Local Attractions

St Jean is a bustling town with plenty to do from morning to night. In the morning pop out and buy your fresh bread and croissants, there are three bakers to choose from in Rue D’Espagne alone and if you’ve run out of milk or juice, there is a supermarket two steps down the hill. After breakfast you could take a walk both up and down Rue D’Espagne where there are gift shops, a pottery workshop, an espadrille maker, florist, chocolatier and patissier and many more and that’s just in one street! Around the town you will find numerous shops offering local produce, local wine, antiques and of course postcards. If you fancy being chauffeured around the town there is a train which runs every hour from the tourist office.

Monday is market day here, unusually for France it runs for most of the day. There is a traditional market running through the high street and around the Hotel de Ville, and a livestock market under the covered market area.

In the afternoon after a refreshing tea and energising gateau Basque, you could climb up Rue de la Citadelle to the 15th century Porte St Jacques, the gate by which the pilgrims entered the town en route for Santiago de Compostella in Northern Spain. Above Rue de la Citadelle take the steps or the cobbled way to the Citadelle itself or fortress, (now a school) and enjoy the wonderful panoramic viewpoint.

Every Monday at 5pm you can experience the local game of pelota, usually played bare handed, a bit like squash but without the racket! Or every Friday, again at 5pm, you can watch them play the same game but with chisteras, a kind of wicker scoop which sends the ball a lot further.

It is time to wander home now to refresh before dinner, through the cobbled streets, admiring the colourful houses some of which are dated with the family name and possibly the name of the builder too.

As the early evening arrives, why not take a stroll out to enjoy a cold beer or a glass of sangria and watch the world and the pilgrims go by. This can be followed by paella or duck and piperade (cooked peppers, tomatoes and onions). To finish off your day don’t forget to walk along the floodlit paths by the side of the River Nive and admire the Citadelle silhouetted against the night sky.

Other local attractions

Three swimming pools, one main and two shallow
Three tennis courts
Kiddies play area
Crazy golf course
Municipal camp site
Mountain bike hire
Cinema
Tourist office

The area around St Jean pied de Port also offers:

Superb bird watching, especially raptors
Rafting, Kayaking and Canoeing
Basque cuisine
Mountain bike trails
The famous Piment festival at Espelette
Easy access to Spain (10 mins) and the ‘Ventas’
Vinyards of the local Irouleguy
The gorges of Holzarte and Kakouetta
Trout fishing
And much more!