The village of Guethary has no fewer than 4 beaches, each with a different story to tell and characteristic charm. If it is never-ending stretches of sandy beaches you are looking for, then this is not the place: here, little rocky creeks are a far more fitting description. These beaches are fantastic children’s playgrounds and visitors often fall in love with the spirit of wildness they have preserved over the years.

There is something special about the beach in the port. Small and protected by a stone pier, the beach is near the tiny fisherman’s port and old casino of Guethary and its views stretch out towards Bidart and the village’s cliffs that plunge into the ocean. You will cross paths with a variety of boats and boards getting in and out of the water: surfboards, stand-up paddle boards, canoes, Hawaiian canoes, hobie cats…

Higher up, the fishermen’s restaurants overlook this beach providing the perfect solution to fall back on should a cold sea breeze decide to appear. Arotzen Costa beach is a little further south, at the end of the Alcyons Pier. At the beginning of the century, this pebble beach had a summer club where generations of children learnt how to swim. When the tide is low a natural swimming pool appears bordered by rocks and the beach becomes one of the calmest places on earth.

Cenitz beach is the wildest, with an immense, lush creek that straddles Guethary and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. A surfers’ favourite, this beach hasn’t quite yet decided whether it is a pebble or sand beach…

This beach is supervised in summer. Along the road going to the beach, there is a lovely open-air restaurant called the “C” that has a large garden where children can play.