Best beaches in the Basque Country: Labourd, Gipuzkoa and Biscay

Long sandy beaches facing the waves, coves tucked beneath the cliffs, sheltered bays for families: the Basque coast, from the Adour to Biscay, has a beach for every mood. Here is our pick.

Quality awards

• Blue Flag (Pavillon Bleu, France): in 2025, 21 beaches in the French Basque Country (Iparralde) held the award, in four municipalities: Anglet (8 beaches), Biarritz (6), Bidart (5) and Hendaye (2).
• Blue Flag (Bandera Azul, Spain): in 2026, Bakio is the only seaside beach in Euskadi (the Basque Autonomous Community) to hold the award; the other three Basque Blue Flags go to bathing areas on the Ullibarri-Gamboa reservoir in Álava (Landa, Moskurio and Salurriaga).

The northern side: Labourd

Anglet, 11 beaches between forest and ocean

Anglet lines up 11 beaches along 4.5 km, from the mouth of the Adour to Cap Saint-Martin. Eight hold the Blue Flag: Petite Chambre d’Amour, Sables d’Or, Marinella, Corsaires, Madrague, Océan, Cavaliers and La Barre. Les Cavaliers, La Madrague and Les Corsaires, with their powerful waves, host many surfing competitions.

Biarritz, the imperial resort

In Biarritz, six beaches hold the Blue Flag: Miramar, Grande Plage, Port Vieux, Côte des Basques, Marbella and Milady. The Côte des Basques, the birthplace of surfing in France, disappears under the water at high tide: check the tide tables.

Bidart, five beaches beneath the cliffs

Bidart has six beaches — Ilbarritz, Pavillon Royal, Erretegia, Le Centre, Uhabia and Parlementia — five of which hold the Blue Flag. The Plage du Centre suits beginner surfers.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the family bay

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the Grande Plage is sheltered from the swell by three breakwaters (Socoa, Artha, Sainte-Barbe): it’s the family beach par excellence, and also ideal for paddleboarding and sea walking.

Hendaye, the longest beach on the French Basque coast

In Hendaye, the Grande Plage stretches for about 3.5 km, all the way to the Deux Jumeaux rocks. Plenty of space and safe conditions make it popular with families and beginner surfers.

The southern side: Gipuzkoa and Biscay

La Concha, San Sebastián

About 1.35 km of crescent-shaped sand between Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo, with Santa Clara island in the middle of the bay and the famous white railings: La Concha is regularly named among the most beautiful city beaches. It continues into Ondarreta, as far as Chillida’s Comb of the Wind (Peine del Viento). In the Gros district, Zurriola is the surfers' beach. See San Sebastián (Donostia).

Zarautz, ‘the queen of beaches’

With 2.5 to 2.8 km of sand between the Santa Bárbara and Mollarri cliffs, Zarautz has the longest beach in the Spanish Basque Country. A renowned surf spot, it hosts the Zarautz Pro every September. At one end lies a protected dune biotope.

Itzurun, Zumaia: the flysch beach

At the foot of the spectacular flysch cliffs of the Basque Coast Geopark, Itzurun beach in Zumaia is also a first-class geological site (see the geology of the Basque Country).

Laga, Urdaibai’s wild beach

In Ibarrangelu, within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, Laga unrolls 574 m of fine golden sand at the foot of Cape Ogoño (279 m). It’s a major surf spot, with a club and a school; you can also go sailing and canoeing here, and paragliding from the Ogoño rock. Lifeguarded in summer from 11:00 to 20:00.

Bakio, Biscay’s Blue Flag beach

Bakio, on the Biscay coast, is in 2026 the only seaside beach in Euskadi to hold the Blue Flag (Bandera Azul).

The beaches of Getxo

In Getxo, in Greater Bilbao, the beaches of Ereaga and Arrigunaga are set along some ten kilometres of cliffs and coastline around the Abra bay.

Our tips

• Arrive early in summer: beach car parks fill up fast.
• Check the tides: some beaches disappear at high tide.
• If you want to surf, take a lesson: see surfing, bodyboarding and paddleboarding.
• With children, go for the sheltered bays: see the Basque Country with kids.

Sources

• Blue Flag (Pavillon Bleu) — 2025 award list (PDF, in French)
• Turismo Euskadi — Euskadi keeps its four Blue Flags in 2026 (in Spanish)
• Tourisme 64 — Surfing in the Basque Country
• Turismo Euskadi — Laga beach
• See also the sources in our guides to Anglet, Biarritz, Bidart, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, San Sebastián, Zarautz, Zumaia and Getxo.

Ongi etorri — enjoy the beach!