I guess I should not dabble in French wordplay, since I barely know the language. However, my surf trip this year did take me to the Atlantic coast of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and I did get to know many newwaves…
…such as « Parlementia » at Guéthary, but more on that later.
Unlike previousyears, I was too lazy to keep a detailed surf diary. But I’d still like to share some impressions from the trip. Let’s try a photo-story approach this time…
Bordeaux
I was traveling by train and I decided to have a stopover in Bordeaux, because I hadn’t been there before. No surfing here, but staying at the aptly named Central Hostel, I had some time to walk through the city:
It is said that the grand buildings by the riverfront “provided the model for Baron Haussmann’s 19th-century remodelling of Paris”.These buildings are only separated from the Garonne river by a wide promenade, like here at Place de la Bourse.Away from the river, buildings get older and roads get narrower, such as here, with Porte d’Aquitaine in the back.Away from the center, building design gets more questionable. This is the first time I’ve noticed guard railings as facade elements.
Hossegor
My first surf destination was Hossegor, which has some of the most famous surf spots in Europe. I checked in at Surf Hostel Hossegor, not far from « Plage Centrale ». I had never been to Hossegor before, and I had been wondering whether a place with almost exclusively beach breaks would keep the promise?
I’m happy to say “yes”, it does. The long stretch of beach has a lot to offer. There are several pronounced sandbanks in the area, most reachable on foot or by bike. There was always something that worked, under normal swell conditions. Though most spots seemed to work best at mid-tide.
It was busy in the line up, but nowhere near as busy as the city beaches of northern Spain or the famous point breaks of Morocco. A Quiksilver pro contest and surf festival was taking place while I visited, but there was always plenty of waves to catch away from the contest location of the day.
There were a few days that were too stormy for surfing, but there wasn’t a single day when it was completely flat. I had to pick bigger boards on smaller days, but this was just right for warm-up.
I mostly left the camera at home when going surfing, but here’s some pics from several walks on the beach and bike trips:
Hossegor’s « La Sud » mostly closing out at high tide, …… just before sunset nearby the quay …… that borders the canal.On the other side of the canal is the town of Capbreton, seen here in bright daylight …… on a small day that turned nearby « Santocha » into an ideal beginner spot …… leaving the ruined bunkers unimpressed.Back on the other side of the canal, the beach stretches out in a straight line to the north for 100km, …… backed by dunes and occasionally vacation homes like here in Hossegor. I stayed at this cozy place right behind the dunes …… and managed to break one their rental boards, when I got caught up in the shore break.
Oh, one more thing: There’s heaps of outlet stores in Hossegor’s industrial zone. So I finally managed to get a new wet-suit and some other surfing swag.
Guéthary
For the second half of my trip, I relocated further south. I skipped Biarritz this time, since I had visited there 2 years earlier. Instead I headed to the small village of Guéthary, which is located on the Basque coast, between Biarritz and the boarder to Spain.
I stayed at L’escale, which I learned means “stopover” in French. Well, it was a rather prolonged stopover for me. Here’s some pics of the surf and the village:
Guéthary’s main spot « Parlementia » is rather far outside, making it hard to capture with a telephoto lens. But trust me, there are always takers in the lineup, seen here as mere little dots.At low tide, rocks get uncovered closer to the shore, but the spot itself is said to be deep enough at all tides.At high tide and smaller swells, the action moves slightly further inside.The village of Guéthary is mostly located on the hills behind the coast, though some building stretch down to the sea..The beach behind « Parlementia » usually does not see big waves, …… except when experiencing big swells or stormy conditions, like here at high tide.And I did experience stormy conditions during my visit. The waves in this shot …… or this one, do not look like much, but this is at far distance, high up in the hills.Even the beach promenade received some splash damage, …… while the harbor wall did their best to fend off the waves.On calmer days, the rocky outcrops on the other side of Guéthary’s harbor offer vies all the way to Biaritz …… as does the bell tower way above the beach.Lake many Basque villages have a pelota court, Guéthary’s being right in front of the mayor’s office seen on the left.These spotted trees are also very common in the area, I think they are some breed of Platanus. They are strongly cut back in fall, …… sometimes leaving just the stems, for smaller branches and leaves to regrow in the next season.
We did have a couple of down days here, sometimes the sea was too flat, other times it was too stormy. Luckily the hostel rented out bicycles, so I took the opportunity to explore the coast. It’s certainly more versatile than Hossegor’s endless beaches, as my trip to Saint-Jean-de-Luz shows:
The coast south of Guéthary is rather rocky…… though the warning signs seem exaggerated …… with smaller swells.Most of the bays do have beach sections though, like Plage de Lafitenia here behind me …… or Plage d’Erromardie …… seen here behind my (way too small) rental bike …… or here closer up.A little further south, in the bay of St Jean de Luz, the beach is right in the city.The beach front houses are shielded from the sea by a dyke, …… some of them built almost at sea level.Further outside, mighty walls protect the whole bay from the sea, …… and further inside the river mouth kanal offers even more protection and hosts the marina.The inscription here seems to say: “I would like to take my last breath looking at the sea”Also saw this unlikely Simpsons character on a private wall near Plage de Lafitenia.
On a different occasion I headed north, almost reaching Biarritz:
Uhabia beach to the right is just north of Guéthary, which is located on the hills seen in the back. The next village to the north is Bidart.A couple km further, in the Ilbarritz area, there’s an ocean museum…… with it’s wave inspired roof terrace.Apart from the skate bowl, it’s all cobblestone, way too rough for skating, …… but the sides might work as BMX ramps.The nearby coast (with Biarritz in the back) looks rugged …… but hosts several nice beaches, like Marbella.Some tourist developments here look a little over the top, like the old, abandoned looking hotel on the hill top.I guess it gets busy in summer season . Like here at Milady beach …… which is connected by generous parks …… to Ilbarritz beach.
Surf-wise, this trip was a mixed experience. I can really have a lot of fun in smaller waves with a big board. But I’m still struggling with bigger and more exciting waves, even when they are fairly clean and not overcrowded. It seems that endurance has become a limiting factor here. Paddling to the right location in shifty peaks, I barely have enough paddling power left for the take-off. And getting out against a couple of whitewater waves, I arrive in the line-up breathless. Well, at least this gives me time to enjoy the landscape;)
The green scenery from behind the beach of Ilbarritz, with the Spanish parts of the Basque country in the distance. The big hill in the background on the right is located just behind the border town of Hendaye.
