Below the châteaux on the plateau of Atalaye lies an oh so very different Biarritz. The alliterative Port des Pêcheurs oozes rustic charm rather than boasting the glitzy glamour of its higher neighbours. It’s a reminder of the humble functional beginnings of the town, long before Coco Chanel and her contingent arrived. This fishing village hugging a natural cove dates back several centuries but, no surprises, Napoléon III had big plans for it. The Emperor who Haussmanned Paris and built his wife a palace as big as a diamond (the Ulster variety) in uptown Biarritz decided to transform the tiny harbour into an ambitious port. For once, he was thwarted. After initially digging tunnels, the plans were abandoned due to high costs and the violent Atlantic destroying construction efforts several times. Instead, improvements were made to the harbour. Port des Pêcheurs reverted to small time fishing.
At the beginning of the 20th century, as Biarritz embraced its Belle Époque, sailors more interested in sardines than sartorial suaveness built rows of red roofed white walled lodges facing the harbour. Called crampottes, they were used as stores and sanctuaries for fishermen between shifts. Residents with boats can now rent the crampottes. There are 95 moorings and 65 crampottes so the waiting list ain’t short. Port des Pêcheurs is pretty but it’s not merely decorative: fishermen sell their daily catch to local restaurants and passersby.Rocher de la Vierge, a three metre bronze statue of the Virgin Mary erected in 1865 on a rocky outcrop beyond the harbour gazes out to sea.
