Anglet can boast of many thingsbut more than aristocratic buildingswho has them, prefers to make it about his lifestyle and his surf culture. It will be enough to walk a section of the pedestrian promenade that connects its 4.5 kilometers of beaches to understand its essence. While it is true that a lot has changed in this place since Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie frequented itinstalled in Biarritz, the attraction is the same as that felt today by walkers, runners and young people in wetsuits who pass through it breathing in breaths of sea air.
Starting in the quiet sandy area of ​​La Barre, at the mouth of the Adour River, that separates Anglet and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques from the Landesthe coastal landscape changes as you progress along the wooden promenade. Each of the eleven extensive beaches of fine golden sand that follow one another, separated by rocky breakwaters, until reaching the iconic Biarritz lighthouse have a unique identity. Cavaliers, surrounded by large green spaces and the Atlanthal thalassotherapy centre, is famous for its powerful waves and hosts surfing competitions. Naturists prefer the wilder Des Dunes, which frames the Chiberta golf course. And then there are those of l’Ocean, la Madrague, la plague des Corsaires and Marinella, before reaching Sables d’Orin which we see fields of beach volleyball and that particular Surf Avenue that, in the style of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, pays tribute to the best surfers in the world.
© Gonzalo Azumendi
© Gonzalo AzumendiOn an October day, much more so in summer, the promenade is full of atmosphere thanks to the surf schools, surf clubs beach, ice cream parlors, restaurants, beach bars open from morning to night and numerous events held with an eye toward the Atlantic.
The last of the sandbanks, the Petite Chambre d’Amour, which extends to Cape Saint-Martin, we discovered it by renting one of the electric bicycles and effortlessly going up and down the slopes of Anglet along the cycle path that runs parallel to the seafront. In the cliffs that frame the beach with the most romantic name is the cave where legend has it that a couple of lovers, whose families were opposed to their relationship, saw each other secretly, until the tide surprised them and their love story ended in tragedy. Romeo and Juliet in French version.
Above the cavity rises the Love Tower, a curious structure of wood and metal created by the Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata a few years ago for the Contemporary Art Biennial, which was so well received that it is still there and is now an extraordinary viewpoint over the beaches.
© Gonzalo Azumendi
© Gonzalo Azumendi
© Gonzalo AzumendiThe natural face of Anglet does not end at its coastal façade, because behind it are the forests from Pignada and Lazarte, 250 hectares of pine forest and wild plants where you can walk along its paths, ride a bicycle or ride a horse. On the edge of this last green lung and two steps from the Adour, we entered Notox, an artisanal surfboard workshop, to learn about the manufacturing process of their eco-responsible and removable boards! and, incidentally, see the artist work Luc Rollanda versatile shaper, who creates true unique works of art. Their motto: “Never do the same thing twice.”
Artisans too and with a long tradition of five generations It has the Gonzalez family’s top hat workshop, which manufactures and repairs the baskets used by pelotaris to play basket punta (jai alai) and other forms of Basque pelota, the traditional sport. In the basement of a house on Allée des Liseron street, Jean-Louis, Peio and Bixente, grandfather, son and grandson – the latter is also a professional player – work side by side, who are sometimes joined by their great-uncle. , who tells us the manufacturing process: “Everything is made by hand, with young chestnut wood and wicker, each basket takes about 30 hours of work”. Anglet in this facet is more Basque than Gascon.
The original Love Tower, by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, is an extraordinary viewpoint over the beaches
© Gonzalo AzumendiIn the same neighborhood, one of the five that make up the city and next to the tourist office, Halles des 5 Cantons opens its doors, a market overflowing with delicacies from the neighboring fields and seas. At first hour, it is a quiet place to buy fruits, vegetables or truffles from local producers in their exquisite stalls, but towards midday it comes alive, when locals and tourists come to have tapas and eat dishes made with products from the market. We tried the Bayonne ham; artisanal goat and cow cheeses Lait 2 Fromagers, by the hand of Jean-Christophe; Arnabar duck foie gras, which they have been making on their farm for decades; and in Hazia, the organic and biodynamic wines from the cellar of Mathilda and Tim, an enterprising couple – she French, he British – that we accompanied with some oysters from Arcachon.
Anglet has his own French version of Romeo and Juliet and it is discovered in the cave of the petite Chambre d’Amour
For centuries, Anglet, this “corner-shaped land” –as its name translates– was rural and full of vineyards, forests and orchards that supplied the surrounding cities. Today, it is wild plants and flowers that grow in the greenhouses of Mendi le Jardin de Tous and they do so by the thousands. The Mendiburu family has been cultivating and perpetuating, for three generations, the profession of horticulturist in “this garden of all” in the heart of the city.
Framed in a setting of greenery is Brindos, Lac & Chateauin the most remote neighborhood of the same name, a castle with a private lake that was once a place for parties for the French bourgeoisie and today is an exquisite refuge of intimacy where you end up falling in love with Anglet.
The expert note
- Pay attention to the original pedestrian crossings, which, as could not be otherwise in Anglet, are shaped like a surfboard.
- In the tourist office they sell products from local artisans andSablés d’Or cookieswhich evoke the beach of the same name. They are made with butter and are made by Maison Gautier, voted Best Pastry Shop in France.
- The footprints of Joël de Rosnay, Jacques Rott, Tom Curren… and many other notable surfers are engraved on board-shaped slabs on Surf Avenue.
- At the Mendi horticultural center, in addition to exhibiting and selling their production of plants and flowers, they organize visits and They carry out themed gardening workshops and seasonal floral compositions.
- Next to La Barre beach is the Izadia Ecological Park, ideal to discover with the family.
The top hats with which the Basque pelotaris play basket punta are made by hand in Anglet.
© Gonzalo Aumendi