Biarritz is a magical little seaside town in the Basque region of France. It’s about a 45 minute bus ride from San Sebastian, where I was staying with my sister, so we decided to do a little “sister-cation”, and headed to Biarritz for a couple days. Here’s what we did!

We split our time between two different hotels. Both were wonderful!

The first two nights we stayed at Hotel Silhouette. It’s right in the heart of town and easy to walk to lots of restaurants and shops, as well as a little outdoor market. The hotel’s design is off the charts incredible. Beyond stylish in the coolest of ways. There’s an outdoor garden with the cutest walk up bar. You can also order food in the garden – it’s a perfect spot for a bite, or just to lounge with a crisp glass of chablis! There’s also a beautiful bar and eating area inside the hotel with cozy booths and upholstered seating. It’s such a vibe, Sarah and I just wanted to bask in all of its fabulousness.

   

Our room here was incredible. We stayed in a Deluxe Suite which had a huge rooftop area with lots of seating and gorgeous views of the town and the water. The room itself wasn’t that large, but it was perfect for my sister and I. The staff at the hotel was very helpful and gave us great restaurant recommendations; as well as booked our reservations for us!

Our next stop was Hotel Le Garage. Again, another uber stylish spot, but a totally different design and feel, which was fun! It was more of a mid-century modern style, with terrazzo floors and retro interiors. It’s across town and closer to the beach. It also has a nice pool area which is perfect for when it heats up in the summer (it was quite hot when we were there!). We only had one night here, but loved our stay and would definitely recommend. The staff here was also helpful in setting us up with transportation to head back to San Sebastian.

 

Mainly, Sarah and I wandered the streets and just ogled over all of the beauty and stylish boutiques and cafes. There’s so much to take in and we had the most fun just walking all over the place. We popped into Galeries Lafayette, which was a department store with a great selection of designers, Jimmy Fairly (we both bought a new pair of sunglasses!), and Maje, to name a few. There were so many cute stores we went into that I didn’t catch the name of, so next time we go back, I’ll be jotting those down in my notes app to report back!

There’s a beautiful pathway that’s near town that runs along the seaside. You’ll see big rock formations and some absolutely breathtaking landscapes. You can rent the cutest (I can’t stop saying that word!) striped cabanas to spend a day at the beach. We didn’t do this, so I’m not entirely sure how it works, but we did admire them on our walk!

 

There are two beaches – one is more leisurely and the other is where you’ll find the surfers. Fun fact – Biarritz introduced surfing to Europe, so it’s very popular there. We ate at a restaurant along the promenade of the surfer beach and it was fun to watch them catch some waves.

After a long day of meandering, we found ourselves at the historic Hotel Du Palais for a cocktail on their terrace. This hotel is the former residence of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, so it’s not called Palais for nothing. 😉 It got hot, so we moved ourselves inside and explored more of their stunning lobby and great gift shop. It’s beautiful inside, so it was nice to relax here for a bit while we cooled down and fueled up for more walking.

The woman working the front desk at Hotel Silhouette was incredibly chic, Sarah and I wanted to know all of her style secrets. She was kind, too, and gave us some great restaurant recs. We figured she would know what’s good, judging solely on how well dressed and effortlessly chic she looked. She didn’t steer us wrong!

Her first rec was Marloe. This was Sarah and I’s favorite meal while in Biarritz, and that’s not shocking since the chef has a Michelin star under his belt from a previous restaurant. We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairings and are so happy we did. It’s so nice to let the pro’s do their thing, and you don’t even have to think about ordering, you just know it’s going to be great. Not only is Marloe delicious, the restaurant interiors are truly fabulous.

Our chic friend’s next recommendation, which we took the following night, was for Carlos. This was near the surfer beach in an indoor/outdoor setting. It was trendy and lively with plates meant for sharing and great cocktails.

We had the best time exploring this darling town. Stunning architecture, unique treasures to find while shopping, beautiful beaches, stylish interiors – I’m not sure what more you could ask for! I can’t wait to get back to Biarritz, it can’t come soon enough.