PLACE: Hendaya, the last French beach (French Basque Country)

Place

Hendaya is the last coastal town of Lapurdi before you reach the Spanish border and it shares the Bay of Txingudi with the Guipuzcoan town of Hondarribia. The town enjoys 3 km of sandy beaches, considered the safest in the Bay of Biscay. What was once no more than a large area of sand dunes in 1827 was to become one of the most popular beaches on the Basque-French coastline, because it combined the protection of natural areas with its offer of leisure activities.

It was at the end of the 18th-century, with the construction of its lovely gardens, and especially the arrival of the train, when they started to build the access routes and houses close to the Hendaya beach. A society which was especially created for this purpose then started to build a wall of defence to combat the effects of the sea, and later a hotel, a casino and a spa. Many of the buildings that were made at that time still remain today, such as the casino, which has a lovely restaurant and jazz club open until the early hours of the morning.

At the end of the bay we find the Beltzenia marshes. Beltzenia was the most active district of the city thanks to its deep water port, and a safe haven for the Hondarribitarras, who frequently disputed the fishing of these shores with the Hendayeses. During the 18th-century, the bay started to fill up with mud and finally became an area of marshlands, giving up its position to the old port, situated opposite Hondarribia.

Today, the small old port is simply symbolic and has given way to the large and modern Sokoburu Marina, a base for the sailing boats going out to sea.