WHERE TO EAT:
Slow Hossegor
The best brunch spot in town: hit up this organic zero-waste café in the Zone Pédebert for homemade colourful-conscious food – superfood lattes and fresh fruit smoothies, rainbow bowls, vegan pastries and loaded-up pancakes.
Le Papa Perché
The cool kids flock to this beachside bistro in Capbreton for the best sunset scene. The seasonal menu uses fresh ingredients from the farms and fields of Les Landes and the Basque Country. Saint-Jean-de-Luz merlu and salty oysters from the lake are served with a crisp cold glass of wine to diners watching the last waves of the day.
WHAT TO DO:
Hossegor is a real swell magnet: west-facing into the Bay of Biscay, where a deep underwater trench catches the Atlantic rollers, which means there are rideable waves almost every day of the year. From epic a-frames and barrelling sandbar breaks to secret spots up the coast in Seignosse, there’s something for everyone. Pros head to the hollow and heavy-lipped pits at world-famous La Graviere, while beginners and softer peaks and slower take-offs at sheltered La Sud.
September and October are the golden period for balmy water temperatures and clean off-shore conditions. But for serious surfing, skip the summer crowds and catch the best breaks during the winter months – La Nord awakens from its seasonal slumber and turns into Hossegor’s mythical big wave spot, with epic swells, strong shorebreaks and shifting sandbanks to contend with.
