St Jean De Luz tourist information
Louis X1Vth came to wed the Infanta of Spain here and unexpectedly threw a few coins to the crowd. The castle of the Infanta can still be visited -if you continue to feel some nostalgia for past glory. Saint Jean de Luz, in Basque, "Donibahne Lohitzun", has its eyes fixed on the open sea.
The valorous Basque whalers, in the C.18th turned into fearful pirates who plundered foreign ships for the French king’s coffers. A Mass is still held in their honour in the month of September. Sailors in the past and sailors today. Every morning the tuna fishermen bring in their catch and organise a quayside sale which fixes the fish prices for the day. If the session is in theory reserved for specialists, it is not really forbidden for you to buy a few fish. The leftovers are used to make a local speciality prepared somewhat like the "bouillabaisse" (fish soup) and called Toro, a dish made from fish and mussels.
Everyone has his own sea-monsters. Surf lovers, for example, will be delighted by the rollers which are immense and dangerous.
On Saint Jean’s feast day, the countryside is set ablaze with many bonfires that people dance around. It is a ceremony of purification, profoundly religious for some, reeking of Pagan mystery for others. What is important is to take part.
St Jean De Luz aerial map
Please click on any icon on the St Jean De Luz aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of St Jean De Luz.
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