We arrived in Biarritz and on our very first day, there was a film crew shooting an ocean swimming scene at Plage du Port Vieux. 
Of course there was.
Because apparently that’s what happens in Biarritz.
We’d only planned on being there for two days, but almost immediately we had that feeling you get when you arrive somewhere and think, I could quite happily stay here.
It felt familiar, but completely different.
Paris glamour, with the laid-back attitude of Byron Bay.
Plage du Port Vieux is the little horseshoe-shaped bay everyone talks about, and it really is as pretty as you imagine. On our first morning, we stood watching swimmers heading into the water while the film crew captured the whole scene.
My first thought?
Did The Swim Set need a cameo?
Absolutely.
Did I have the guts to actually swim into shot?
Absolutely not. 😛
So I stood on the edge, very happily playing tourist, watching someone else live out what looked like the most glamorous ocean swim in the world.
And honestly, it was hard not to be inspired.
The glamour of Biarritz
Biarritz has always had a thing about the sea.
In the 1850s, Empress Eugénie and Napoleon III turned this little Basque fishing town into one of France’s great seaside resorts. The Empress fell for the coastline and had the Hôtel du Palais built as her summer residence.
Suddenly, Biarritz had a very different kind of visitor.
Parisian society arrived for the summer. Sea bathing became fashionable. Women dressed up for the beach. Architecture became grander. And the Atlantic became part of the social scene.
It was seaside glamour, long before anyone had invented the word resort.
You can still feel it walking around town.
The grand villas have turrets, balconies and wrought iron that make you feel as though someone might appear at any moment wearing a silk robe and carrying a very small dog.
And then, just down the road, there are surfers carrying boards to the beach.
That contrast is what I loved.
And then there’s the Diving Lady
Once you notice her, you start seeing her everywhere.
The elegant woman diving into the sea has become one of those little symbols of Biarritz — a woman, perfectly poised, plunging into the Atlantic.
She appears on signs, tiles, souvenirs and all sorts of little corners around town.
I loved her.
She somehow sums up Biarritz perfectly. A little theatrical, a little glamorous, completely at home in the sea.
And, for me, she was The Swim Set inspiration at every turn.
Because there is something very appealing about a place where swimming isn't just something you do. It is part of the culture, the history and the way people experience the coast.
Two days was nowhere near enough
You can go from admiring the latest Chanel cruise collection to wandering into a little local boutique like Graine. You can have a very French lunch at Les Halles and then pull on your wetsuit and go for a surf at Plage de la Cote Basques. Sunset drinks at Eden Rock Cafe.
We were only in Biarritz for two days, but somehow it felt like we belonged there.
Maybe it was the surfing.
Maybe it was the food.
Maybe it was the fashion and the beautiful old buildings.
Or maybe it was that wonderful combination of polished and relaxed — a place where Paris glamour meets Byron Bay ease.
Whatever it was, Biarritz got under our skin very quickly.
We arrived expecting a beautiful French seaside town.
We left wondering when we could come back.
Quick links
Stay - Le Garage which is aptly named. Transport yourself to the Belle Époque era, surrounded by old cars and the most beautiful airplanes. This building, which boasts incredible architecture, with its arch-shaped door is more than a century old and was once an aero club. It then became a car garage for wealthy guests of the Regina hotel and finally it transformed into a classic automobile garage, by the ocean in Biarritz. You couldnt get more nostaglia.
Drinks sunset post surf - le Surfing biarritz
Coffee pre or post surf with the best view - Etxolabibi
Market - Les Halles
Shop - The Graine Sustainable denim. Sowe Swimwear
Last note....watch this space for how this trip inspired whats to come at THE SWIM SET.