Mr & Mrs Smith

Play golf at one of the 12 courses within easy reach of Arguibel. Take a day trip to San Sebastián over the border, just 30 minutes’ drive away, where the La Concha beach is better suited to swimming than those local to Guéthary. If it’s the surf you’ve come for, book into surf school www.ecoledesurf-quiksilver.com: a five-day beginner course costs €170. 

Don’t be fooled by the Spanish name, Le Madrid on Place PJ Toulet serves traditional French dishes such as côte de boeuf with béarnaise sauce and has a spacious terrace on the square (www.lemadrid.com). Michelin-starred Les Frères Ibarboure on Chemin de Ttalianea in Bidart (+33 (0)5 59 54 81 64; www.freresibarboure.com) serves dishes such as lamb sweetbreads and madeira-laced foie gras – opt for the 18th-century, lofty beam-ceilinged dining room by evening or the sunny terrace for lunch. Also in Bidart, on Rue de L’Ouhabia just 50 metres from the sea, is Restaurant La Cucaracha, where you can join the locals in enjoying prime beef cuts and super-fresh sea bream in the brightly painted restaurant, decked with guitars, old photos and rustic murals (+33 (0)5 59 54 92 89). Try the cod à l’espagnol or the veal stew with peppers at La Ferme Ostalapia on Chemin d’Ostalapia in Ahetze. Originally an old inn, the dining room is trad country in style with an enormous fireplace. The gingham-clothed tables on the terrace have mesmerizing mountain views (+33 (0)5 59 54 73 79; www.ostalapia.fr). Indulge in a lazy lunch of freshly caught fish on the deck at Tantina de la Playa – set on a hill above the beach on Rue de la Plage du Centre in Bidart (+33 (0)5 59 26 53 56).

Scarlet-awninged Bar Basque enjoys a corner spot on the main square, Place PJ Toulet, flanked with adjacent terraces. Linger over beers, graze on peanuts, charcuterie and cheeses. There’s often live music here, too (+33 (0)5 59 26 55 00).

Bag a deckchair on the grass at fishing net- and buoy-draped Cenitz Ostatua on the Plage de Cenitz in Guéthary and let the lapping waves serenade your aperitifs. There’s also a small restaurant here, serving Basque speciality garlic-roasted squid (chipirons) but you’ll need to book one of their picnic-style tables (+ 33 (0)5 59 26 59 16; www.cenitz.fr). Browse the board shorts in 2ndsky on the Chemin du Port, then head upstairs to the café for snacks and paninis (+33 (0)05 59 54 72 56).