Surfing, bodyboarding, paddleboarding, yoga and sea walking: gentle exercise in the Basque Country

The ocean is the Basque Country’s finest playground. You don’t need to be a champion: here are five gentle ways to get moving, on the waves or beside them.

Surfing: where to start?

Surfing in France was born in Biarritz: in 1956, the American screenwriter Peter Viertel had his board shipped over from California.

Beginner spots (according to Tourisme 64):

• The Côte des Basques in Biarritz — ‘the cradle of surfing’, at the foot of the cliffs, looking across to the Spanish coast.
• The beaches of Hendaye (Hendaia) — 3 km of sand, popular with families for the space and the safety.
• The Plage du Centre in Bidart (Bidarte).

For experienced surfers: the beaches of Anglet (Cavaliers, Madrague, Corsaires), with powerful waves. Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Donibane Lohizune) and Guéthary are well suited to longboarding.

Surf schools can be found in Guéthary, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bidart, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Anglet.

On the Spanish side: Zurriola beach in San Sebastián (Donostia), and Zarautz, which hosts a stage of the world tour every September, the Zarautz Pro.

Surf responsibly: natural wax, sourced as locally as possible, second-hand boards, and sunscreen that is kind to the seabed.

Bodyboarding, the famous ‘morey’

Bodyboarding — which some people still call ‘morey’, after its inventor — is done lying on a short board. The American Tom Morey developed it in 1971 in Hawaii: a short, manoeuvrable foam board, sold under the Morey Boogie brand. The sport is still going strong and even has its own French champions, such as Pierre-Louis Costes and Amaury Lavernhe, both world champions, or Anne-Cécile Lacoste, world champion in 2015.

Where to learn? Several surf schools also teach bodyboarding, for example:

• La Vague Basque, on Biarritz’s Côte des Basques: surfing, bodyboarding and stand-up paddleboarding, from age 6, April to November, with state-qualified instructors (diplômés d’État).
• Le Club de la Glisse in Anglet (Marinella beach, and also at Les Corsaires and Les Sables d’Or): surfing, bodyboarding and paddleboarding, with the French Surfing Federation’s progression certificates.

Stand-up paddleboarding

Standing on a big board, paddle in hand: stand-up paddleboarding (or SUP) is open to everyone, and inflatable boards have made it even easier.

• The bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz – Ciboure is described by the Basque Country tourist board as the ideal spot, because the sea is calm there. You will also find board hire and instructors in Ahetze, Bidart, Ciboure and Guéthary.
• Hendaye: from the beach, in Txingudi Bay, with views of the Deux Jumeaux (the ‘Twins’ rocks), the flysch cliffs and the Pyrenees. Sunrise or sunset outings are available.
• La Concha, in San Sebastián: the C.D. Fortuna K.E. club hires out paddleboards, kayaks and canoes on the beach (€13 an hour in 2026), every day 9:00–20:00 from 1 June to 15 September, and on weekend mornings the rest of the year. It also runs lessons.
• In Biarritz and Anglet, the La Vague Basque and Club de la Glisse schools also offer paddleboarding.

Yoga by the ocean

Open-air yoga sessions are held along the coast. In Anglet, for example, the tourist office organised ‘Yoga face à l’océan’ (yoga facing the ocean) sessions in 2026 at the Chambre d’Amour: an hour of sun salutations, balance postures and relaxation to the rhythm of the waves, with a qualified teacher, for beginners and experienced practitioners alike (€13 in 2026, 12 participants maximum, ages 14 and up). In Biarritz, the Voyage Inside association offers yoga facing the ocean, near the lighthouse. Check with the tourist offices each season.

And in San Sebastián? We have not found a reliable source for regular open-air yoga sessions on La Concha beach. However, the La Perla centre, on La Concha, has offered yoga in seawater heated to 33 °C (hatha yoga, in small groups, suitable for beginners and people with reduced mobility): check with the centre whether the classes are still running. See also thermal baths and thalasso.

Sea walking (longe-côte)

Longe-côte means walking in the sea, with the water somewhere between your navel and your chest. Invented in 2005 by Thomas Wallyn, a rowing coach, the activity works the whole body (arms, shoulders, thighs), while the cold, iodine-rich water stimulates blood circulation and breathing. A session lasts about 45 minutes and suits all levels.

The best spot: the Grande Plage in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, with 800 metres sheltered from the swell by three breakwaters, usable whatever the tide.

Where to learn? The Igeribili association (Saint-Jean-de-Luz), Healthy With Li and Naceo (Ciboure). Going with an instructor is recommended for safety.

Kit: water shoes, a shorty or full wetsuit depending on the season, a neoprene cap and gloves in winter, and a brightly coloured rash vest so you are easy to spot.

Our tips

• Take a lesson to get started, whether for surfing or sea walking: it’s safer and quicker.
• Respect the swimming and surfing zones, and check the tides: at the Côte des Basques, the beach disappears under water at high tide.
• After all that effort, why not a thalasso session? See thermal baths and thalasso in the Basque Country.

Sources

• Tourisme 64 — Surfing in the Basque Country
• Anglet tourist office — Yoga face à l’océan
• Tourisme 64 — Yoga facing the ocean with Voyage Inside (Biarritz); Voyage Inside — Yoga at the Biarritz lighthouse
• French Wikipedia — Bodyboard
• Tourisme 64 — La Vague Basque surf school (Biarritz); Anglet tourist office — Le Club de la Glisse
• En Pays Basque — Stand-up paddleboarding (in French); Hendaye tourist office — Stand-up paddle; C.D. Fortuna K.E. — La Concha (in Spanish)
• Muselines — La Perla, yoga in seawater
• Saint-Jean-de-Luz tourist office — Sea walking
• See also the sources in our guides to Biarritz, San Sebastián and Zarautz (Peter Viertel, Zurriola, Zarautz Pro).

Ongi etorri — and enjoy the waves!