Road Trip: The Basque Coast

We recently made a road trip loop from southwestern France to San Sebastian across the border in Spain and back. The genesis of this journey begins with Matt’s birthday. Being a summer baby, Matt always wants a trip more than he wants a party, and since his birthday is in high summer (July 21), it also happens to be the toughest period to book flights and hotels, so I try to make plans that are within driving distance. When we’re in New York, we stay in the city at a fancy uptown hotel and eat in a restaurant we wouldn’t normally splurge on—a real holiday even for just 24 hours in our own town (I despise the word staycation). In more recent years, since I’m not locked into a corporate job that keeps me in New York all summer, we’ve gone to Île de Ré, which is lovely and very easy to return to. (I last wrote about it here.) But this year, I was determined to do something different. We’re spending most of the summer at Maison Médoc, our house in the tiny town of St Yzans about an hour north of Bordeaux, since we just bought a new “project house” (more on that this fall, but if you want some idea you can look here) and needed to be around to clean/organize/plan it. It’s two to three hours from here to Biarritz—a seaside town we love—but I wanted to explore something new as well. I settled on heading to San Sebastian for the first night, Biarritz for nights 2 and 3, and ending at the legendary hotel/restaurant Les Prés d’Eugénie for the last night.

PART 1: Bordeaux to San Sebastian

We set off in the morning with a Google map full of food recs along the way–I never know when hunger is going to strike and what the weather’s going to be (if it’s bad, we’d want to have a lingering lunch), so I like to have options. Even then, many may be fully booked, or we might not make it before 1:30, when most restaurants stop taking orders. My friends who live in Bordeaux but summer in St-Jean-de-Luz (a fishing/beach town close to the Spanish border) gave me their favorites, and I did my own research as well. In the end I didn’t make it to any of these, because we only needed one meal stop on the way. We ended up at Auberge Landaise, which we discovered on a small road off the A63 when we started to get hungry and none of the places on my list were nearby, where we had an excellent duck confit. (It’s been cool here in western France, so eating hearty dishes, very much the local fare in the Landes region, worked out.) But it’s a really good list, and I can’t wait to go back and try some of them.

For lunch along the way…(from north heading south)

• Lue: Auberge Landaise
• Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse: La Kantxa
• Hossegor: Chez Pif
• Cap Breton: Chez Minus, Chez Papa Joub
• Arcangues: Gaztelur (two restaurants and a brocante), Auberge d’Achtal
• Guéthary: Les Alcyons, Le Madrid, Ithurria
• St. Jean de Luz: Arroenia, Ostalapia
• Ciboure: Le Socowa, Arrantzaleak

After lunch, we beelined across the Spain border to San Sebastian, where we checked into the Villa Soro, a 19th-century aristocratic villa and garden in a residential area of town, which was recently taken over by the owners of the Hotel Sant Francesc and the Can Ferrereta in Mallorca. Rooms are well appointed and very comfortable–more classic than vibe-y. And while we had both been to San Sebastian before—albeit for one afternoon of eating, and Matt came once back in college—we really didn’t have a sense of the city. So we hopped on the hotel’s bikes, got on the bike path and headed towards the sea. Within five minutes we were watching the surfers and volleyball players on Zurriola Beach, with the backdrop of the city beyond. I always have a little travel anxiety when I know I don’t have much time in a place—and pressure to figure it out right away—but this bike ride cured that. The city bike lanes are great, taking you all along the coast to the beautiful bay and beach of La Concha, and even further, and then throughout the interior of the city, too.

Of course, I came armed with loads of recs, which basically fell into two camps—the restaurants that are booked out months in advance and the stand-up bars in the center. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m not a gastronomic restaurant kinda person (I much prefer a tortilla at a Spanish truck stop!), so we ended up at Txepetxa. But that was after having a masterfully made gin and tonic and martini back at the hotel by Betty, an incredible bartender, and probably eating too much of their nut mix, which was the perfect combo of marcona almonds, cashews, corn nuts, and peanuts. We had tuna-stuffed red peppers, fried calamari, anchovies on toast, and some croquettes, all washed down with delicious cold beer in a size they call a zurito, and we call perfect. After that, we were stuffed–I mean, I know we were meant to go from place to place eating pintxos, which San Sebastian is so well known for—but honestly, we were happy and we were tired. The list of what we were supposed to check out is below. I know everyone has their favorites, so please let us know in the comments what we missed and should go back for. 

The next morning was Matt’s birthday and as usual, I called down for black coffee, which we both prefer to the standard hotel room Nespresso setup. When the coffee arrived, the very sweet woman bringing it up also had two glasses of champagne and a little cheesecake with a candle in it—definitely one of the most thoughtful gestures we’ve experienced in a hotel. We aren’t normally breakfast eaters (we have to give something up with all the eating and drinking we do!) so we missed out on the breakfast, but some Yolo/Wm Brown followers who happened to be staying at Villa Soro reported that it was great. It was a short stay but a good one, and I’m definitely prepared for a return visit.

Food and Drink in San Sebastian 

You can find a bunch of recommendations, mainly for gastronomical-style restaurants, in our Spain Travel Planner. Here are a few more casual finds from my friends Chiara and Jay.

• Ganbara – We came here on our last trip and still can’t stop talking about the wild mushrooms with the raw egg yolk. They also have a restaurant downstairs if you want to sit down for a steak. Chiara says to ask Amaia for his Spanish wine recs–they have a lot that aren’t on the list.
• La Viña – For the classic Basque burnt cheesecake
• La Cuchara de San Telmo – For the suckling pig and beef cheeks
• Bar Nestor – For tortilla, the aged steak txuleta, tomato salad and padron peppers
• Gerald’s Bar – Jay says this is a must.
• Bidea Berri for the hand cut ham
• Casa Urola for the scallops
• Paco Bueno for the prawn skewers
• Chiara really wanted us to get to Elkano for the turbot on the fire and a swim after lunch–but that is the kind of place you book out way in advance. 
• Our friend Basile says that the Hotel de Londres has the best gin and tonic!
• On our way out of town, we picked up some Spanish treats to bring home–wine, corn nuts, pata negra, and anchovies–at Don Serapio.

PART 3: Two nights in Biarritz

We back-tracked north about 45 minutes, since this is where Matt really wanted to be for his birthday dinner. We hadn’t been in Biarritz since 2016 and had only ever stayed at the Hotel du Palais—but since it was bought and renovated by the Hyatt, the prices have grown so out of reach that we needed to find a new tradition. I’d heard good things about the Villa Magnan, but we wanted to be close to the area in the center that we’re already familiar with; our friend Basile, who lives in Bordeaux, loves Brindos, Lac + Chateau in Anglet, just next to Biarritz, and another friend recommended Le Garage, in a transformed Belle Epoque garage near the sea.

But we were excited to check out the historic Hotel Regina, which the Experimental Group opened this spring after an extensive renovation. We were thrilled with the hotel—super kind staff, very cool space, great location; we loved the breakfast so much we actually ate it (the kitchen is actually from Frenchie, the Paris restaurant), and they made a great drink. The pool is also lovely, but I’d only go during lunchtime when all the families are eating. (Side rant: Yes, I used to be a travel editor at a parenting magazine, but I have observed all too often this phenomenon of parents and kids in a hotel pool treating it as their own. While we sat at the pool, there was a parent tossing a football to their kids at the other end. It’s one thing if you’re the only ones there–but it’s not okay if the pool is surrounded by other hotel guests. Take the football to the beach! It does seem to be a phenomenon of the entitled class—I paid for this and I deserve to do what is right for me and my family, and I don’t care how it affects the people around me. Okay, I’m done!)  

Biarritz is much easier to figure out and navigate than San Sebastian–it’s much smaller and more sea oriented. We rented a striped tent on the beach for 15 euros one morning, swimming and people-watching. We loved the morning run from the hotel to the lighthouse heading north towards Anglet, and just walking along the sea until we were tired. There are some great restaurants happening in town, but honestly we just want to eat grilled sardines and tomato salad and maybe a platter of seafood—and our favorite place to do that is at the Port des Pecheurs (fishermen’s port). One night we had a drink at the Hotel du Palais, which we were nervous to visit fearing that it would be overly renovated—but from what we saw, it seemed like they did a very good job. We were also shocked not to be gouged at the bar–a martini was 15 euros, same as at the Regina.

A few of our favorite stops in and around Biarritz…

Eat + Drink 

Le Corsaire, Casa Juan Pedro, Chez Albert on the fisherman’s port 

Les Halles de Biarritz – The market with stands you can eat at as well–good for lunch (open until 2pm) or on Thursday nights when it has a night market. 

Cheri Bibi – For dinner, a locally sourced, thoughtful plating, natural wine kind of place

Gaztelur – A bit inland in Arcangues; our friend said we’d love it as it has a great brocante as well as two restaurants, one more fancy and one with simple tapas. 

Auberge d’Achtal– Very simple food served under the trees next to the most beautiful church and cemetery where the Basque singer Luis Mariano is buried. 

Ostalapia

Le Socowa – In Ciboure, best fish restaurant and cocktail in this charming little port town next to St Jean de Luz

Shopping

This is a town that feels equal parts casual and elegant, so there are stores that are for beach/surf life and then very upscale shops with designers you’d be hard-pressed to find in Bordeaux. One of the first Hermès stores is here, and there is a Goyard (with no line!), and some independently owned boutiques like Duchatel (think the Row), and Natacha (more Miu Miu and Valentino). Personally I like the night market on Thursdays where there is a large espadrille selection, as well as oyster platters and pata negra! Other shops I like in the casual/beachy category–BTZ, Art of Soule for a giant selection of espadrilles and very chic.

PART 4: The drive to, and the overnight at Les Prés d’Eugénie

Our last stop on the road trip was at Les Prés d’Eugénie, a hotel I’ve been wanting to stay at since forever. Over the years, I’ve heard French friends go on and on about the hotel and the restaurant—it’s had 3 Michelin stars since 1977. I know I just said I don’t like this kind of food, but I’d also heard that Michel Guerard’s mission—one of the most highly regarded chefs in France, he basically founded Nouvelle Cuisine—is to make a meal like this feel like you’ve just had a light lunch. I booked a room for the night, and even last minute it was around 400 euros, which, given hotel prices these days, seems like a bargain at a place that is supposed to be one of the best in the country. 

On our way to Eugénie-les-Bains, about an hour and a half east of Biarritz, I’d mapped out several vide greniers (literally “empty the attic,” or a town garage sale), and one brocante sale (higher end–more antiques). We stopped in Bayonne, which looked beautiful and worth a stop beyond the vide grenier (we’ll come back!), and then headed towards Dax. Along the way, we stopped in the town of Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse for a coffee and to fuel up, but once we found this cute little Basque cafe, La Kantxa, we ended up making an early lunch out of an incredible charcuterie board. They also had a little market where we bought some pickled peppers and ketchup. (Previously we were strictly Heinz people, but the Basque ketchup we had on a tortilla sandwich in Biarritz converted us.) 

From there, it was a short drive to Dax for the brocante, and in my single-minded antiques hunt, I’d completely neglected to do any further research on the area. As we drove in and saw the sign at the exit for the town that said “thermalism” and several signs for thermal hotels at each road crossing, I realized I’d completely missed the boat on this as a wellness destination! We passed a beautiful Deco hotel called the Splendid, which we said we’d come back to post-antiquing. The brocante was a rare disappointment in that there were only about 10 vendors, but we did score some lovely objects—a vintage Pyrennees souvenir book, some ancient spice jars and a ‘70s ceramic ashtray. We walked through the sleepy town, passing many caught-in-time thermal hotels, and then came to the Fontaine Chaude, which was built on ancient bath ruins—the Romans supposedly founded the spa town after a returning soldier discovered that his dog, which had suffered from arthritis, was cured. Matt tested the water from the fountain, which was blazing hot, and then we meandered over to the Hotel Splendid, which I assumed would be a disappointment on the inside. I was wrong. The lobby was spectacular—it didn’t feel like it had the Deco life taken out of it, but it also didn’t feel musty and old. We asked the receptionist for some intel on the room and she said she’d show us the bar that Hemingway used to hang out at. What?! We walked through more high-ceilinged rooms that seemed to have been empty for ages, and she unlocked the door to the bar. Inside was so much equipment that it was hard to see how cool it was, but you could still tell it was good. We didn’t see a room, but we did look online afterwards and it seems like it was bought and renovated thoughtfully in the last couple of years. It’s one of those hotels you just want some hotel group like Experimental or Touriste to take on and make into a winter destination. (We can all meet there for a two-week thermal cure!) It’s a town to explore for sure. 

The final leg of our journey was magical, taking us through sleepy towns, allées of plane trees and fields of sunflowers–even an old painted Suze sign on the side of an old building. We finally pulled into the little town of Les Prés d’Eugénie in the late afternoon—the tree-lined drive, the gardens, the valet area…I honestly haven’t seen a place that looks and feels so lovely and authentic in a long time, maybe ever. It was the perfect combo of elegant (the former country estate of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, it has an incredible art and antiques collection) and homey (there were huge jars of homemade raspberry jam at reception that you can buy to bring home). Our room was quite large, with a view overlooking the garden and in it a plate of Mirabelle plums. The gardens are so inspiring, especially the wild vegetable garden with grape and apple trellises surrounding it, which were all very country-like, not trying to be fancy; just super relaxed and very romantic. Side note: Lest you think I’ve become an adults-only traveler from the rant several paragraphs ago, let me tell you, this place has the most extraordinary kids’ club with a very Waldorf vibe–and then in the large grassy garden area, some very cool kids’ play houses.

And while I was a little apprehensive about the gastronomic dinner ahead of us, I was completely sold by the end. I did choose the vegetarian option, since the only main course options on the regular menu were pigeon with foie gras or sweetbreads. The service and the setting were over the top—you could see that this place has been an inspiration for many a fine dining establishment in the States, since it has been a standard-setter since the ‘70s. The next morning before leaving, we tried out some of the spa offerings, opting for the kaolin weightless mud bath they are known for. There are thermals here that are channeled into their spa, and there’s also a spa treatment plan for people who come with prescriptions from their doctors. Those people have their own facilities here—some are hotel guests, some are just here for the cure. If we had stayed longer, we would have tried one of the other three restaurants, more casual than the gastronomic experience–La Ferme aux Grives, L’Orangerie, or Mère Poule. But we will come back for those. As well as for Dax and Bayonne, which I’ve really never read much of anything about as they’re off the tourist circuit, but which just goes to prove that if you haven’t heard of it, you should probably give it a shot. The more I discover the magic in these sleepy places that for one reason or another we wind up in, the more I think this is the kind of travel that actually makes us happiest. When you have no expectations, it’s all a discovery, all upside–and there is no comparing/referencing someone else’s trip to the experience you’re having. You’re really just in the moment, following your instincts–not trying to replicate someone else’s journey. Bon voyage!