Atalaye plateau

The Atalaye plateau, in Biarritz

The Atalaye plateau is an emblematic promontory of Biarritz, whose name means 'promontory' in Basque, from which the whales and the enemy ships were once watched. The Biarritz audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this place laden with history, former point of assembly of the inhabitants and of the alarm bell of the whalers, that offers a fine view over the ocean and the lighthouse.

The promontory of the watchmen

All this part around you is called the Atalaye plateau. Atalaye means promontory in Basque, and the name is in no way trivial: there was there, formerly, a turret from which the watchmen watched the passage of the whales and the arrival of the enemy ships. It is a place much more symbolic than you might think. It is here that sorts of general assemblies were held: the body of the commune and of the common people gathered on the Atalaye plateau to vote by show of hands the great questions of the moment, in a tradition of ancient local democracy. The little monument you see marks the location of the former alarm bell that served the whalers: it was rung to signal the passage of the cetaceans, but also in case of peril at sea, to alert the population. This bell was removed in 1969, but its location remains a landmark of the maritime history of the city. Today, the plateau offers a magnificent foreground over the horizon, and the view carries to the lighthouse of Biarritz and the nearby Rock of the Virgin. Swept by the sea spray, planted with tamarisks, it is a much appreciated place of promenade, where you like to contemplate the ocean and the sunsets. A historic promontory and a belvedere over the sea, the Atalaye plateau is a fine stop of the discovery of Biarritz.

What to see

Here you discover an emblematic promontory whose name means 'promontory' in Basque, from which the watchmen once watched the whales and the enemy ships; place of popular assemblies and location of the former alarm bell of the whalers, removed in 1969, it offers a fine view over the ocean, the lighthouse and the Rock of the Virgin. The Atalaye plateau is a belvedere of Biarritz. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Atalaye plateau lies in the heart of Biarritz, above the fishermen's port and facing the Rock of the Virgin, reachable on foot. It is a site freely accessible, planted with tamarisks and offering a fine view over the ocean; the Aquarium is nearby. You discover it during a walk by the sea.

What does the name of the Atalaye plateau in Biarritz mean?

Atalaye means promontory in Basque: there was there a turret from which the watchmen watched the passage of the whales and the arrival of the enemy ships; this symbolic place also hosted popular assemblies and the former alarm bell of the whalers, removed in 1969. The plateau today offers a fine view over the ocean, the lighthouse and the Rock of the Virgin.

Where is the Atalaye plateau in Biarritz?

In the heart of Biarritz, above the fishermen's port and facing the Rock of the Virgin, in France.