Biarritz, Nearby Options, Priorities?

[TLCOhio]

For an upcoming mid-June cruise from Lisbon to Rouen, we have a stop on June 18 at St Jean De Luz, being in port 8 am-9 pm. Right now our leaning is to do a ship tour from this port to the Spanish town of San Sebastian, about 12 miles to the west from our ship docking location. Some rate San Sebastian as "THE Food Capital of the WORLD!!!" Our planned ship tour there would focus on San Sebastian Gourmet Tapas Bar Tastings, plus seeing the town that their Royals and other elites enjoyed in the past.

 

Then, there is the attractive potential of OPTION TWO, coming in the New York Times Travel Section tomorrow, where they have this headline: “36 Hours in Biarritz” with detail for this historic, seaside French location.

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Biarritz is back in style, with a recharged dining scene, Basque art galleries and boutiques where the emphasis is local.”

How do experienced travelers compared and rank the options for San Sebastian versus Biarritz versus St Jean De Luz? All sound rather good and interesting. What is the best and why?

 

Here is this interesting NY Times profile's opening paragraph: "Just as surf patterns ebb and flow with the seasons, so too has Biarritz cycled in and out of fashion over the years. The French resort town, about 15 miles up the Atlantic coast from the border with Spain, hit a peak in the 1950s when California surf culture was introduced to Europe on its sandy beaches. The surfing’s still superb, as the neoprene-clad faithful who trek here every season will attest. But in recent years, there has also been a swell of activity onshore. Hip boutiques stocked with local brands abound, and a recharged dining scene serves a range of food, such as creative tapas and classic French pastries. Suddenly this beauty of French Basque Country is back in vogue."

 

Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/18/travel/what-to-do-36-hours-in-biarritz-france.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftravel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 31,771 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.