Saint-Jean-de-Luz : elegance and authenticity

A charming seaside resort with a pronounced Basque identity, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a very popular tourist destination in a privileged setting. Its infrastructures and calendar of events also make it a lively address all year round.

Once a well-known whaling centre, Saint-Jean-de-Luz has been a prestigious seaside resort on the Basque Coast since the 19th century. And for good reason : this little town can count on the appeal of the Bay of Socoa (that it shares with its neighbour, Ciboure), the only protected oceanfront between Arcachon and Spain, and a large sandy beach ideal for safe bathing. While successfully preserving its trad­itions (especially its gastronomy) and architectural heritage (Louis XIV’s House, the House of the Infanta, the harbour lighthouse etc…), it has also developed its tourist amenities (hotels, restaurants, casino, thalassotherapy, golf-courses, TGV station…) to become a particularly well-renowned holiday attraction. Even so, its recently restructured centre, with lots of shops and mostly pedestrian, its primary, intermediate and secondary schools, and “polyclinique” also make it a lively year-round place of residence. Overe 50 % of the commune’s 13,000 inhabitants in fact live here on a permanent basis.

Manageress of Duhart Immobilier, an agency opened in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1979, specializing in property sales in Saint-Jean, Urrugne, Ascain, Sare and Guéthary, Martine Duhart thus mostly deals with this type of client : “They are mainly seniors wanting to settle here permanently for their retirement. They are mostly looking for apartments with terraces, lifts and parking facilities, on the seafront, ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 € per sq. metre, or in the town centre from 5,000 to 6,000 € per sqm”. Younger buyers set their sights more on family homes pegged around Saint-Jean from 450,000 to 500,000 €. “As for new housing, offers are limited in the centre. So most transactions take place on the outskirts, where the choice is much wider. Prices are then around 4,000 € per sqm.” According to Martine Duhart, prices on the local market have stabilized following minor adjustments on the downside.

Also based in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Caroline Laffontan, manageress of Laffontan Immobilier, an agency opened in 2010, specializes in sales of charming properties on the commune, the neighbouring Ciboure and other nearby villages : “Comprised of ex-pats, buyers from Bordeaux, Toulouse and Paris, our clients are mostly in search of a holiday home which will become permanent when they retire. They are often people who have spent their childhood holidays on the Basque Coast, and have kept strong ties with the region”. They are looking for 2- or 3-bedroomed apartments of 80 to 120 m2, ranging from 500,000 to 550,000 €, or 650,000 to 700,000 € if they benefit from a lift and parking place. “Apartments enjoying views of the ocean are pegged from 10,000 to 14,000 € per sqm. Town houses are also highly coveted : offering living space of 140 to 180 m2 - usually with 4 bed­rooms -, they sell with a small garden for close on 1 M € in the centre, or from 650,000 to 1 M € on the outskirts.” On this atypical market where demand for properties of quality exceeds supply, Caroline Laffontan says that prices are steady, though negotiations now take longer than before.