St. Jean de Luz
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Waterfront
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 Saint-Jean-de-Luz
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Location within Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
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| Coordinates: 43°23′N 1°40′W / 43.39°N 1.66°WCoordinates: 43°23′N 1°40′W / 43.39°N 1.66°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
| Arrondissement | Bayonne |
| Canton | Saint-Jean-de-Luz |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Pierre Duhart |
| Area1 | 19 km2 (7 sq mi) |
| Population (2007)2 | 13,728 |
| • Density | 720/km2 (1,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 64483 / 64500 |
| Elevation | 0–84 m (0–276 ft) (avg. 6 m or 20 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Basque: Donibane Lohizune , Spanish: San Juan de Luz) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the Basque province of Labourd (Lapurdi).
Saint-Jean-de-Luz bay is situated to the east of the Bay of Biscay. It is the only sheltered bay between Arcachon and Spain. Thanks to its strong sea walls or dykes that protect the town from the full savagery of the Atlantic Ocean, it has become a favorite for bathers across the Basque Coast. Although the seaside resort itself is relatively recent, the port itself is several centuries old, with the most prominent point in its history being the marriage in 1660 of Louis XIV and the Spanish princess Maria Teresa.
Water from the area flows into the town from the Nivelle and its smaller tributaries, the Etxeberri, Isaka and Xantako streams. There is also the Basarun, and its smaller tributary the Mendi, which passes directly through Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The river has been made accessible to boats and it joins the sea by the Erromardia beach. A branch of the Uhabia, an emblematic river in the neighbouring Bidart district, and its smaller Amisola tributary, also pass to the sea through St Jean de Luz.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz straddles Route départementale D810, the old Route nationale 10. The town can be reached from the A63 motorway, Exit 3 (Saint-Jean-de-Luz Nord) and Exit 2 (Saint-Jean-de-Luz Sud). The Saint-Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure railway station is served by the SNCF Bordeaux to Irun route. Biarritz Airport is the closest airport to Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
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Wikipedia