Hendaye
Encyclopedia
Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune
in France
, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
department and located in the traditional province
Lapurdi (Labourd) of the French Basque Country
. The town is a popular seaside tourist resort by the Atlantic
coast, the "Côte Basque", lying at the same time on the right bank of the Bidassoa, which marks the border with Irún
, Spain
. It is currently the fifth largest commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and fourth urban area.
The town is arranged in two distinguishable parts: on the one side, the primal nucleus stretching from the church Saint Vincent to the area around the SNCF terminus and, on the other, the quarter developed next to the beach by the ocean, with a clear tourist vocation. The latest development (Sokoburu) has taken place in the most westerly sand spit located by the mouth of the river Bidassoa.
from the Urrugne
parish in 1598, when the Saint Vincent church was built. During the Franco-Spanish War, the town was briefly occupied by the Spanish
, in September 1636.
On the fortified Île des Faisans ("Pheasant Island") in the river, the Treaty of the Pyrenees
was signed in 1659, ending decades of intermittent war between France and Spain. Authority over the Île changes between France and Spain every six months.
All the same, the village kept being subject to destruction due to cross-border military activity. In the period following the rise of Napoleon to prominence, the village was levelled to the ground on this account, as described in 1799 by Wilhelm von Humboldt
: "The settlement spreads over a rather wide area, and seems to have looked clean and pleasant time ago. Currently all the houses, but for a handful of them, lie destroyed. The empty walls can barely stand, while the ground before inhabited on is covered with overgrown bush and hawthorn. Ivy creeps up the walls, out of all but crumbling windows the desolate ocean can be seen through the room. Shells can still be come across the street here and there, but hardly ever can one bump into a person. Most of the inhabitants either perished in the danger and the helplessness of the runaway or they scattered across other places."
In 1864 the railway arrived in Hendaye, re-shaping for ever the human and urban landscape of the village and prompting a quick development.
In October 23, 1940, Ramón Serrano Súñer
, Francisco Franco
, Adolf Hitler
and Joachim von Ribbentrop
met in the Hendaye railway station
(then in German-occupied France) to discuss Spain's participation in World War II
as part of the Axis.
Franco, uneasy about committing his nation to another conflict so soon after the Spanish Civil War
, was not convinced, and Hitler decided not to force the issue. Spain was officially neutral during the following five years of the war, though very much a pro-Axis state.
", a stone cross carved with alchemical symbols that occultists find to contain encrypted information on a future global catastrophe. The church of Saint-Vincent was built in 1598, and largely reconstructed over the centuries following fires and bombardments. Its most recent transformation was finished in 1968. The 13th-century crucifix is the principal treasure.
The ruins
of the early seventeenth century fortifications, which were reinforced by Vauban
in 1685, and the old cannons facing Hondarribia
, are one of the features of the promenade along the Bay of Txingudi waterfront.
The seafront Château of Antoine d'Abbadie, built by the architect and theorist Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
is a monument of the Gothic Revival.
The Casino building, of Neo-Moorish style, was built in 1885. It used to be occupied by a casino
(hence the name), until it was moved to the quartier de Sokoburu.
The picturesque old fishing port of Caneta has views over the Bay of Txingudi to Hondarribia and the Jaizkibel
, and is also the site of Pierre Loti
's house and the old customs
building.
The Jumeaux rocks have become somewhat emblematic to Hendaye. These two high rock stacks
, which have been carved out of the cliffs by wave action, are visible from the beach
or from the domaine d'Abbadia, a nature park on the edge of the commune related to the Conservatoire du littoral
project.
, among others, have played here.
Concerts can be organised in the Cinéma les Variétés, which also has a high capacity.
The closed market is a good place for starting-out local bands to stage small concerts. Rather than a pub scene, local bands often play in Hendaye's many campsites in the summer.
The Lanetik Egina music club is the hub of Hendaye's music scene. It has a very good reputation and organises regular concerts. It is also a place where musicians of all ages can meet up and form bands.
Perhaps the most successful band to come from Hendaye is the basque ska-punk band Skunk, who have made many albums.
, dancing, and performance arts. There is also a cinema at Sokoburu, near the quartier de la Plage, called the Salle Antoine d'Abbadie, but it is only used on special occasions.
The Théâtre des Chimères, from Biarritz
, regularly perform at Hendaye.
offering the rental of books, magazines, films, and CDs. There is also an art gallery, which is the main one for Hendaye.
January
May
June
July
August
Hendaye is locally well-known for the quality of its txurros
.
use a broader
gauge
than continental Europe, with the French railway network
finishing here on the banks of the Bidasoa. There is also a station serving the beach quarter (Hendaye Plage) prior to the terminus, called the Gare des Deux Jumeaux. A Basque regional train line from Euskotren
linking the town to Donostia-San Sebastián gets right to Hendaye, by the SNCF station.
There has been recent controversy concerning the new LGV Sud Europe Atlantique
(TGV
line), which is planned to pass inland of Hendaye without stopping in or anywhere near the town itself. Most of the local population, along with that of the rest of the Côte Basque, are in favour of the TGV, but against the new line, which would destroy the surrounding countryside, bypassing the town completely. It has therefore been suggested to upgrade the present line to make it suitable for the TGV, with a stop at Hendaye station. It is argued that this would also be much less expensive, and stimulate the local economy.
to the south is the only other official member of the urban area. However, Béhobie, a quartier of Urrugne
, situated between the communes of Hendaye and Biriatou, is generally regarded as a much more significant part of the agglomeration.
, Scotland
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department and located in the traditional province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
Lapurdi (Labourd) of the French Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
. The town is a popular seaside tourist resort by the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast, the "Côte Basque", lying at the same time on the right bank of the Bidassoa, which marks the border with Irún
Irun
Irun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is currently the fifth largest commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and fourth urban area.
The town is arranged in two distinguishable parts: on the one side, the primal nucleus stretching from the church Saint Vincent to the area around the SNCF terminus and, on the other, the quarter developed next to the beach by the ocean, with a clear tourist vocation. The latest development (Sokoburu) has taken place in the most westerly sand spit located by the mouth of the river Bidassoa.
History
Hendaye acquired its independenceIndependence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
from the Urrugne
Urrugne
Urrugne is a village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-External links:*...
parish in 1598, when the Saint Vincent church was built. During the Franco-Spanish War, the town was briefly occupied by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in September 1636.
On the fortified Île des Faisans ("Pheasant Island") in the river, the Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
was signed in 1659, ending decades of intermittent war between France and Spain. Authority over the Île changes between France and Spain every six months.
All the same, the village kept being subject to destruction due to cross-border military activity. In the period following the rise of Napoleon to prominence, the village was levelled to the ground on this account, as described in 1799 by Wilhelm von Humboldt
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Humboldt was a German philosopher, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of Humboldt Universität. He is especially remembered as a linguist who made important contributions to the philosophy of language and to the theory and practice...
: "The settlement spreads over a rather wide area, and seems to have looked clean and pleasant time ago. Currently all the houses, but for a handful of them, lie destroyed. The empty walls can barely stand, while the ground before inhabited on is covered with overgrown bush and hawthorn. Ivy creeps up the walls, out of all but crumbling windows the desolate ocean can be seen through the room. Shells can still be come across the street here and there, but hardly ever can one bump into a person. Most of the inhabitants either perished in the danger and the helplessness of the runaway or they scattered across other places."
In 1864 the railway arrived in Hendaye, re-shaping for ever the human and urban landscape of the village and prompting a quick development.
In October 23, 1940, Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer , was a Spanish politician during the first stages of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, the Spanish State, between 1938 and 1942, when he held the posts of President of the Political Junta Política of Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS , and Interior and...
, Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Joachim von Ribbentrop
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
met in the Hendaye railway station
Meeting at Hendaye
The Meeting of Hendaye, or interview of Hendaye took place between Francisco Franco and Adolf Hitler ....
(then in German-occupied France) to discuss Spain's participation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the Axis.
Franco, uneasy about committing his nation to another conflict so soon after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, was not convinced, and Hitler decided not to force the issue. Spain was officially neutral during the following five years of the war, though very much a pro-Axis state.
Sights
The town square, where there is a weekly open-air market on Wednesdays, is the location of the famous seventeenth century "Great Cross of HendayeGreat Cross of Hendaye
The Great Cross of Hendaye is a stone cross located on the town square of Hendaye, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in southwestern France....
", a stone cross carved with alchemical symbols that occultists find to contain encrypted information on a future global catastrophe. The church of Saint-Vincent was built in 1598, and largely reconstructed over the centuries following fires and bombardments. Its most recent transformation was finished in 1968. The 13th-century crucifix is the principal treasure.
The ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of the early seventeenth century fortifications, which were reinforced by Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
in 1685, and the old cannons facing Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
, are one of the features of the promenade along the Bay of Txingudi waterfront.
The seafront Château of Antoine d'Abbadie, built by the architect and theorist Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.-Early years:...
is a monument of the Gothic Revival.
The Casino building, of Neo-Moorish style, was built in 1885. It used to be occupied by a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
(hence the name), until it was moved to the quartier de Sokoburu.
The picturesque old fishing port of Caneta has views over the Bay of Txingudi to Hondarribia and the Jaizkibel
Jaizkibel
Jaizkibel is mountain range of the Basque Country located east of Pasaia, north of Lezo and west of Hondarribia, in Spain, with 547 m at the highest point . The range stretches south-west to north-east, where it plunges into the sea at the Cape Higuer...
, and is also the site of Pierre Loti
Pierre Loti
Pierre Loti was a French novelist and naval officer.-Biography:Loti's education began in his birthplace, Rochefort, Charente-Maritime. At the age of seventeen he entered the naval school in Brest and studied at Le Borda. He gradually rose in his profession, attaining the rank of captain in 1906...
's house and the old customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
building.
The Jumeaux rocks have become somewhat emblematic to Hendaye. These two high rock stacks
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
, which have been carved out of the cliffs by wave action, are visible from the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
or from the domaine d'Abbadia, a nature park on the edge of the commune related to the Conservatoire du littoral
Conservatoire du littoral
The Conservatoire du littoral is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas on the coast, banks of lakes and stretches of water of 10 square kilometres or more...
project.
Music
Hendaye doesn't have any specific music venues, but there are many places where bands can play. The covered pelota fronton at Belcenia has a high capacity and the basque folk band Oskorri have played here on more than one occasion. In summer, bigger bands can play in open air at the Hendaye Plage Rugby pitch. Toure KundaTouré Kunda
Touré Kunda is a Senegalese musical group whose 20-year career encompasses recordings in six languages and collaborations with well-known musicians such as Carlos Santana...
, among others, have played here.
Concerts can be organised in the Cinéma les Variétés, which also has a high capacity.
The closed market is a good place for starting-out local bands to stage small concerts. Rather than a pub scene, local bands often play in Hendaye's many campsites in the summer.
The Lanetik Egina music club is the hub of Hendaye's music scene. It has a very good reputation and organises regular concerts. It is also a place where musicians of all ages can meet up and form bands.
Perhaps the most successful band to come from Hendaye is the basque ska-punk band Skunk, who have made many albums.
Theatre and performance
The Cinéma les Variétés is a large classic theatre and cinema, which is a regular venue for theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, dancing, and performance arts. There is also a cinema at Sokoburu, near the quartier de la Plage, called the Salle Antoine d'Abbadie, but it is only used on special occasions.
The Théâtre des Chimères, from Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, regularly perform at Hendaye.
Art and literature
The Médiathèque municipale François Mitterrand is a public libraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
offering the rental of books, magazines, films, and CDs. There is also an art gallery, which is the main one for Hendaye.
Events
These a few of the regular festivals in Hendaye:January
- Bixintxo (St Vincent)
May
- Mai du théâtre (theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
festival throughout the month)
June
- Fête du cidre (ciderCiderCider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
festival) - Fête de la musique (music festival)
July
- Fête de la Mer (festival of the Sea)
August
- Fête Basque (basque festival)
Gastronomy
Most of the town's restaurants are found in the quartier de la Plage and along the Bay of Txingudi waterfront.Hendaye is locally well-known for the quality of its txurros
Churro
A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack that has disputed origins. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. There are two types of churros in Spain....
.
Transport
The town is an important railway junction, as Spain's mainline trainsRENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
use a broader
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
than continental Europe, with the French railway network
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
finishing here on the banks of the Bidasoa. There is also a station serving the beach quarter (Hendaye Plage) prior to the terminus, called the Gare des Deux Jumeaux. A Basque regional train line from Euskotren
EuskoTren
EuskoTren is a commuter rail service which operates in the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos...
linking the town to Donostia-San Sebastián gets right to Hendaye, by the SNCF station.
There has been recent controversy concerning the new LGV Sud Europe Atlantique
LGV Sud Europe Atlantique
The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique , also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest, is a high-speed railway line in the early stages of construction, running between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. When built, it will be used by TGV trains operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. The project has been...
(TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
line), which is planned to pass inland of Hendaye without stopping in or anywhere near the town itself. Most of the local population, along with that of the rest of the Côte Basque, are in favour of the TGV, but against the new line, which would destroy the surrounding countryside, bypassing the town completely. It has therefore been suggested to upgrade the present line to make it suitable for the TGV, with a stop at Hendaye station. It is argued that this would also be much less expensive, and stimulate the local economy.
Agglomeration
The commune of BiriatouBiriatou
Biriatou is a small village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France....
to the south is the only other official member of the urban area. However, Béhobie, a quartier of Urrugne
Urrugne
Urrugne is a village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-External links:*...
, situated between the communes of Hendaye and Biriatou, is generally regarded as a much more significant part of the agglomeration.
Twin towns
Hendaye currently has two twin towns: PeeblesPeebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Notable people
- Pierre LotiPierre LotiPierre Loti was a French novelist and naval officer.-Biography:Loti's education began in his birthplace, Rochefort, Charente-Maritime. At the age of seventeen he entered the naval school in Brest and studied at Le Borda. He gradually rose in his profession, attaining the rank of captain in 1906...
lived and died here (1894-1923. His house in Hendaye, Bakhar-Etchea ('La maison du solitaire'), still exists.
- Martin GuerreMartin GuerreMartin Guerre, a French peasant of the 16th century, was at the center of a famous case of imposture. Several years after the man had left his wife, child, and village, a man claiming to be Guerre arrived. He lived with Guerre's wife and son for three years. The false Martin Guerre was tried,...
was born in Hendaye. - Etienne PellotEtienne PellotEtienne Pellot "Montvieux", aka le Renard Basque , , was the last known French corsair, renowned for his bravery and success....
was born and died here. - Antoine d'Abbadie lived here.
- Joachim LabroucheJoachim LabroucheJoseph-Joachim Labrouche was a French politician.Labrouche played an important role in the Napoleonic Empire and received the Légion d'Honneur on 25 January 1815....
was born in Hendaye. - Robert Basauri, a rugby player who has been selected for the French national teamFrance national rugby union teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, was born in Hendaye and played with the Stade Hendayais. - The professional rugby player Jean-Michel Esponda was born in Hendaye and played with the Stade Hendayais. He has been selected many times for the French national team.
- Bixente LizarazuBixente LizarazuBixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
grew up here and played with the Eglantins. - The Junior World surfing champion Pauline Ado is a native and resident of Hendaye, and started surfing here.
- The Turkish poet Melih Cevdet AndayMelih Cevdet AndayMelih Cevdet Anday , Turkish poet and writer who has been one of the forefront poets of the Garip movement together with Orhan Veli and Oktay Rifat....
's surname is the Turkish pronunciation of Hendaye.
Sports
- It is the western end of the GR 10 long distance footpath.
- It marks the beginning (or end) of the Raid Pyreneen long distance cycle challenge.
- Hendaye has a RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and handballTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
clubClubA club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
, the Stade Hendayais, which was founded in 1908. - It has a football club, the Eglantins.
- It has a surfSurfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
club, the Bidasoa Surf Club. - Hendaye is a popular surfingSurfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
destination renowned for its soft beach break waves suitable for beginners. - Since 2004, the world conception center for the watersports brand TribordDecathlon GroupDecathlon is a major French sporting good chain store, with stores located throughout the world. It started with a shop near Lille, France in 1976. It expanded to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992 and the United Kingdom in 1999. It entered the American market by purchasing the New England 20-store...
is located in Hendaye. - Hendaye is renowned for its marinaMarinaA marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
, which has 850 places, making it the third largest in AquitaineAquitaineAquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. - The Endaika rowingRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
club was founded in 1889 and won three silver medals in the french championships in 2006 and 2007. - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
players from around the world gather for the Summer tennis tournament.