Biarritz

A Nice Walk: Biarritz (1½ miles) Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, plenty of variety, seaside chic, trois plages, lifeguard-assisted, Belle Époque architecture, multiple refreshment opportunities, rocky promontories, Atlantic rollers, walking in the steps of Napoleon, occasional lizards, stripy parasols, warmer than home, a bit of a stroll, won't take long. So here's une belle promenade along the coast of southwest France from Biarritz's old lighthouse to the Virgin's rock, nowhere near enough to make a day of it but a nice walk all the same. [30 photos] Biarritz is an iconic seaside resort 20 miles round the Bay of Biscay from the Spanish border, still technically in the Basque country if less conspicuously. It grew in popularity during the 19th century, first as somewhere to bathe in the waters and then as somewhere to be seen, attracting notable summer residents including kings and emperors. Officially it's a city but in reality a coastal suburb of…