Bidart in 30 seconds
7,689 inhabitants (2023, according to INSEE, the French national statistics institute) on 1,250 hectares. The municipality borders Biarritz, whose centre is 5 km away, as well as Arbonne, Ahetze and Guéthary; it lies 7 km from Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Donibane Lohizune) and twenty-five kilometres north of the Franco-Spanish border. Its Basque name, Bidarte, means ‘between paths, at the crossroads’. The small coastal river Uhabia, which rises in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle (Senpere), flows through it before emptying into the Bay of Biscay at Uhabia beach.
Long focused on farming and fishing, the municipality now lives from trade, services and tourism. It is home to the Izarbel technology park, devoted to digital technology, and the trilingual engineering school ESTIA. Its heart is Place Sauveur-Atchoarena, renovated in 2018.
A little history
From the 12th century: the village became increasingly built up.
From the year 1000 to the 16th century: Bidart was an active whaling port in the Bay of Biscay; its sailors later pushed on as far as northern Europe and America.
28 December 1580: an agreement on whaling was signed between the fishermen of Biarritz and those of Bidart.
What to see
The beaches
Six beaches follow one another along the municipality’s coast: Ilbarritz, Pavillon Royal, Erretegia, Le Centre, Uhabia and Parlementia.
The Madeleine chapel
The Chapel of St Mary Magdalene (chapelle Sainte-Madeleine), also known as the chapelle de la Madeleine, overlooks the sea. Since 2013, the departmental Second World War Memorial (Mémorial départemental de la Seconde Guerre mondiale) has stood nearby.
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
The église Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption is a 16th-century church. Its gallery (tribune) has been listed as a historic monument (monument historique) since 2001.
The Château d’Ilbarritz
Built in 1895–1897, it is protected as a historic monument.
Basque pelota
The Kostakoak club was founded in 1942, and the large fronton (pelota wall) dates from 1958.
Markets and festivals
- Marché des 4 saisons (Four Seasons Market): all year round, Saturdays 09:00–13:00, Place Sauveur-Atchoarena.
- Bidart’Eko producers' market: Tuesdays 09:00–13:00, in July–August and early September.
- Night market (crafts): Thursdays 18:00–23:00, in July–August.
- Autumn festival (Fêtes d’automne): mid-September (17–20 September in 2026), dressed in a white top and a neckerchief.
Practical information: Bidart town hall website.
Around Bidart
- Biarritz, its next-door neighbour
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz, further south along the coast
- Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, inland, also on the Uhabia
Sources
- INSEE — local area comparison tool, Bidart (2023 population, in French)
- Bidart town hall — Bidart, at the crossroads, The markets, home page (autumn festival) (in French)
- Bidart — Wikipedia (in French)
Ongi etorri Bidartera — Welcome to Bidart.