Attractions & Map

The Hotel Ibaia Serge Blanco is located next to Hendaye marina, just 30 metres from Hendaye's beautiful 3 km-long beach, and 150 metres from the Serge Blanco Thalassotherapy Centre. The hotel is five minutes from Hendaye railway station, and 20 minutes from Biarritz airport. The Spanish border is only five minutes away by river shuttle, and the landing stage is opposite the hotel.

Among the most impressive buildings in Hendaye is Abbadie Castle, a dramatic 19th century neo-gothic castle built by the scholar Antoine Abbadie. Inland from Hendaye is the limestone peak of La Rhune, and a train, the 'Petit Train de la Rhune', takes visitors to the top, from which there is a spectacular panoramic view of the surrounding area. A sea shuttle 50 metres from the Hotel Ibaia Serge Blanco takes guests to the picturesque fortified town of Fontarrabie, just over the border in Spain.

To the north of Hendaye is the historic town of Saint Jean de Luz, a popular seaside resort in the late 19th century.

Serge Blanco Thalassotherapy Centre
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This centre offers a wide variety of treatments, including the Cure Bien-Etre, consisting of daily hydrotherapy sessions and free access to the Fitness Centre. In addition there are saunas, a hammam, and a range of heated seawater pools.

Basque Mountains

The highest peak of the Basque Mountains is La Rhune, 905 metres above sea-level. A vintage train, the 'Train de la Rhune', constructed in 1924, takes visitors to the summit, from which there is a spectacular view of the Atlantic coast and the Pyrenees.

Fontarrabie
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Founded in 1203, Fontarrabie was for many centuries an important commercial centre. Its cobbled streets are full of beautiful buildings with wrought iron balconies and wide carved eaves of great architectural beauty, and the parish church is a lovely gothic jewel.

Saint Jean de Luz
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A fishing port, whose prosperity dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1660 Louis XIV was married here to the Spanish Infanta. The town's attractions include the Maison Louis XIV, the Maison de l'Infante Joanoenia and the Eco Museum of Basque Tradition.

Abbadie Castle

An impressive castle constructed by the architect Eugène Viollet Le Duc between 1860 and 1870 for the scholar Antoine d'Abbadie, an expert on geography, astronomy and oriental culture who was strongly attracted to the Basque Country.