# Sunday in Saint-Jean-de-Luz: harbour, chipirones and the corniche The old town and harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the morning, chipirones at a restaurant behind the market and a return along the cliff road. Half an hour from San Sebastián. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/saint-jean-de-luz-harbour-chipirones-and-corniche · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## El día - 09:30 · Salida: 30 min by car (by the AP-8 and A-63, a toll road, or via Hendaye and the corniche) - 10:15 · Saint-Jean-de-Luz Old Town and Harbour (Place Louis XIV, church and harbour, about 2 h on foot) - 3 min on foot - 12:30 · Chez Pablo (Chez Pablo · Basque fish cooking · €€ · serves from 12:00 to 14:00) · Chez Pablo, €€ - 13 min by car, 9,7 km - 14:30 · Château-Observatoire Abbadia in Hendaye (guided visit at 14:30 from November to March; book on its website) - 16:30 · Vuelta (You reach San Sebastián around 17:15) Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the fishing port of the French Basque Coast and is half an hour from San Sebastián. The morning goes in the old town, almost entirely pedestrian, and in the harbour. You eat fish at a long-established restaurant behind the market and return along the corniche, the cliff road between Ciboure and Hendaye, with a stop at Abbadia castle. The whole plan is flat and can also be done without a car. ## The day, hour by hour 9:30 · Departure. From San Sebastián, the AP-8 to Irun and the French A-63, a toll road, put you in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in half an hour. If you prefer to save the toll, cross through Hendaye and follow the corniche: it takes a quarter of an hour longer and you see the sea from above. Park in the paid car parks at the harbour or Cœur de Ville, five minutes' walk from the square. 10:15 · Old town and harbour. Start at place Louis XIV, with the bandstand and the house where the king slept in 1660. Go down rue Gambetta to the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, where he married the Infanta Maria Theresa: inside, the wooden galleries run round the nave on three sides and the gilded altarpiece fills the back. Then, the fishing harbour and the bridge over the Nivelle to Ciboure. From Easter to early November you can visit the Maison Louis XIV with a guide, €8 for adults, except on Tuesdays. 12:30 · Lunch at Chez Pablo. It is on rue Mademoiselle Etcheto, behind Les Halles. In France people eat early: service runs from 12:00 to 14:00, so do not arrive at half past two. Call to book; in season it fills with locals. 14:30 · Abbadia castle. Head back towards Hendaye along the corniche. The neo-Gothic castle that Viollet-le-Duc designed for the explorer Antoine d'Abbadie stands on the cliff, with its observatory. From November to March it opens Tuesday to Sunday afternoons, with a guided visit at 14:30; from April to October, at weekends from 14:00 to 18:00. Booking is compulsory and rucksacks are not allowed in. 16:30 · Return. From Hendaye you are in San Sebastián in three quarters of an hour. ## What to order at Chez Pablo Home-style Basque cooking, above all fish. The chipirones in their ink are the house dish, around €23. The hake Pablo-style, breaded and fried, and the piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod come to about €20. If there are two of you and you are hungry, there is a chuletón to share. For dessert, Basque cake. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, never on Sundays. ## If it rains, with children or with more urge to walk In the rain, the stroll round the old town is shortened, but the church and, in season, the Maison Louis XIV can be seen under cover. With small children, swap the castle for the Biarritz aquarium, twenty minutes north. If you prefer to walk, do the coastal path from Bidart and reach Saint-Jean-de-Luz on foot along the cliffs: it is 13 km and about three and a half hours, so move the departure to 8:30 and ask for a table at 13:30. ## Cómo llegar ### By car AP-8 and A-63, about 30 minutes, or the corniche via Hendaye without a toll. Park at the harbour or Cœur de Ville; in July and August arrive before ten. ### Without a car Euskotren Topo from San Sebastián to Hendaye and, 50 metres away, the regional train to Saint-Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure, a stroll from the centre. For Abbadia castle, Txik Txak bus line 15 from Hendaye station. Check Sunday timetables before setting out. ## Consejos ### Eat at half past twelve French restaurants close the kitchen at two. If you dawdle at the harbour, you miss lunch. ### Book the castle before you set out Groups are small and booking is compulsory almost all year. ### Bring coins for parking The car parks in the centre are paid on Sundays too. ## Cuándo no ir A Sunday in August at mid-morning by car. The centre grinds to a halt and you cannot walk rue Gambetta. That month, go by train. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from San Sebastián? Half an hour by car on the motorway. By Topo and train, about an hour and a quarter with the change at Hendaye. ### Do I need to book at Chez Pablo? It is advisable, especially in summer and at weekends. Book by phone. ### Can I visit the Maison Louis XIV in winter? No. It opens from Easter to All Saints and closes on Tuesdays. In winter you see the old town and the church. ### Can I take a dog? In the old town and harbour, yes. At Abbadia castle animals are not admitted, not even in the park. ### How much does Abbadia castle cost? The guided visit costs €12.90 for adults and €5.90 for ages 6 to 13. The family ticket is €35.