French & Surf for teens in Biarritz, France

Suitability

This course package offers a highly social study experience to teenagers aged 15 to 17 and allows them to put their language skills into practice with peers from around the world.

All students must be proficient swimmers to participate in the surfing activities. A swim test is held on the Sunday before the course begins. French tuition is suitable for all levels, from complete beginner right up to advanced. Lessons cover a range of skills including practical communication, grammatical fundamentals, and language comprehension. Dynamic activities help to strengthen students’ spoken French and develop their cultural understanding of the Francophone world.

This course offers teenagers quite a bit of independence. Though staff members are available during the day to assist as needed and supervision is provided by the hosts, students attending this programme do have free time in the afternoons and evenings to go out and experience Biarritz as they wish. While they need to abide by a curfew, they are unsupervised during this free time and therefore must be mature enough for this level of personal responsibility.

Such a level of autonomy allows teenagers to gain a sense of independence and cultivate key life skills, which we find is highly beneficial for personal development. Those looking for a higher level of supervision may prefer a programme in a different location.

School

French lessons for teens in Biarritz take place at a private school just outside the city centre. This is a residential area full of traditional Basque houses and thus makes an ideal home-away-from home for teenagers. It’s also just 15 minutes’ walk from the nearest beach! The delights of the Old Town are only a little further away; these include attractions like the Aquarium and the Halles de Biarritz food market. The central area is also home to lots of interesting shops that students can visit together during their free time.

The language centre itself is a middle school outside summer and thus has all the amenities students could need. As well as its classrooms, it has an outdoor recreation area and a canteen where daily lunches are taken. Its libraries have a range of French-language materials for teenagers to benefit from. Just a short walk away are Saint-Martin Park and Parc Mazon, two large green spaces with athletics facilities where group sports often take place. There is a bus stop just around the corner from the school which students can use to visit nearby Anglet and Bayonne; both towns can be reached in under 30 minutes and both offer a range of activities and attractions, as well as the opportunity to experience life in the French Basque country.

This school has been offering junior programmes for many years, so it is highly experienced in providing exciting and immersive language camps to teenagers. It is part of a group of schools with language centres in 6 cities across France, and thus benefits from a wealth of collective teaching experience. Its courses have Label Qualité FLE accreditation, which is the gold standard in France for language tuition. The school is also a member of quality-control groups including the International Association of Language Centres (IALC) and Campus France. These credentials mean that the tuition provided by our partners in Biarritz is of the highest quality. What’s more, the camp’s location in a popular southern French city makes it a popular choice for teenagers who want to learn French with other peers from around the world and surf in some of Europe’s best waters.

Biarritz & Surf

Once a humble fishing village, then the favoured haunt of European royalty during the 19th century, Biarritz is now one of France’s most-visited destinations. It’s nestled in the French Basque Country at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is popular with local and international tourists alike. The mix of French and Basque influences here are evident, and help to give Biarritz its unique atmosphere. With numerous impressive beaches, a quaint pedestrianised centre, and great public transport links, this is an excellent location for teenagers to learn French. Average summer highs of 25 °C allow teenagers to make the most of the holidays by riding the waves while learning a new language or brushing up on established skills.

Victor Hugo once wrote of Biarritz, ‘Friendly population and white cheerful houses, large dunes, fine sand, great caves and proud sea - Biarritz is amazing.’ It’s not hard to see why he was so taken with this coastal city. With its picturesque centre and port area, distinct Basque culture, and beautiful weather, Biarritz really is lovely. It is full of tree-lined avenues and café terraces, and it is easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. Its interesting stores and chic boutiques make it a haven for shopaholics, while its eminence as a surfing capital has contributed to a vibrant sports culture. As well as its 6 beaches and nearby nature reserves, Biarritz offers almost 300 acres of parks and green spaces which are perfect for a leisurely stroll or an afternoon game of football. The city truly comes alive in summer, playing host to many cultural events, music performances, sports competitions, street parties, and theatre festivals. In short, there’s plenty to see and do here!

Biarritz is also closely linked to the neighbouring urban areas of Anglet and Bayonne, with which it forms the agglomeration B-A-B. Anglet is known for its village feel, its pine forests, and its traditional Basque houses with their painted timbers and shuttered windows. It is dotted with parks and gardens, and has over 4 km of coastline offering dramatic cliffs and wide, sandy beaches. Bayonne, meanwhile, is noted for its rich heritage and its traditional events such as the Fêtes de Bayonne. As a protected historic town, Bayonne offers beautiful architecture and winding streets lined by café terraces. Its Gothic cathedral dominates the centre and provides a focal point around which many eateries are based. Both areas can be reached by bus in under 30 minutes so can be easily explored after lessons and activities have finished.

How to get there

Biarritz has its own airport, Biarritz Pays Basque, which is 3.5 km from the language school.

This programme includes a transfer service on arrival and departure at Biarritz Airport or train station. Students will be collected on arrival and taken to the school campus; on departure, students are taken back to the airport or train station in time for their flight/train.

Students should arrive in Biarritz before 13:00 on the Sunday before their lessons start and leave on the Saturday after their lessons finish. It is important to arrive before 13:00 as all participants are required to take a swim test on Sunday afternoon; without this test, students will be unable to attend the surf sessions. Extra nights on arrival and/or departure may be available if needed. Please get in touch with us about this before making any travel arrangements.

Location of our school in Biarritz & Surf