A stylish beach town on France’s southwestern coast, Biarritz was once the vacation spot for nobility and is now Europe’s surfing capital. It’s experienced a tourist renaissance—summers are busy. Biarritz lacks the Riviera’s glitz, but you’ll see affluent vacationers in designer gear and surfers in flip-flops, and hear French, Spanish and Basque. The Grande Plage is the center of the action. Behind it, visit the restored, Art Deco casino and wander the streets down to the old port to the west. more »