Biarritz Is Set to Be This Summer’s Buzziest Resort Town
As Chanel lands in Biarritz for its cruise 2027 show on Tuesday, here’s why you should skip the French Riviera and head southwest instead.
Reported by Vogue.
While the French Riviera continues to draw its usual crowds of wealthy travelers and Instagram tourists, Biarritz—a windswept Atlantic coastal town nestled in France's Basque Country—is quietly becoming the summer destination that actually matters. Unlike its Mediterranean cousins, Biarritz skipped the overdevelopment phase. The Atlantic's unpredictable nature kept the luxury resort sprawl at bay, which means what you get instead is soul: world-class surf breaks, proximity to cultural capitals like Bordeaux and Madrid, and a landscape anchored by the Pyrenees. For years, this was known only to French locals, committed surfers, and people in the know. Now, according to Vogue, the moment has arrived—and it's being marked by Chanel's cruise 2027 show arriving in the city this April.
The shift is visible on the ground. Boutique hotels are replacing forgotten landmarks: Experimental Group transformed two Belle Époque buildings into Regina Experimental Biarritz and Le Garage, while Villa Magnan converted a former Spanish royal residence into an intimate six-suite guesthouse. Serious chefs are planting flags here too. Les Enfants du Marché La Table transplanted its produce-first ethos from Paris to Biarritz; Bleach, founded by an ex-pro skater, serves elevated seasonal fare in a sunlit space that feels effortlessly cool. Even the art world is paying attention—British gallerist Lucy Chadwick opened Champ Lacombe in 2021, the first contemporary space in town, and already artists like Gaetano Pesce have shown there.
The Real Draw
Biarritz has always delivered on the essentials: epic beaches like Grande Plage and Côte des Basques for surfers, calmer bays for swimmers, and Basque cuisine that's experiencing its own renaissance. The difference now is intentionality. New restaurants aren't chasing trends—they're sourcing from local farms, rotating menus by what's fresh, and building communities around shared tables. Chéri Bibi leans vegetable-forward and sustainable; Centro Biarritz pairs ceviche with a trendy music scene; Retour Verre Le Futur anchors the wine scene. This is food that tastes like place.
What makes Biarritz compelling isn't that it's been discovered—it's that discovery hasn't ruined it. The town remains casual, unpolished, anchored in genuine local culture rather than luxury theater. Chanel's arrival signals that fashion has noticed, but the real draw is that Biarritz never needed fashion's approval to matter.
Read the original at Vogue.
