Espelette
Espelette / Ezpeleta
A Basque hill village famous for its red peppers. Its white houses with red shutters are hung with strings of drying chillies, making it the most photogenic village in autumn.
Espelette pepper carries the French Protected Designation of Origin label. Its flavour is mild and fruity, and it is an essential seasoning in Basque cooking. Toward the end of summer and into early autumn, households hang strings of peppers on their walls. The Espelette Pepper Festival takes place on the last weekend of October. The village has pepper shops, a chocolate workshop and an 11th-century castle, which now houses the town hall and an exhibition space. The village car park charges a fee. The drive from Biarritz takes about 30 minutes, and you can combine Espelette with Ainhoa and Sare in a single day trip.
Opening hours
Open all day (shops approx. 10 am–6 pm)
Nearby sights
- Villa Arnaga
- Ainhoa
- Grottes de Sare
- Musée Basque et de l'Histoire de Bayonne
- Bayonne Old Town & Cathedral
- La Rhune Rack Railway
- Cité de l'Océan
- Guéthary