# Château-Observatoire Abbadia in Hendaye What to do en French Basque Coast · French Basque Coast Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/things-to-do/abbadia-castle · Revisado: 2026-11-12 - Desde: 12.9 € adult - Duración: 1 h - Temporada: All year except 5 to 26 January - Para quién: All ages A Viollet-le-Duc neo-Gothic castle with an observatory on the Hendaye cliff: 50-minute guided visit, €12.90, booking required. What it is The Château-Observatoire Abbadia is the house that Antoine d'Abbadie, explorer, ethnologist, geographer and astronomer, had built on the Hendaye cliff between 1864 and 1884. It was designed by Viollet-le-Duc in neo-Gothic style, with an eclectic decoration that mixes the medieval with souvenirs from its owner's travels in Ethiopia and the East. It is a historic monument and holds the Maisons des Illustres label. The odd thing is that, besides being a home, it was a real astronomical observatory, and the observatory is part of the visit. What you see The guided visit, of about 50 minutes, goes round the observatory and the rooms, furnished and decorated as when the house was built: the Ethiopian-themed rooms, the Jerusalem room and the Arab salon, among others. The park around the castle, open to the sea and the Corniche, can be visited separately, with an interpretation area. There are also special visits, all in French: "Les Abords d'Abbadia", an hour and a half, which starts with the surroundings; the "Visite Prestige", of about two hours and once a month outside summer, which opens the kitchen and Abbadie's bedroom and ends with an Ethiopian coffee; and in July and August the "Première heure", at 9:45, at a reduced price and by online booking only. Hours Closed from 5 to 26 January. The rest of the year it changes by season: 27 January – 31 March and 1 November – 22 December: Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00. Guided visit at 14:30 and self-guided from 15:30 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays. 1 April – 30 June and 1 September – 31 October: every day (except 1 May), Monday to Friday 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00, and weekends and public holidays only 14:00 to 18:00. Guided only. 1 July – 31 August: every day 9:30 to 19:00. Guided visits from 10:00 to 15:20 and self-guided from 16:00 to 18:20. Christmas: its own hours, closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. There are guided visits in Spanish in summer, at Easter and for much of autumn; confirm when booking. Booking is compulsory except for some self-guided visits. Prices The guided visit costs €12.90 for adults, €9.90 for ages 14 to 18, €10.50 for students, €5.90 for ages 6 to 13 and people with a disability; family (two adults and two or three under-13s), €35. The summer self-guided visit, with an audio leaflet, is a bit cheaper: €11.50 for adults and €31 for a family; bring your own headphones. Park and interpretation area only: €2.50, free up to age 13. Getting there and parking It is at 27 Route de la Corniche. There are two free car parks about ten minutes' walk away; P1, Ascoubia, has 120 spaces with no shade, and room for motorhomes during the visit. In front of reception there are two spaces for people with disabilities. Without a car, buses 14, 15 and 26 of the Txik Txak network stop at "Abadia", five minutes from the gate. From Irún or San Sebastián you reach Hendaye on the Topo and there take the 15; from the Les Deux Jumeaux station on the coast train, the 14 or 26. By bike, the castle is on the Vélodyssée and has bike racks. If you are sleeping in a motorhome, the Hendaye area is nearby. Rules, accessibility and children You may not go in with a rucksack, even a small one, or with a pushchair: there is free left-luggage and they lend you a baby carrier. Animals are not admitted, in the park either, and you cannot picnic. The castle has 42 steps and is not wheelchair accessible, although reception and the park are; there is a virtual visit on a tablet, documents in braille and in easy-read, and a hearing loop. It holds the Tourisme & Handicap label. For small children, the 50-minute guided visit feels long in French: choose one in Spanish or the summer self-guided one. ## Cómo llegar y contacto - Web: https://www.chateau-abbadia.fr/ - Coordenadas: 43.3772, -1.7561 ## Cerca de aquí - [Hendaye Motorhome Area](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-stay/hendaye-motorhome-area), a 1.5 km - [Cruise from Saint-Jean-de-Luz along the Corniche to Hondarribia](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/things-to-do/corniche-cruise-to-hondarribia), a 7.6 km - [Grand Hôtel Loreamar Thalasso & Spa](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-stay/grand-hotel-loreamar), a 7.6 km - [Saint-Jean-de-Luz Old Town and Harbour](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/things-to-do/saint-jean-de-luz-old-town-and-harbour), a 7.7 km - [Maison Adam](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-eat/maison-adam), a 7.7 km - [Hôtel Les Almadies](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-stay/hotel-les-almadies), a 7.8 km - [Chez Pablo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-eat/chez-pablo), a 7.8 km - [Les Halles de Saint-Jean-de-Luz](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/where-to-eat/saint-jean-de-luz-market), a 7.8 km ## Consejos ### Book before you go Booking is compulsory almost all year and the groups are small. ### Leave the rucksack in the car You can't go in with it; if you bring it, you have to use the left-luggage. ### Combine it with the Corniche The castle is on the Route de la Corniche, the cliff road between Hendaye and Ciboure: drive it afterwards. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Are there visits in Spanish? Yes, in July and August, at Easter and in several periods of autumn and winter. Check the times when booking. ### How much does it cost to enter? The guided visit, €12.90 for adults and €5.90 for ages 6 to 13; the family ticket, €35. ### Can you go with a dog? No. Animals are not admitted in the castle or the park. Destino: [French Basque Coast](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast.md)