Biarritz Christmas Market

Scarf round your neck, feet almost in the sand of the Grande Plage: Biarritz Christmas market is all about that clash of ocean and winter. In Biarritz, the Grande Plage keeps its surfers right up to Christmas Eve, the ocean pounds the Rocher de la Vierge, and the Christmas village sets up a few streets away, in the Jardin Public. That contrast is the whole charm of this seaside corner of the Basque Country: Biarritz chic, low winter light, and the smell of hot chocolate lingering between the chalets.

The Christmas village in the Jardin Public

The event takes place in the Jardin Public, on Avenue du Maréchal-Foch, right in the town centre, a stone's throw from Les Halles and the Gare du Midi. Around twenty wooden chalets create a small illuminated scene, with Father Christmas's hut, ski-resort-style chalets and a photobooth area. You wander for gift ideas and crafts, and above all for the sweet and savoury food that keeps you warm between two Atlantic showers.

The 2025 edition ran from 28 November to 4 January 2026, open from around 11.30am to 7pm outside the school holidays, with longer hours over the festive period. For 2026, the town hall has not yet published the calendar: expect the same window, from late November to early January, to be confirmed on the official website. Access to the village remains free, with no ticket needed.

What to eat (and take home) at Biarritz Christmas market

The Basque Country has plenty to fill a shopping bag. Chocolate leads the way, the legacy of master chocolatiers who have worked in the region for centuries. Alongside it, gâteau basque with cream or black cherry, touron with almonds and candied fruit, and macarons fill the stalls with their scent. Local producers also slip in Espelette pepper, sheep's cheese and a few bottles of Irouléguy wine for gourmet hampers.

A hot chocolate between two chalets always hits the spot when the wind picks up. If you want to carry on the ritual at home, we keep a mulled wine recipe that holds up well for winter evenings.

Entertainment, lights and Father Christmas

Rides turn for the little ones, and Father Christmas visits the village on certain Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons in December. Concerts, shows and workshops punctuate the season. The real extra touch is Biarritz en Lumière: every evening of the school holidays, animated projections set to music light up the façades of the town's landmark buildings. The parade of Olentzero, the Basque figure of the solstice, heads down towards Place Sainte-Eugénie around 21 December, with songs and dances.

The Ferris wheel and the ice rink are not in Biarritz but in neighbouring Bayonne, ten minutes away by train. Plenty of visitors take in both towns in a single day.

Getting there and planning your visit

The Gare du Midi and the Les Halles district border the Jardin Public, so it is an easy walk from the centre. If you are driving, head for the Halles Clemenceau car park or the Gare du Midi car park, on Avenue du Maréchal-Foch and Avenue François-Mauriac. By train, Biarritz-La Négresse station links the town to the main lines, and a shuttle then takes you to the centre. The site is all on one level and accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Allow one to two hours for the village alone, half a day if you add a walk to the Rocher de la Vierge and a look at the illuminations after dark. To stay in the region, our Bordeaux Christmas market guide covers the other big event in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the Bayonne guide rounds off a Basque break perfectly, with its Ferris wheel beside the Nive.