A Day at the Beach
Along the seafront facing the Casino is the Grande Plage. During the Belle Epoque, this was where Victorian ladies promenaded under parasols and wide-brimmed veiled hats. Today's bathers don't dress up in billowing skirts. Sometimes they don't even wear tops. The beach is also popular with surfers.
Promenade du Bord de Mer, along the coast within the city limits, is still a major attraction. The paths are often carved into cliffs, and sections have been designed as rock gardens with flowers, turning the area into a public park. From here, you can head north to Pointe St-Martin, where you'll find more gardens and a staircase (look for the sign DESCENTE DE L'OCEAN) leading you to allée Winston-Churchill, a paved path going along Plage Miramar.
La Perspective de la Côte des Basques, a walk that goes up to another plateau, leads to one of the wildest beaches in France: Plage de la Côte des Basques, with breakers crashing at the base of the cliffs. This is where surfers head.
If you like your beaches calmer, the safest beach is the small, horseshoe-shaped Plage du Port-Vieux, along the path from plateau de l'Atalaye. Its tranquil waters, protected by rocks, make it a favorite with families.
