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Biarritz. A curious place. Is it worth a weekend visit?

I simply don’t get Biarritz. On the face of it a southern France seaside town that is favoured by wealthy French citizens. The promenade does indeed look Grand with a backdrop of large hotels and apartment blocks and the blue sky and sea.

Titles of hotels such as Grand Tonic and Grand Palais combined with a number of casinos, and shops where clothes items seem to have the decimal point in the wrong place provide clues.

Undoubtedly surfers love this place though with their beach visits starting at 7.30 am in late October in the dark.

However the atmosphere is subdued. The buildings jaded and there is almost a sign displayed saying please do not come here unless you are wealthy. Paying 5€ for an ice cream tells another tale.

Beyond this monied facade though there are a few nice aspects and views. Watching the sea crash into and over the promenade as the sun goes down and warm light falling onto the steps near the harbour make pleasant viewing. People sit in the sunshine and a few brave souls join the surfers in the sea. Lots of happy looking dogs walking around and on the beach.

But is this a place worth coming to? I am really not sure. Biarritz is difficult to reach with direct flights limited to Ryanair out of Stansted. And the flights presumably are seasonal as the flight was only 20% full at best.

On balance for me this is not a place to visit even if you are tempted by £7.99 Ryanair flights. Better places are there for weekend visits at less cost. Even the nice pavement cafes and bars are not tempting enough.