Activities
Surfing and bodyboarding
are one of the main attractions to this area. The whole coast has
superb breaks and often hosts rounds of the World Surf Tour and is home
to the famous Biarritz Surf Festival. There are areas that are ideal
for beginners and many surf schools catering for all ages. If you are a
surfer we can post surf forecast and tide charts - or why not use the
computer to view the webcam of the surf? Children can try their hand at
surfing or go bodyboarding in the specially supervised areas.
The
walking in this
area has something
for everybody - easy walks from the front door, a well signed coastal
pathway, day walks in the Pays Basque, multi day tours in the high
mountains, to the famous coast-to-coast GR10. We are keen walkers
ourselves and have had many guests who have walked all over the region.
We have all the walking guides to the region, which you are welcome to
borrow.
The
climbing in the
Pyrénées is world class. Rock climbing,
bouldering, mountaineering and ice climbing are all incredibly well
catered for and without the crowds you find in many places. We are both
climbers and it was one of the main reasons we moved here. We have
often climbed with guests and can help you with choice of crag,
conditions, routes etc.
The
skiing and snowboarding
in the high
Pyrénées are easily accessibly as a day trip.
There are some surprisingly big resorts with the larget ski area in the
Pyrénées (Barège/La Mongie) being less
than 2 hours away. The skiing caters for all standards and is much
cheaper than the Alps - and the people are friendly! We are avid
skiiers and really enjoy the friendly atmosphere and lack of crowds.
The
rafting
and canoeing
here is also
very good. There are a number of companies offering rafting trips
throughout the year, for all age groups. The Olympic Canoe-Kayak French
Team training centre is at Lourdes and a local canoeist is the current
Olympic champion.
There
are numerous rivers, streams and lakes where you can go
fishing.
It is mainly fly fishing for trout, but there are also good salmon
runs, and there was recently the World Championship for salmon fishing
nearby. Of course, there is also sea fishing from the local sea ports.
Cycling
in France
is the national sport, but here in the Pays Basque it is a particular
passion, as those of you who follow the Tour de France will know! Cars
are very careful with cyclists and there are many cycle paths. There
are several famous mountain stages of "Le Tour" nearby and we have had
several cyclists come to ride the hills, watch the tour and ride in the
"Étape de Tour". The mountain biking is also excellent with
the national centre not far away.
The
motorcycling here
is superb -
generally good tarmac, lack of traffic, good twisty roads and very few
speed cameras. Dean is a biker (BMW 1200GS) and knows many of the best
roads to "get your pegs down"! The generally good climate all year
round means you can regularly be out on the bike.
The
diving here is
surprisingly good.
There are a number of diving schools in Biarritz and Hendaye. You can
do a "try" dive or learn to dive. For the experienced divers there are
some very interesting dive sites and they recognise PADI and BASC
qualifications.
We
are surrounded by fantastic countryside for
horse
riding. We are horse owners and riders and in fact our
horses are in the field surrounding the house. There are a number of
riding schools locally and cater for all standards - from beginner all
the way to Olympic standard.
For
all round family fun you can't beat a visit to a
water
park. We have 3 in the surrounding area and can be
highly recommended. The prices are reasonable and our children can't
wait to go back! There are rides for all ages and some that will get
the adults hearts beating!
As you can see, there is a huge amount to do in this area. If you have
any
questions, then please don't hesitate to
contact
us.
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