The best beaches near Bayonne: Tarnos, Ondres, Labenne and Anglet

Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx is a quiet village just north of Bayonne, about twenty minutes' drive from the Atlantic beaches of the southern Landes: long stretches of sand backed by dunes and pine forest, with no concrete seafront. You park, walk over the dune, and the ocean is right in front of you. Just across the Adour river, Anglet is where the Basque Country's beaches begin.

Tarnos: Plage du Métro and Plage de la Digue

Tarnos is the southernmost Landes town on the coast, right next to the mouth of the Adour. It has two beaches:

• Plage du Métro, the main one, with free parking, showers, toilets, a beach restaurant, a surf school and, in summer, a branch of the Seignanx tourist office;
• Plage de la Digue, next to the northern breakwater of the Adour, wilder, with lifeguards in July and August only.

From Plage du Métro, the Vélodyssée cycle route follows the coast north towards Ondres and Labenne.

Ondres-Océan

Ondres-Océan beach lies at the end of avenue de la Plage. You will find a large free car park, showers and toilets on the dune, snack bars and restaurants nearby, and step-free access with an amphibious beach wheelchair for visitors with reduced mobility. A cycle path links it to Ondres village, Tarnos and Labenne.

Labenne-Océan

A little further north, the central beach at Labenne-Océan is surrounded by forest and dunes. It is reached by avenue de la Plage, with a large free car park, showers, toilets, a playground and a few seasonal shops. Only the central section is lifeguarded: the sand runs on for miles either side, but swimming there is strongly discouraged.

Anglet: the closest Basque beaches

If you are looking for "beaches near Bayonne", Anglet is the other obvious choice: eleven beaches along about 4.5 km, from La Barre (just south of the Adour) to the Chambre d'Amour, just north of the Biarritz lighthouse. It feels more urban than Tarnos or Ondres, with a promenade, cafés and plenty of surfers. Les Cavaliers and the Chambre d'Amour beaches are among the best known. Allow about half an hour's drive from the studio, and expect parking to be harder in high summer.

Swimming safely

The Atlantic is powerful all along this coast. The key rules:

• only swim in the supervised zone, which since 2022 has been marked by two red-over-yellow flags, and only while lifeguards are on duty;
• check the flag of the day: green means supervised with no apparent danger, yellow means dangerous but supervised, red means swimming is forbidden; a purple flag warns of pollution or dangerous marine life;
• watch out for baïnes, hollows in the sand that create strong currents pulling out to sea as the tide rises or falls;
• read the lifeguards' board at the beach entrance: flag, tide times, water temperature;
• do not drift out on inflatables.

Lifeguard season: dates are set each year by the local councils. In the Landes, Plage du Métro, Ondres-Océan and Labenne-Océan are usually supervised from mid-June to mid-September and Plage de la Digue in July and August only, roughly from 11 am to 7 pm in high summer, with shorter hours early and late in the season. Check locally before you swim.

Getting there from the studio

By car, outside summer traffic jams:

• Tarnos, Plage du Métro: about 13 km, around 20 minutes;
• Ondres-Océan: about 13 km, around 20 minutes;
• Labenne-Océan: about 13 km, around 20 minutes;
• Anglet, Les Cavaliers: about 18 km, around 30 minutes.

By bike, the Landes beaches are 11 to 15 km away: allow 45 minutes to an hour at a relaxed pace. See our guide to cycling and walks for routes.

By bus, there is no direct line from the village to the coast. Plage du Métro (line 19) and Ondres-Océan (line 23) are served by the Txik Txak network, but only with changes. For a beach day, a car or a bike is far more practical.

Our tips

• Arrive early in July and August: beach car parks fill up by late morning.
• Check the tide times: at low tide the beach is huge and perfect for long walks.
• Bring water and shade: there are no trees on the sand.
• Rinse off at the studio, then head to Bayonne for dinner: see our guide to visiting Bayonne.

Looking for a quiet base about twenty minutes from these beaches? Take a look at the studio or check our availability.