Hendaye (France)

Hendaye is a port town in southwestern France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region (Pyrenees-Atlantiques department) with population around 17,000. This is also France's southwestermost seaside resort town and located on River Bidassoa (France-Spain border mark) where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. This destination is also famous for Pheasant Island (Ile des Faisans, aka "Isla de los Faisanes" in Spanish and "Konpantzia" in Basque).

The island is uninhabited and located in Bidasoa River (between France and Spain). Since 1659 (following the Treaty of the Pyrenees) the authority over Pheasant Island alternates (every six months) between France and Spain.

Hendaye Marina is a large-capacity boating facility (deepwater harbor) used for mooring/berthing yachts and leisure boats. The Marina is also used as cruise port for smaller-sized luxury passenger ships which anchor at sea and transport the tourists ashore via the ship's tender boats. In 2019-2020-2021, Hendaye was included in the schedule of the all-inclusive cruise company Seabourn.

Train service run since 1864, when was opened the railway line linking directly Madrid with Paris. Hendaye's resort tourism industry started to develop in the mid-19th-century. Current-day Hendaye is divided into three parts - downtown (around the railway station) with an industrial zone, beachside quarter and hills (lined up with luxury villas and camping sites). The town has numerous affordable hotels and also private apartments and villas for rent.

Best-known tourist attractions include the downtown square (with an outdoor market open on Wednesdays), Croix d'Hendaye (17th-century stone cross carved with alchemical symbols), Saint-Vincent Church (was16th-century), fortification ruins (early-17th-century, with cannons), Antoine d'Abbadie Chateau, Casino (late-19th-century), Caneta (old fishing port with views of Hondarribia Spain), Jumeaux rocks (two rock stacks carved out of the cliffs by the waves), several summer festivals (held annually in May-June-July-August).