Most people come to St-Jean-de-Luz for the beautiful beach, and the Grande Plage is well worth a visit. Whether you're swimming, sun bathing, or walking along the sea wall and admiring the beautiful homes and other buildings, it is a delight. Its golden sand is fine and the protected bay makes it a wonderful place to swim.

But to get to the beach you can go through the old town, which is also charming and interesting. Narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants, and other interesting old buildings make it fun to visit. Walk down Rue Gambetta, the main pedestrian street, but also detour down some of the smaller streets, such as Rue de la Baleine (baleine means whale, a nod to St-Jean-de-Luz's history as a whaling town).

To learn about the big event in the town's history, the marriage of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa, you can visit three places: the beautiful Église St-Jean-Baptiste, where the wedding took place; the Maison Louis XIV, where he stayed; and the Maison de l'Infante, where Maria Theresa, the Infanta of Spain, stayed prior to the wedding. These are all within a short walk of each other, in the old town and near the port.

The port itself is charming, with its colorful fishing boats. Walking around the port you get some lovely views of the town and a sense of the fishing industry.

Fish is not the only food of importance in St-Jean-de-Luz. The wonderful market has all sorts of fish, cheese, produce, and Basque specialties, such as Gateau Basque, a rich cake traditionally filled with cherry jam. The covered market is supplemented on Tuesdays and Fridays by an active outdoor market.

 

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