From the Oxford dictionary, a corniche¨ is road cut into the edge of a cliff, especially one running along a coast.¨ The 10KM of coastal road connecting Hendaye to Saint-Jean-de-Luz fits this description well. It was built in 1928 at the foot of the Pyrenees where the steep cliffs plunge into the sea. The road is often simply referred to as the Corniche. We rode this stretch on our bikes last year and recognized its beauty but also its crazy level of traffic. To be honest, it was hard to completely enjoy the coast ride. It is reported that between 9K and 16K vehicles travel this road every day depending on the season.
We considered that we might give the ride another try but upon arriving in Hendaye we discovered that it was closed. The explanation was that it has been closed for a period of three weeks, for experimental reasons. Over time because of coastal erosion it may collapse, so 4 km of road is forbidden to all - pedestrians, bicycles and cars, and horse riders Not obeying the signs here and you are liable for a fine of €35. The experiment is to see if the road is closed, where will all 10K or so cars all go? Well, yesterday we saw the result first hand. Huge traffic back ups several kilometres back from the coast at Urrugne.
This picture was taken last year of Pat just beside the corniche road.
So instead of riding the famous corniche route we walked to the barricade on the road to see if for ourselves (we have a thing about route barrées) and then backtracked through a nature preserve along the coast back to Hendaye. The 8KM walk was often in a bushy areas but near the end of the walk the path follows a ledge above the coast providing some great views.
A view of Hendaye from last year. We walked the bluff area that juts out into the sea in the middle of the picture. The Route de la Corniche would be along the coast just beyond, heading north.
A route barrée that we would be inclined not to ignore. The detour required is a long way around by bike but there were several trains that could take us to Saint Jean de Luz in a matter of minutes.
Looking across at Hondambia, Spain there are very large apartments / condos right on the beach. This is completely different than the buildings at Hendaye beach.
Many buildings on Hendye`s Boulevard de la Mer are larger two story buildings. Some may have been built for a large family or were small hotels. A couple of these well built structures are in complete disrepair. Many years ago they may have been demolished for condominiums (you can see an example on the far right) that are further along the beach. There are no large towers here. It appears now that these older Basque homes may be protected from being demolished. As a result the character of this beach is fantastic. A side note - early June on a nice day and there are about a dozen people on the beach in this picture.
Street in Hendaye leading to the beach. In early June it is a quiet beachfront town. I suspect it gets very busy in the summer months. Still it is a really appealing sized beach town.
The Eskualduna is the nicest building in the town. It was a former luxury hotel dating from the 1910s. It was the place of all social events during the Roaring Twenties, when the fashion for sea bathing was in full swing. It was converted into private residences in 1951. Some of the rooms do show up on Booking.com.
We have sadly reached the end of our tour and this blog. We will be getting on a train tomorrow for Toulouse and then flying back home in a couple more days. Thank you to everyone who followed our journey. We have really enjoyed all the comments and interest. To finish the day`s blog here are a few snaps of us enjoying our last evening in Hendaye. We will miss it all!
Rich FrasierI really enjoyed your journal. I remain impressed at how you casually cycle over big cols with bags on your Bike Fridays. Amazing! Thanks for keeping the journal! Reply to this comment 6 months ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesWe rode the Corniche a couple of months ago. It's always scary. Next time, if we are forced inland, it might be for the better! Reply to this comment 6 months ago
Eva WaltersThank you for your journal. Very interesting reading and an impressive number of cols! Also I enjoyed seeing a couple of accommodation coincidences with hotels we stayed in in Beziers and Cucugnan. Reply to this comment 6 months ago
Scott FenwickTo Rich FrasierThanks for following along. You are so very lucky to live in such a wonderful cycling area. We owe a lot of our motivation to the CB community who have previously written about their experiences. We are not fast and as you so aptly in your blog - it is just a matter of starting, and then turning the pedals until you get to where you want to go. Reply to this comment 6 months ago
Scott FenwickThank you for following us to the end of the tour. We continue to enjoy the challenge and are pleased to document it along the way. Reply to this comment 6 months ago
