"I know of no other place more charming and magnificent than Biarritz”. Victor Hugo

Located in the south west of France in the Aquitaine region, only half an hour from Spain, Biarritz has become an internationally not to be missed destination.

It was in the mid 19th century that Victor Hugo discovered Biarritz, a charming fishing harbour in the Basque country. Since then, Biarritz has remained one of the most welcoming towns in France

Today, Biarritz stands as a very ambitious town, its development based on its great ability to attract tourists. The town orientates towards tourism and services for its economic development, by adopting a dynamic cultural policy and developing activities in the low season.

The accent is, of course, put on business tourism with seminars and congresses. Biarritz also comes first with sports such as golf and surfing, fitness with seawater therapy, a rich tradition of fine cuisine and prestigious hotels, and the casino.

There is a strong movement towards economic development and tourism without affecting the town’s flamboyant and unique architecture. Preservation of the environment is one of Biarritz’ priorities and the town has devised a new planning strategy for itself in order to preserve its beautiful sites and way of living.

Biarritz keeps the traditions of the surrounding Basque countryside, a region that has managed to preserve its own charm and mysteries right up to the present day.

Biarritz has often been ahead of its time, from its heyday, in the middle of the 19th century under Napoleon III, to the charms of the Belle Époque and the Roaring 20’s, and later with the post war festivities and the 60’s, when Biarritz was the first town in France to practise an amazing new sport called surfing. Today, Biarritz’ economic development policy is based on offering real quality of life.