Port Vieux Beach

The Port-Vieux beach, in Biarritz

The Port-Vieux beach is a pretty sheltered cove of Biarritz, a true natural swimming pool much appreciated by families. The Biarritz audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this site with the false air of the Mediterranean, formerly the heart of the city, that was from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century a great centre of whale hunting, an activity that long made the prosperity of the city.

The cove of the old whalers

We now overlook the pretty cove of the Port-Vieux. With its false air of the Mediterranean, this small sheltered beach is a natural swimming pool much appreciated by families, where the water stays calm even when the ocean is rough elsewhere. Difficult to imagine that formerly, it is here that whales were cut up. It must be known that, from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, Biarritz was an important centre of whale hunting. The largest marine mammal of the planet was hunted mainly for its fat, that produced a quality oil, used in cosmetics and soaps, but also for industrial lubrication and lighting, because it has the advantage of burning without making smoke. Located on the migratory routes of the cetaceans, Biarritz long prospered thanks to this hunt, and the Port-Vieux was then its heart. There were a few cabins of fishermen's families, who pulled their boats at low tide to prepare the catches. Today, this past is far away, and the cove has become a peaceful bathing place, nestled between the rocks, endowed with a winter swimming club, the famous Polar Bears, who bathe there all year. With its family atmosphere and its timeless charm, the Port-Vieux is one of the most endearing beaches of the city. A sheltered cove and a whaling memory, the Port-Vieux beach is a fine stop of the discovery of Biarritz.

What to see

Here you discover a pretty sheltered cove with the false air of the Mediterranean, a true natural swimming pool appreciated by families, where the water stays calm; heart of the city formerly, the Port-Vieux was, from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, a great centre of whale hunting, hunted for its fat, that made the prosperity of Biarritz. The Port-Vieux beach is an endearing cove of Biarritz. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Port-Vieux beach nestles in a cove in the heart of Biarritz, between the Grande Plage and the Côte des Basques, reachable on foot. It is a beach freely accessible, sheltered and family, where the water stays calm; bathing is supervised in season. You discover it during a walk by the sea.

Why is the Port-Vieux of Biarritz linked to whale hunting?

Because, from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, Biarritz was a great centre of whale hunting, and the Port-Vieux, then heart of the city, was the place where the catches were prepared; the cetacean was hunted for its fat, that produced a quality oil burning without smoke. Today, the cove has become a peaceful natural swimming pool appreciated by families.

Where is the Port-Vieux beach in Biarritz?

In a cove in the heart of Biarritz, between the Grande Plage and the Côte des Basques, in France.