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Port · Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Nova Aquitânia
Port de Saint-Jean-de-Luz
The fishing port, shared with Ciboure, from which the Basques set out for Newfoundland and from where corsairs sailed in service of the king; today it has fishing boats, quays and fish restaurants.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Port de Saint-Jean-de-Luz
The port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz lies at the mouth of the Nivelle River, at the head of the bay, and is shared with Ciboure on the opposite bank. From the 15th century local Basque fishermen went to the banks off Newfoundland for cod, and whaling brought wealth to the town. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Saint-Jean-de-Luz's corsairs attacked enemy ships in the service of the king of France.
Today the port still has fishing boats, with fish being landed on the quay, and is surrounded by restaurants and shipowners' houses. On the Saint-Jean-de-Luz side quay stands the Maison de l'Infante, where the infanta Maria Teresa stayed in 1660. The bridge over the Nivelle links the port to Ciboure, with painted wooden Basque houses facing the water.
The bay is the only sheltered inlet between Arcachon and Spain, protected from the Atlantic by three 19th-century breakwaters: Socoa, l'Artha (in the middle of the bay), and Sainte-Barbe. From the port, the promenade runs to the Grande Plage, the sandy beach inside the bay, with calmer sea than the open beaches at Biarritz.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
An hour around the port and quays; longer if you include the beach.
Best time
In the morning, when the fishing boats are unloading on the quay, and in the late afternoon, with the light on Ciboure's houses. For the beach, June to September.
How to get there
It's next to praça Louis XIV in the center, about a 5-minute walk from the train station. The Grande Plage is about a 5-minute walk from the port via the pedestrian center.
Tip
Eat the fish of the day at the restaurants around the port. Cross the bridge to see the port from Ciboure's side. At the Grande Plage the water is usually calmer than at Biarritz, good for those who don't want waves.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Port de Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Is the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz still a fishing port?
Yes. Fishing boats still use the port, shared with Ciboure, and the catch of the day appears on the nearby restaurants' menus.
Why is the sea calm at the beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz?
Because it lies inside a bay protected by three 19th-century breakwaters: Socoa, l'Artha and Sainte-Barbe.
What is the Maison de l'Infante?
The brick-and-stone house on the quay where the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain stayed in 1660, before her marriage to Luís XIV.