Winter
Dec → Feb12 to 14°
nights 5 to 7°
- 14 rainy days · 150 mm
- 6.1 h of sun
- sea 13°
When is the best time to visit the French Basque Country?
- Jan12°not recommended
- Feb14°not recommended
- Mar16°not recommended
- Apr17°fair
- May20°recommended
- Jun23°recommended
- Jul24°recommended
- Aug25°recommended
- Sep24°recommended
- Oct21°recommended
- Nov16°fair
- Dec13°not recommended
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
The weather in the French Basque Country, month by month
The table of records, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Sunshine | Rainfall | Rainy days | Sea | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12° | 5° | 5.7 h | 135 mm | 13 d | 13° | |
| February | 14° | 7° | 7 h | 98 mm | 12 d | 12° | |
| March | 16° | 8° | 8.4 h | 129 mm | 15 d | 13° | |
| April | 17° | 9° | 9.9 h | 104 mm | 13 d | 15° | |
| May | 20° | 13° | 11 h | 110 mm | 15 d | 17° | ✓ |
| June | 23° | 16° | 11.4 h | 116 mm | 15 d | 21° | ✓ |
| July | 24° | 17° | 12.1 h | 51 mm | 8 d | 23° | ✓ |
| August | 25° | 18° | 11.7 h | 73 mm | 11 d | 24° | ✓ |
| September | 24° | 16° | 10.2 h | 147 mm | 13 d | 23° | ✓ |
| October | 21° | 13° | 7.8 h | 138 mm | 13 d | 20° | ✓ |
| November | 16° | 9° | 6.3 h | 197 mm | 14 d | 17° | |
| December | 13° | 7° | 5.5 h | 217 mm | 17 d | 14° |
The four seasons in the French Basque Country, in figures
What the 2015-2024 records (Biarritz) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
Spring
Mar → May16 to 20°
nights 8 to 13°
- 14 rainy days · 114 mm
- 9.8 h of sun
- sea 15°
Summer
Jun → Aug23 to 25°
nights 16 to 18°
- 11 rainy days · 80 mm
- 11.7 h of sun
- sea 23°
Autumn
Sep → Nov16 to 24°
nights 9 to 16°
- 13 rainy days · 161 mm
- 8.1 h of sun
- sea 20°
Book early for May to October
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
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Daylight in the French Basque Country, month by month
The time between sunrise and sunset, from shortest to longest. Not to be confused with the sunshine hours in the table above, which count clear skies. In June there are 15h24 of daylight, in December 8h58, a difference of 6h26.
9h17Jan
10h26Feb
11h48Mar
13h22Apr
14h41May
15h24Jun
15h06Jul
13h57Aug
12h26Sep
10h56Oct
9h37Nov
8h58Dec
Calculated for the latitude of the reference point "Biarritz" (43.48°). Values on the 15th of each month, local solar time.
What to do in the French Basque Country, month by month
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EventsFêtes de BayonneJuly to AugustTuna Festival in Saint-Jean-de-LuzJulyDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
- Hiking: July
- Beach & swimming: July, August, September
- Towns & culture: February, July, August
- Long days: May, June, July
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall, sea), not from an opinion.
What's on in the French Basque Country, month by month?
What comes back every year, and when. One of these events fills the hotels and pushes prices up: something to aim for or to avoid, depending on what you want.
- July to AugustFêtes de Bayonne big crowds
The whole town dresses in white and red for five days of brass bands, bullfights and tables set up outdoors, around the first weekend of August.
- JulyTuna Festival in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
The port grills tuna in the open air, brass bands play on the quays and long tables take over the seafront, in early July.
Travelling off-peak
Month by month, in detail
January
Not recommended12°5° at night
- 135 mm · 13 d
- 5.7 h
- sea 13°
Low season, lower prices
February
Not recommended14°7° at night
- 98 mm · 12 d
- 7 h
- sea 12°
Low season, lower prices
March
Not recommended16°8° at night
- 129 mm · 15 d
- 8.4 h
- sea 13°
Low season, lower prices
April
Fair17°9° at night
- 104 mm · 13 d
- 9.9 h
- sea 15°
Low season, lower prices
May
Recommended20°13° at night
- 110 mm · 15 d
- 11 h
- sea 17°
Busy, without the crush
June
Recommended23°16° at night
- 116 mm · 15 d
- 11.4 h
- sea 21°
Busy, without the crush
July
Recommended24°17° at night
- 51 mm · 8 d
- 12.1 h
- sea 23°
High season, book early
August
Recommended25°18° at night
- 73 mm · 11 d
- 11.7 h
- sea 24°
High season, book early
September
Recommended24°16° at night
- 147 mm · 13 d
- 10.2 h
- sea 23°
Busy, without the crush
October
Recommended21°13° at night
- 138 mm · 13 d
- 7.8 h
- sea 20°
Busy, without the crush
November
Fair16°9° at night
- 197 mm · 14 d
- 6.3 h
- sea 17°
Low season, lower prices
December
Not recommended13°7° at night
- 217 mm · 17 d
- 5.5 h
- sea 14°
Quiet, then the holidays
Read the twelve months in detail
January. Cool: 12 °C at best, 5 °C at night. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (135 mm). Sunshine gets scarcer (5.7 h a day). Sea at 13 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
February. Cool: 14 °C at best, 7 °C at night. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (98 mm). Expect 7 h of sunshine a day. Sea at 12 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
March. Cool: 16 °C at best, 8 °C at night. A very wet month, 129 mm of rain over 15 days. Expect 8.4 h of sunshine a day. Sea at 13 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
April. Cool: 17 °C at best, 9 °C at night. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (104 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 9.9 h a day on average. Sea at 15 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
May. Mild, 20 °C in the afternoon and 13 °C early in the morning. Frequent rain: 110 mm over 15 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11 h a day on average. Sea at 17 °C, too cold to swim. Busy season, without the crush.
June. Mild, 23 °C in the afternoon and 16 °C early in the morning. Frequent rain: 116 mm over 15 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.4 h a day on average. Cool sea (21 °C), for the brave. Busy season, without the crush.
July. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 17 °C early in the morning. Expect 8 days of rain in the month (51 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 12.1 h a day on average. The sea is at 23 °C: pleasant swimming. High season: book early.
August. 25 °C in the afternoon and 18 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (73 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 11.7 h a day on average. The sea is at 24 °C: pleasant swimming. High season: book early.
September. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 16 °C early in the morning. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (147 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.2 h a day on average. The sea is at 23 °C: pleasant swimming. Busy season, without the crush.
October. Mild, 21 °C in the afternoon and 13 °C early in the morning. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (138 mm). Expect 7.8 h of sunshine a day. Cool sea (20 °C), for the brave. Busy season, without the crush.
November. Cool: 16 °C at best, 9 °C at night. Frequent rain: 197 mm over 14 days. Expect 6.3 h of sunshine a day. Sea at 17 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
December. Cool: 13 °C at best, 7 °C at night. A very wet month, 217 mm of rain over 17 days. Sunshine gets scarcer (5.5 h a day). Sea at 14 °C, too cold to swim. Quiet at the start of the month, then busier as the holidays approach.
Same season, other ideas
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the French Basque Country?
May to October: over these months, recorded highs range from 20 to 25 °C, with 13 days of rain a month on average (2015-2024 records, Biarritz).
Which month should you avoid in the French Basque Country?
December: it is the wettest of the months to avoid, with 217 mm over 17 days of rain on average, according to 2015-2024 records at the reference point (Biarritz).
What is the hottest month in the French Basque Country?
August, with 25 °C on average in the afternoon and 18 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Biarritz).
What is the coldest month in the French Basque Country?
January, with 12 °C at best during the day and 5 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Biarritz).
What is the driest month in the French Basque Country?
July: 51 mm over 8 days of rain, against 217 mm in December, the wettest month.
Which month has the most sunshine in the French Basque Country?
July, with 12.1 h of sunshine a day on average. Note that this counts clear skies, not the length of the day.
When can you swim in the French Basque Country?
The water reaches 22 °C or more in July, August, September (warmest 24 °C in August), measured in 2023-2024 on the nearest coast (Biarritz).
When is the best time to hike in the French Basque Country?
July: highs between 12 and 29 °C and no more than 9 days of rain a month according to 2015-2024 records (Biarritz), the safest windows for walking.
Plan this trip
📒 The free printable French Basque Country guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→
🧭 When to visit France: the country overview→
🗓️ Best time to visit: all our destinations→
Compare with other destinations
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