Hipper Than a Surfer!

I've been coming to Biarritz each summer for the past 25 years! I've always fancied myself to be a quite trendy Parisian girl but every time I would set foot in Le Pays Basque, I would somehow feel very uncool.

DAMN, YOU SURFERS!

They're always so perfectly tanned. Always so fit. With their mid-long blond hair flying off in the wind, scampering barefoot in the streets of Biarritz, carrying their surfboard as though it was light as a feather!

There was only one thing to be done: I decided to try surfing. They made it look so easy, so effortless! Well...Fuck that! The first day I got into the ocean with my beginner greenish oval surfboard (much less cool than their short white pointy ones), I tried getting up but instead my surfboard plummeted into the water and came back out of the water striking me so hard in the stomach, I couldn't breathe for five minutes. What made it even worse was that after that disgraceful episode, I got my first period ever, right there on the beach in my surfer swimsuit... Suffice it to say, it did not go well!

So, I said bye-bye to the cool surfer chick fantasy I had.

There had to be another way to still have the hippest of days in Biarritz without having to surf!

DAMN RIGHT!

And, here's how.

9:30 AM - Namaste Yoga Biarritz @ Les Baigneuses

14 Rue du Port-Vieux, 64200 Biarritz

Start your day with yoga! Of course, yoga! What could be better than a 9:30 AM yoga class with a view? A lot of things, you say?! Well, that's only because you haven't met Laura the teacher, a fierce Brazilian drop of heaven. To top her uncanny energy, you get to do yoga on an open-air rooftop with the most perfect view of the Port Vieux. And, as if that wasn't enough, Laura will offer you fresh squeezed orange juice and a homemade vegan cake after her rejuvenating Vinyasa Flow class.

After you're fully reenergized, go home and shower (I mean, it's up to you...but I really think you should)! Rest, even. You have a couple of hours before heading out to your second hip spot of the day.

1:00 Pm - Sushicraft (With a View)

31 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 64200 Biarritz

What better way to stay healthy than going sushi eating for lunch?

Trust me, it doesn't look like much but these are the best Californian maki's and futomaki's I've tasted in a long time. The owner is young, friendly, and service-oriented. The menu choices are limited which usually speaks volume on quality. And if, as it happened to me, some ingredients have run out, the owner will go out of his way to offer a tasty and off-the-menu alternative. My vegetarian friends, SushiCraft did not forget you! And, if you're vegan, just tell the owner and he'll put together something amazing for you. Still not convinced? Let me assure you, the best thing is yet to come. SushiCraft has the most incredible view for a sushi place!

Full disclosure, there is a road between the restaurant and the ocean. If you really can't stand that, take your menu to go and eat on the benches above. This way, you'll be even closer to the ocean!

2:00 PM - Miramar Bodysurfing

After eating your belly out, I hope you packed your swimsuit. It's time to set off to the beach. You still need a good tan to compete with our surfer friends. Miramar, is my favorite beach in Biarritz. Especially during summer. It's less crowded than La Grande Plage and the waves are awesome. If, like me, you hate laying still on the sand, I suggest the hippest solution of them all: bodysurfing! Riding a wave without getting your hair wet? Come on, try it! It's awesome!

5:00 PM - Miremont Tea Party

1B Place Georges Clemenceau, 64200 Biarritz

After playing with the waves, I can assure you, you'll be starving. Why not go to Miremont and order a hot chocolate and one of their many French pastries? Find a table in front of the large window, eat, and enjoy the view. It's mesmerizing. By now, you'll understand I'm a sucker for a good view. It's quite simple, really, if you want to be hip in Biarritz, you're either in the ocean or you better be near it! I'll give you one thing, though, Miremont is more bourgeois-glamorous than hip but who said styles couldn't mix?!

6:30 PM - Hot Yoga Biarritz

84 Avenue de Verdun, 64200 Biarritz

Darling, put down the pastry! If you're regretting having eaten two Eclair au Chocolat, do not worry, your day is not over yet. Welcome to hot yoga! Twenty-six yoga postures in 100° Fahrenheit room. No way, you say? Especially, during summer when it's so hot outside?! I'll give you that, it's not going to be easy, especially for a first timer. But, really do-able, even more so with Audrey, the teacher and owner of the studio. Once you tell her your name, she'll never forget it and she'll accompany you every step of the way. It's an easy road to cleansing your body and your soul. And, if you don't care about your soul (which is fully your right), know that most of her students are surfers too! Hip, Hip, Hip Hooray!

8:45 PM - Eden Rock Cafe

2-4 Esplanade du Port Vieux, 64200 Biarritz

Buckle up my dears! I'm sure you wouldn't mind staying home after this crazy long, hip of a day. You feel exhausted and every muscle of your body is sore. I know! But, come on! You're in Biarritz and the best is yet to come.

You've literally entered paradise and the best view in Biarritz. Order a Moscow Mule, the trendiest cocktail of the summer (it's not on the menu but they'll whip it up just for you). What could be better than watching the sun set on the Rocher de la Vierge while sipping down ginger beer and vodka?! And, if at night it gets a bit crowded, well that's just because you're in the hippest of places! Drink it all in and enjoy the view, my dears.

So, now, do you feel hip? I know, I do! But, maybe that's just the second Moscow Mule talking...