Atalaye plateau

This entire area around you is called the Atalaye plateau. Atalaye means promontory in Basque. In the past, there was a turret from which lookouts monitored the passage of whales or the arrival of enemy ships. The site is more symbolic than you might think. This is where general assemblies were held. The ‘’corps de la commune et du commun peuple‘’ would gather on the Atalaye plateau to vote by raising hands on the major issues of the day. The small monument you see there is the site of the old alarm bell used by the whalers. The bell was also rung in the event of danger at sea. It was removed in 1969. Today, its location gives you a fine foreground view of the horizon, and even of the Biarritz lighthouse.