Between sea and mountain, 16 km south of St Jean de Luz, come and enjoy the last town before the Spanish frontier.

With 3.5 Km of fine sand, Hendaye's gently sloping beach is one of the safest on the Basque Coast and with water temperatures reaching 24C in the height of summer, it is a privileged spot for families who seek plenty of space and safety. It is also a good choice for novice and seasoned surfers in search of sensations. You can alternate between training on catamarans and diving lessons, the excitement of kayaking and dinghy sailing.

For those in search of more relaxing/ quieter activities, the Serge Blanco Thalasso centre is also based in Hendaye. Facing the Atlantic at the foot of the Basque mountains, this spa centre is dedicated to the complete wellbeing of its guests. A thalassotherapy centre, marine spa, 3-star hotel and tourist residence rolled into one, it also offers a choice of five restaurants.

Highlights

Le domaine et le château d'Abbadia: home of the 19 th century Dublin-born explorer Antoine d'Abbadie, on the headland overlooking Hendaye Plage. After expeditions in Ethiopia and Egypt, d'Abbadie had the Château built between 1860 and 1870; the architect was Viollet-le-Duc, and the result is a bizarre Scottish Gothic folly, with Arabian boudoirs, Ethiopian frescoes and inscriptions over the doors and lintels inside in Irish, Basque, Arabic and Ethiopian. It's also filled with objects collected by d'Abbadie on his travels.

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