sea

Address: Plateau de l'Atalaye, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Biarritz Aquarium

Visited this place?

3. Shop in Biarritz


Aside from surfing, this city is also home to a number of shopping outlets. From clothes, linens, shoes and perfume to wine and chocolate, this place surely has a wide range of products to choose from! #SweetToothSatisfied

Chocolaterie Pralinerie Didier Gaborit

Address: 44 Rue Luis Mariano, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Chocolaterie Pralinerie Didier Gaborit

Visited this place?

4. Visit Planète Musée du Chocolat (Chocolate Museum)

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Speaking of chocolate, did you know that Biarritz has a museum for chocolate? It is said that the history of Biarritz is somewhat related to the history of chocolate. If you want to learn about the Heritage of chocolate in France, this place is the one you should visit.

The museum also offers workshops for adults and children of any ages who wants to learn how to make their own chocolate. Aside from that, you can also learn how to place a mold to make your own chocolate lollipop, design your own chocolate by painting on it, proper blending of chocolate into wine and my favorite? Chocolate tasting! Plus, you can also experience the taste of their traditional hot chocolate made in the old-fashioned rich European style. Yum!

Planète Musée du Chocolat

Address: 14 Avenue Beau Rivage, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Planète Musée du Chocolat

Visited this place?

5. Visit Musée Asiatica (Oriental Art Museum)

Here, you can find oustanding collections of art from talented artists and different countries, namely China, Nepal, India and Tibet. Visiting this place will make you feel relaxed while you are admiring the different works of art. Relaxed would be an understatement if you knew that the entrance for museum’s temporary exhibitions is free of charge and if you want to access their library with over 2000 books, you just have to book an appointment.

Musée Asiatica

Address: 1 Rue Guy Petit, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Musée Asiatica

Visited this place?

6. See Phare de Biarritz

Another place to visit is this lighthouse overlooking the coastline of the Cape Hainsart. The visitors just need to climb 248 steps to reach the top where you can have another panoramic view of Biarritz and the Basque countryside. Time to take out those cameras again, folks!

Phare de Biarritz

Address: 60 B Espl. Elisabeth II, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Phare de Biarritz

Visited this place?

7. Visit Orthodox Church

This place is well known for its blue dome. Be amazed by the beautiful facade this church has to offer. It was built by a Biarritz architect in the 19th century for visiting Russian aristocrats. Feel like one when you drop by this place!

Orthodox Church

Address: 8 Avenue de l'Impératrice, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Orthodox Church

Visited this place?

8. Lastly, go to the beach

Who says that you cannot go the beach? You should visit Grande Plage. It is one of Biarritz’ largest beaches with beautiful sand, a perfect spot for the surfers. Even if you are not into surfing, just hearing the sound of the ocean waves will make you feel calm and relaxed. After all, a lot of explorations will give you time for relaxation.

Grande Plage

Address: 1 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 64200 Biarritz, France

Visited this place?

9. Bonus! Visit kid-friendly beaches

Biarritz - Plage du Port Vieux (tone-mapping)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Guido Radig used under CC BY 3.0

Traveling with the kids? Try visiting the beach of Le Port Vieux. This small sheltered beach has a protected cove making the sound of waves more gentle and safer for the little ones compared to Grande Plage. And if you are really looking for relaxation, then go to this place instead. The beach of Le Port Vieux is calm and not too overcrowded since the location is just small but the best part is that it is safe enough for the kids to go swimming.

Le Port Vieux

Address: Esplanade du Port Vieux, 64200 Biarritz, France

Website: Le Port Vieux

Visited this place?

Enjoy your trip

There are two types of travelers. One is the adventurous type who loves to do everything and tries what is popular in a city. The other is the relaxed type who just enjoys the beautiful scenery and does not rush. They may be different types of travelers but they have one thing in common and that is to enjoy every bit of the trips they take.

The city of Biarritz offers activities for both the adventurous ones and the relaxed tourists. This is how versatile this place can be. It offers its visitors unique attractions and activities which makes it a good place to explore with the whole family!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Catherine is a small-town woman who thrives in an ecstatic world, finding joy in planned and spontaneous travel. Life, to her, is a series of surprises waiting to be explored with open eyes....Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Biarritz
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.