To stroll, discover and taste local products, fill your basket with vacation souvenirs or just for the pleasure of strolling, the markets of the Basque Country punctuate the week with gourmet and convivial events. Discover five markets not to be missed during your stay in the Basque Country.
Bayonne’s covered market
At the foot of the Pyrenees, on the Atlantic coast, 10 km from our Lou P’tit Poun campsite, Bayonne is a city of character where heritage rhymes with gourmet delights from the famous Sainte-Marie cathedral to the Baltard-style Halles. Epicureans will find a wide range of food artisans here: butchers, charcutiers, poulterers, cheesemongers, bakers, fishmongers, wine merchants… Around twenty in all, and the certainty of filling their baskets with quality Basque and Landes products. Now you have no excuse not to eat local during the vacations! Don’t miss the famous Bayonne ham, cured and matured in the Adour basin.
- Daily, 7am to 1pm, Halles de Bayonne
On Saturday mornings, in addition to the Halles, a market of local producers takes place on the Carreau des Halles, the quays of the Nive and the bridges. Around sixty stands offer farm produce, mainly from organic and local agriculture.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz market
A veritable local institution, the Saint-Jean-de-Luz market is one of the most important in the Basque Country. Every Tuesday and Friday morning, it attracts a crowd of gourmets around the red-brick halls of the Cité des Corsaires. A hundred merchants will be on hand to offer you a range of fresh, local produce: fruit, vegetables, seafood, charcuterie, rotisserie, cheese shop, bakery, patisserie… You’ll find everything that delights the taste buds in Basque gastronomy!
- Tuesdays and Fridays, 8am to 1pm, around the covered market, Bd Victor Hugo, 64500 Saint-Jean-de-Luz. In July and August, the Halles market also returns on Saturdays!
Fish lovers? Head for the Halles de Bayonne, near the Ciboure fish market. This temple of gastronomy, with its typical 19th-century architecture, is the ideal place to sample the local catch and stock up on tuna, hake, sea bream, sardines, anchovies and chipirons…
Espelette market
In Espelette, a Basque village famous for its half-timbered houses and its famous red pepper, a small market selling local produce arouses the curiosity of gourmets and takes them to the foot of Mondarrain. From 8am on Wednesday mornings, local producers fill their stalls under the village halls with choice victuals, often based on chillies (but not only). On the menu: Basque charcuterie, meat and cured meats, ewe’s milk cheeses (Ardi Gasna),Irouléguy wine,Itxassou cherry jam, Basque cake, etc. We want to taste everything!
- Wednesday mornings, 8am to 12:30pm, under the village covered market, 64250 Espelette. Every Saturday morning in July and August, a small farmers’ market takes over the Place du Jeu de Paume.
Quintaou market, Anglet
The Quintaou market is the largest market on the Basque coast, a place for strolling and tasting. Every Thursday and Sunday morning, more than 160 exhibitors meet on the
Anglet esplanade
. A must for locals and holidaymakers alike! You’ll find a wide selection of local produce and a whole host of Basque specialities: Bayonneham , Ossau-Iraty, axoa… There are also stands selling snacks and ready-made meals for a quick bite to eat in a friendly atmosphere.
Thursday and Sunday mornings, year-round, 8am to 1pm, Esplanade de Quintaou 64600 Anglet.
The Halles of Biarritz
Located in the heart of the city, in a lively district of
Biarritz
Les Halles market attracts large numbers of visitors under its vast late 19th-century metal framework. A showcase for Southwestern gastronomy and a daily meeting place for Biarritz residents, Les Halles de Biarritz brings together 50 retailers and craftsmen: creameries, fishmongers, greengrocers, butchers, pork butchers, poulterers, bakers… From one hall to the next, there’s no shortage of stalls. The choice is vast, and the quality is top-notch.
Did you know? Les Halles de Biarritz was built in 1885 by Alexandre Ozanne on the site of the former jeu de paume.
- Les Halles de Biarritz is open daily from 7.30am to 2pm; from mid-July to the end of August, from 6pm to 9pm. In July and August, stallholders set up shop every morning around the square for a colorful seasonal market.
photo@alefolsom, pixabay