The French Basque region is divided into three provinces. Labourd the coastal province, Basse-Navarre and Soule.

The Labourd…                     Capital Bayonne

The Basse-Navarre…          Capital Saint pied de Port

The Soule….                         Capital Mauleon

Each province has its own style and the Labourd region possesses the finest in Basque architecture, Magnificent half timbered houses, white plastered walls and the traditional either red or green painted beams or shutters.

Distances from La Colombe :

• Biarritz                      15 km

• Bayonne                   20 km

• St Jean de Luz        14 km

• Cambo les Bains    20 km

• La Rhune                    6 km

• St Pee sur Nivelle     1 km 

• St Pied de Port        45 km

• Sare                              4 km

• Les Grottes de Sare 9 km

Biarritz is an very interesting town which has plenty to do and has a relaxed surfing atmposhere with plenty of fashioniable shops, cafes, bars and resteraunts.

Biarritz was a small Basque whaling station from the time of the English sovereignty (1152-1451) until 1650 the whalers set out from Port Vieux ( old Port) to harpoon the whales who passed by the bay of Biscay on their migratory routes. As whale populations declined the whalers where forced to change their profession and became official pirates or “corsairs” for the French king.

Through the centuries Biarritz became a renowned and popular seaside resort for Spanish nobility. The Spanish countess Eugenie of Montijo married Napoleon III in 1853 and Napoleon III constructed a grand seaside villa for his wife “Villa Eugenie” which later was to become the “Hotel du Palais” a grand hotel overlooking the main beach in Biarritz.

The Price of Wales (the future King Edward VII) was among the first to re discover Biarritz, shortly followed by his mother Queen Victoria.

Biarritz coastline

Bayonne is now a beautiful city with lots of streets to stroll in and take in the busy atmosphere particularly the old centre of Bayonne. It has plenty of fashionable shopping streets and some very good family run resteraunts, bars and cafes. Bayonne was originally a Roman garrison, medieval Bayonne developed on the same site, under the coat of arms for both France and England. The town flourished as a port during 300 years of English rule. Which originated in the famous marriage between Alienor of Aquaitaine and Henry Plantegenet. Their son, Richard the Lion-heart visited Bayonne and married a princess from the Navarra, one of the Spanish Basque regions.

Bayonne is famed for its chocolate making  and the story goes that after Christopher Columbus came across the strange seed in South America used by the Indians to make a rich spicy drink, the conquistadors brought it to Spain along with the secret technique of making chocolate from the seed. Jews who were renowned for its manufacture fleeing inquisitions took their trade to France and Bayonne became the first town to taste the beverage. Although frowned upon by the church, as it was then reputed to be “devils brew” although being sought after as a health tonic and aphrodisiac. The beverage became very popular and rapidly became one of the town’s most famous exports.

Bayonne Ham is another which for the most part the ham owes its reputation to the salt that preserves it. It is the natural salt from the country of L’Adour that gives Bayonne ham its flavour. Two hundred years ago the sea did cover a large area of the south of Aquitaine and in time has resulted in an exceptionally rich natural salt this is extracted from natural brine.

St Pied-de-Port meaning “Foot of the Pass” was founded by the last great Basque King (Sancho the Strong) in the 13^th Century, the town served as a military, commercial and religious cross-roads, built on a strategic junction between Pamplona, Bayonne and the north.

This important crossing of the pyrenees was used by the Romans, the maures on their way to defeat at Poitiers and especially pilgrims who flocked through St Pied de Port to visit the tomb of St James at Santiago-de-Compostella

St Jean de Luz  is proclaimed to be the most attractive fishing port and town (and we fully agree) on the Atlantic coast with many resteraunts specialising in sea food dishes. It has a friendly ambience with lots of small streets to explore, or take a drink on one of the many terraces set out on the square and watch the artists at work during the day, or in the evening listen to the band.

St Jean de Luz s still an important fishing port for tuna caught off the French  coast in summer and African coast in the winter, for anchovy caught in the Bay of Biscay and sardines caught off the Portuguese and Morrocan coasts  and in the 16^th Century the port was a whaling centre. Its sailors were whaling as far away as Newfoundland and Labrador during the 16^th Century. Later these sailors took a different profession and are renowned for their piracy. The Basque “Corsaires” (privateers) sailed under the authority of the French King and were the scourge of English merchant ships. St Jean de Luz became a veritable “Pirates Nest” and many of the large houses today were build from the revenues of the corsaires.

At the height of prosperity the town saw the marriage in the Basque church of Louis 14^th and Marie Therese of Spain. The royal wedding took place in St Jean de Luz as a result of the “Treaty of the Pyrenees” signed between France and Spain.

The town itself has some beautiful traditional Basque architechture and a sheltered harbour and magnificent beach with quiet and safe swimming waters

St Pee Sur Nivelle. (Saint Peter) is a pretty rural Basque village which has an easy way about it and all the ameneties of a village. The remains of the Castle of Ibarron – formerly the property of the lords of Saint Pee who were the bailiffs of Labourd- which was partly destroyed in 1450 and set a fire in 1793, is one tower. It has a tragic history and it is now known as “witches castle”. Here in July 1609, 600 people were accused of witchcraft were burned at the stake. The ruins of the “witches castle”, can still beseen and is the site where the trials took place.

‘Le Lac’ at St Pee sur Nivelle is a popular picnic spot and has a sandy beach which is safe for swimming in. Surrounding the lake are woods which also make it a pleasant walking area.

South of Saint Pee lies Amotz a district where among many noteworthy ancient homes you can see the 18^th century chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalen.

La Rhune, a magnificent 905 meters high mountain, the names derives from a Basque word meaning ‘good pasture’ and it is the mountain emblem of Le Pays Basque.

For four winding kilometers (2.5 miles) the tiny open carraige train takes the half hour journey to the top of La Rhune, The tourist train is the original train built in 1924 and built entirely of wood.

La Rhune has stunning 360’ views of the Pyrenees chain and from the Basque coast from San Sebastian on one side and St Jean de Luz and Biarritz on the other side.

Cambo-les-Bains. The thermal baths are situated beside the River Nive, for Cambo is first and foremost a spa and health resort

Sare is a pictureque village in typical Basque style and you would be perhaps mistaken for thinking you were in Austria, with the shuttered windows and the ringing of the sheep bells. The village has much outstanding architecture and several houses here date back to the 17th and 18th century and some in the Ihalar neighbourhood to the 16^th century.

A few Kilometeres south of Sare are the Grottes de Sare (caves) with an entrance of 50 meters wide and a soaring height of 15 metres the largest in the Basque country. Some 20,000 years ago in the Perigordian period the prehistoric man set up their home here. These caves served as a refuge throughout history in particular during the Caralist wars, when they housed the infirmary and an equipment depot.

Les Pays Basque region of Spain……………

The Spanish Basque region is divided into four Provinces, Guipuzcoa, Vizcaya, Alava and Navarra.

• San sebastion        30 km

• Bilbao                       110 km

• Pampelona              90 km

San Sebastion is built on one of the most magnificent sites of any European coastal city. With a fabulous beach and a glamerous shopping district and a wonderful old town which has numerous bars selling competition winning Tapas which is a local speciality.

The regional and financial capital of the Basque region of Guipuzcoa, the city lies on a large bay flanked by two high promonatries mounturgull and mountIgueldo and is protected by a small island of St Clara.

An elegant city was built was built in the 19^th Century after it was destroyed by fire after the Napoleonic wars. Much like its French counterpart Biarritz, San Sebastion became a royal seaside resort.

Pampelona  is better known for the Fiesta of San Fermin between the dates of 6^th through to 14^th July every year. Where tens of thousands of people arrange to meet in the city to enjoy the programme lasting twenty four hours a day for the following nine days. It is one of the most vigorous fiestas all over the world. The rocket launch “chupinazo” opens the fiesta and the procession of the saint. The running of the bulls every morning, the bull fighting and all the rituals such as the separation and the release of the bulls .

Santeago de Compestella Staint James the Greater was one of the twelve apostles, and brother of Saint John the Baptist. His martyrdom probably took place in 44 A.D. in Jerusalem. Legend has it that he envangelized Galicia and after his martyrdom, his disciples returned his body there in a boat guided by providence. His tomb was discovered in 813 by a hermit guided by a light like a star. The place rapidly became a pilgrimage site honouring Saint James, slayer of the Moors and protector of the Reconquest. A steady flood of pilgrims arrived from all over Europe and continues today, taking the route through the Basque country including St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Pampolona.

Bilbao is the home to the Guggenheim museum which opened in October 1997. the sculpture of the building is crafted in Titanium, limestone and glass by the controversial North American architect Frank Gehry.

The Guggenheim lies on the banks of the Bilbao’s NervionRiver. From one side it looks like a massive ocean liner and from across the Nirvion river it resembles a rose with unfolding petals.