When we talk about new life and building a house, the Basque Country makes you dream. And there is indeed something to dream about! Choosing to build a house in the Basque Country means enjoying a 100% natural living environment and an ideal climate, between the mountains and the ocean. But also living in the heart of a culture and heritage (especially gastronomic) of rare richness. And finally benefiting from certain economic advantages, whatever the city or village of your choice. Maisons SIC has been building houses in the South West (and the Basque Country) for almost 50 years and presents all the assets of the Basque Country.
The Basque Country: acclaimed for years for the construction of your house
The French are fans of the Basque Country. And since the various confinements, it is a region of France which has taken on more and more value. Especially real estate. And touristy! In 2021, Bayonne was ranked second best city in France where life is good, according to the association Villes et Villages (behind Annecy).
But what are we talking about when we talk about the Basque Country? The Basque Country, or Euskal Herria, is first and foremost a territory where people speak… Basque! And it extends over France but also over Spain. Traditionally, as explained by wikipedia, the Basque Country is described as formed by the union of seven provinces, or historical territories. Four south of the Pyrenees form the Spanish Basque Country (or Southern Basque Country) (Hegoald) and three to the north form the French Basque Country (or Northern Basque Country) (iparralde).
Here, we will only talk about the French Basque Country, which extends from Erbre to Adour, over 20 km500 and which is divided into three provinces:
- The Labourd: located on the Atlantic coast, it hosts the cities of Biarritz, Anglet, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye. Inland, there are also the towns of Espelette, Cambo-les-Bains or Bayonne, capital of Labourd.
- Lower Navarre : its capital is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
- Soulé : with cities like Larrau or Mauléon-Licharre.
Varied landscapes, between countryside, sea and mountains
One of the big advantages of building your house in the Basque Country is that you are in constant contact with nature, even when you live in town. And nature is multiple on this territory!
It is on the Labourd side that you will find the beautiful beaches of the Basque coast with a certain maritime influence. In Anglet, Bidart, Guéthary, Saint-Jean-de-Luz or Hendaye, enjoy magnificent beaches all year round. The mountains and one of the most generous natures dominate in Soule and Lower Navarre. On more than half of the Basque Country, you will find mountains exceeding 400m in height.
The climate of the Basque Country, mild all year round
Varied and Strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the climate of the Basque Country allows nature to flourish and the vegetation is rich and green all year round. By building your new home in the Basque Country, you benefit from a temperate climate and mild temperatures, with regular rainfall in winter and sun almost present all year round (or at least every other day, according to the Basques).
Building your house in the Basque Country: for a land of unique culture and heritage
The Basque Country is not a neutral territory. It is rich in a different language but also in traditions deeply rooted in its history and culture.
Basque culture and heritage: celebrations and sharing
Cultural life is very intense in the Basque Country and the Basques are proud to highlight their cultural heritage: dances and songs are very present during the various cultural events, as well as sport: Basque pelota, Basque power games and all sliding sports (surfing in the lead). And all the inhabitants actively participate in more than 3000 festivities organized during the year, in particular the Bayonne festivals which have existed for more than 80 years.
In terms of Basque heritage, this Country of Art and History has many remarkable sites and monuments: the birthplace of Maurice Ravel, the prehistoric caves of Sare, those of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya, the castle of Urtubie …
Basque gastronomy, a pillar of the region
If there are many seafood products on the shelves of Basque markets, it is for products of the land that the Basque Country is particularly recognized. Sheep's milk cheese (ardi-gasna), duck from the South-West, Espelette pepper, Basque cake, Bayonne ham or Marmitako (a tuna stew).
The undeniable economic assets of the Basque Country
The Basque Country is not a landlocked territory, economically speaking. On the contrary, it is a place where entrepreneurship is very developed, in particular thanks to tourism, which contributes to a reduction in unemployment on the Basque coast (6,6% in Pyrénées Atlantique). Trade is also a highly developed activity in the area.
The Basque Country also benefits from a privileged location at the crossroads of national and cross-border economic axes and leading infrastructures (Port of Bayonne, Biarritz airport, TGV stations, European Freight Centre) which make life easier for its inhabitants. and its openness to other territories, national or international.
Real estate: attractive land prices
To find places where real estate prices have not soared, you must of course move away from the very popular Basque coast. In the land and large rural areas, the prices of land and m2 are still perfectly affordable (for example, when we are around €6 per m680 in Biarritz, we go down to €2 in Saint-Jean- Pied-de-Port.
Real estate figures according to the cities of the Basque Country
Sud-Ouest has recently shown that he is often more interesting to build than to buy old in the Basque Country.
And, in this context, the newspaper has published real estate figures by town and village, which are particularly telling.
Where to build your house in the Basque Country?
If the inland is more financially affordable, some towns near the coast are still very interesting for building a house.
Bayonne, city n°1 of the Basque sweetness of life
As we have seen, Bayonne was ranked the second city in France where life is good, behind Annecy and ahead of Angers and La Rochelle. Unlike its neighbor Biarritz, this city full of charm is still affordable in terms of real estate prices, if you move away from the very popular city center (around 4000 € per m2).
The cities of the Basque coast: choosing outside of Biarritz
A municipality near Bayonne is one of the top 25 cities with more than 2 inhabitants where life is good: Anglet, which is 000st. Its economic dynamism and its maritime atmosphere continue to please. Still on the coastth ranking of the Association of Towns and Villages of France also honors the city of Boucau (145th), as well as Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the city of corsairs (224th), Bidart (274th) and finally Saint-Pierre-d'Irube ranked 371st, but first of the cities counting between 3 and 500 inhabitants!
The villages of the Basque Country: a wise choice for the construction of your new house
If it is sometimes difficult to find land to build your house around the big cities of the Basque Country, the villages can be an interesting solution.
Still within the framework of the survey of the Association of Towns and Villages of France, a village in the Basque Country stands out: Guéthary, on the Basque coast.
But inland, you will find very lively villages, labeled among the “most beautiful villages in France”: Ainhoa, La Bastide Clairence, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Sare. But you also have to count on the very pleasant villages of La Bastide-Clairence, Espelette, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Itxassou, Ustaritz or Arcangues.
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