Hello from…Guéthary, where I’m spending a week with my girlfriends from university. I first came to Guéthary when I was 17, the summer of my French baccalaureate. We drove an old VW Beetle all around France and stopped in this little surf town in the Basque Country near Biarritz after buying a 60-pack of macarons from Maison Adam in Saint Jean de Luz, and eating them all. Guéthary is secluded, physically and in spirit. A little world of its own, though you could argue that Bidart, its next-door neighbor, is a bit of an extension, and you’ll inevitably spend time in both towns. There’s nowhere to park in Guéthary, very few places to stay if you don’t own a house, and actually not that many spots to choose from for meals, shops etc. That’s what makes it so special. Everything is just right, no fluff. While I spend much of my time scouting places in remote parts of the world for my travel business, BozAround, there’s huge comfort in hiding away in Guéthary, living a simple life of bike rides, baguettes with Basque cheese, and beach time—surrounded by the reds, blues and greens of the Basque houses.
Where I’m staying… A surfer friend loaned us his little pad for the week, but if I had to book a place, I’d get my act together far in advance and stay at Villa Anvers. You can’t beat the warm atmosphere and the location, right between the beach and Cafe Le Madrid, with the ocean just in front. It’s a big white-and-red (sang de boeuf, which literally means blood of beef) Basque house, where one side is a hotel and the other are apartments with a terrace and garden. If you have a group of teens or young adults with you, send them to the gorgeous little hostel L’Escale. I’d love to be 18 again and stay there… bunk beds and matcha. And Villa l’Arche has a pretty pool facing the ocean and stairs leading directly to the beach. Technically you’re in Bidart, but it’s really just a hop away to Guéthary.
The best meal(s) I had… Were at Heteroclito. Hardly a secret, a few steps down from the square and facing the legendary Parlementia wave. It’s always packed for a reason. Best sunset views, delicious grilled sea bass and garlic-parsley gambas. Local wines and smiling staff. And it won’t break the bank. I also loved walking down the steps to the little harbor and having a bite at sunset at the food truck Paz e Arroz. They do a mighty moqueca with a twist. And you must have dinner at Villa Anvers. They don’t have a restaurant, but 3 to 4 nights a week they hold a pop-up dinner on the lawn facing the ocean, with a very reasonable prix fixe and a beautiful atmosphere. Niklas, the son of the owner, runs the show, and if it’s full online, try your luck on their wait list—he’ll do his best and text if he can accommodate last minute. For ice cream, it’s Chez Kutsu on the way back up from the beach—their caramel beurre salé (salted butter) is yum. For breakfast, it’s Providence, especially if you’re the granola, yogurt and matcha type—everything is fresh and homemade. But if you must start with a cafe and croissant, then it’s at Le Cafe du Fronton. And for quality produce and homemade take-away dishes, head to Yaoya, a French-Japanese deli très charmant, though keep an eye on their instagram as their opening hours are not always set.
Most fun things I did… Drank mojitos at Heteroclito every night watching the sunset. Watched England lose in the World Cup at the little cafe by the train station. Tried to understand the rules of pelote Basque. Biked up and down the coast looking for the perfect beach, balancing it all with an umbrella in the basket.
The book I read… I love to re-read Romain Gary in summer—BBC called him the “greatest literary bad boy of all time.” To me, he’s everything that I love in French literature: he opens horizons, inspires hope and resilience, attachment and detachment, and it’s all about love. Start with La Promesse de l’Aube (Promise at Dawn). Or La Vie Devant Soi (Life Before Us), which he wrote under his pseudonym Emile Ajar so that he could try and win (which he did) a 2nd Prix Goncourt, the most prestigious French literary prize.
The playlist on repeat… I have my playlist of French classics, which includes lots of Claude Nougaro (“Bidonville!” “Une Petite Fille,” “4 Boules de Cuir”), Yves Montand, Gainsbourg of course, but also Francoise Hardy, a bit of BB (Brigitte Bardot—“Un jour Comme un Autre”), lots of Jeanne Moreau (“Le Tourbillon”!) and Veronique Sanson (“Comme Je l’Imagine”). Or just tune in Parlementia Radio, which you can download on the App Store.
What I packed… Very little. My yellow suede Birkenstocks x Issimo, which I bought at Il Pellicano a few years back. My colored cotton dresses from Injiri that I buy in Jaipur or online. They’re not the easiest on the bike as they’re a bit too long, so if biking, it’s simply ’shorts and tees from Toast.
A thing or two I learned… You don’t need a car for Guéthary—it’s tricky to park, but also easy to get around with a bike… but make it an e-bike—there are a lot of hills. Lafitenia Bikes (Lafitenia Bikes) are super nice and will bring the e-bike to you. It’s worth getting a premium model for a strong pull on a steep slope. The TGV, the French fast train, is easy from Paris—there is a direct one to Biarritz, and you book it with a connection to Guéthary on the app SNCF connect. It’s only 5 minutes from Guéthary to Biarritz pretty much every hour. Or 15 minutes by bus.
Also, if you time your stay in Guéthary to when the Fetes de Bayonne are happening (usually mid-July), you’re likely to have the beach and restaurants to yourself, because Bayonne draws more than a million people during its annual party, so everyone gets drunk at night and sleeps all day. Taxi Katyaline (+33 6 03 44 67 99) will save the day even on short notice.
The best thing I’m bringing home… Some Basque cheese, a pink trucker cap from surf shop Parlementia, and a pair of Meduse beach shoes (which literally means jellyfish)—they sell them next door to the little coffee shop Providence. I also discovered a really nice brand of basics called Johanna at Ederra, the shop across the road from Providence.
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