LES PRÉS D'EUGÉNIE

Les Landes isn't a destination that pops up on every "next trip" list, and that is exactly why we went. No packed itineraries, no ticking off spots on a map. We wanted something different: a slow-paced weekend—mother and daughters, the three of us together—in a place that was a destination in its own right.
To get there, we decided not to go straight through, since we were driving from Madrid. We stopped for the night in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and that stop left us wanting to come back.

Before arriving: a night in Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Just a five-hour drive from Madrid, you cross the border and find yourself in a fishing village with more history than can be packed into 24 hours. It was here that King Louis XIV married the Infanta Maria Theresa of Austria in 1660, and later, privateers—authorized by the crown to raid enemy ships—made their home here.
We spent the afternoon strolling through its lively streets, passing bustling outdoor terraces and charming shops: workshops like Maison Laffargue and Atelier Manufactoum, where leather has been hand-stitched for a century; Espadrille par Nicole Pariès, offering the espadrilles that Coco Chanel made fashionable in the 1920s; Poterie Goicoechea for Basque ceramics; and L'Artigue 1910 for the striped goods typical of the French Basque Country. A stop at Maison Adam is a must to taste the macaron made from a secret 1660 recipe—the very same one served at the royal wedding. To cap off the day, there is the beach: over a kilometer of sand and unforgettable sunsets.
We dined at Denen Kanttua, a spot with a classic French bistro feel and a market-fresh cuisine that changes the menu almost daily based on available ingredients. If you are looking for another option, the nearly century-old Petit Grill Basque—with its original wooden shelving and traditional Basque dishes—comes highly recommended. A single night was enough to understand why so many travelers, initially just passing through, end up extending their stay.
The next morning, we enjoyed fresh pastries for breakfast at the Les Halles market and picked up some local specialties before hitting the road again—this time heading toward the trip's ultimate destination.

A village turned into a hotel

Les Prés d'Eugénie didn't get its name by accident. The name dates back to 1974, the year Christine, the estate's owner, married a young chef named Michel Guérard. Upon his arrival, he encountered something that struck him as absurd: at the health spas of the time, taking care of one's health meant going hungry. He decided things would be different here, ultimately inventing *Cuisine Minceur*—a style of light haute cuisine that would forever transform French gastronomy.
Over the years, Christine and Michel gradually acquired the buildings that once made up the village of Eugénie-les-Bains: a former convent converted into guest rooms, a pink house, and a centuries-old farmhouse that now serves as the restaurant. Strolling through the estate is literally like walking through a village—albeit one featuring seven unique, distinct gardens and not a single corner left unattended. Today, their daughters run the hotel, carrying on the legacy their parents began fifty years ago.

Dining at Les Prés d'Eugénie

It makes perfect sense—given that one of the owners was a chef—that the food here is incredible. And "incredible" is an understatement: it is French cuisine of the highest caliber at any of their restaurants.
Café Mère Poule is the perfect afternoon stop for five-o'clock tea beneath a portrait of Empress Eugénie herself. We had dinner one night at La Ferme aux Grives, where the décor is among the loveliest we’ve seen in ages; the moment you walk in, you feel transported to another era. The food lives up to the setting, and it offers excellent value for money.
Another night, we dined at L'Orangerie—located in the dining room that once housed the three-star restaurant—which was reinvented in 2022 and has held its own Michelin star since 2025. Here, they serve the most iconic dishes from the three-star restaurant's history, each marked with the date of its creation. It is an experience we highly recommend if you visit.
Just a few meters away lies Restaurant Michel Guérard, which has held three Michelin stars since 1977—nearly fifty years without losing a single one—and is now helmed by a chef trained by Michel himself.

La Ferme Thermale: water with centuries of history

The village of Eugénie-les-Bains exists, in fact, thanks to its spring: the area's sulfurous waters were already being utilized in the 18th century, and in 1861, Empress Eugénie gave her name to the new thermal resort. That same spring is now the heart of La Ferme Thermale, the hotel's spa.
The mud treatment we had is basically a hands-free massage: the mud—rich in sulfur and kaolin—does all the work while you simply let go and float in it. You come out truly relaxed—honestly, it’s not just the usual spa cliché.

Les Prés d'Eugénie is not for those seeking a hushed, solemn luxury hotel. It is for those who want to feel they have stepped into a real village—with genuine history behind every door—and leave feeling completely renewed.

Our Landes rhythm

  • THURSDAY

    Saint-Jean-de-Luz and arrival. Departure from Madrid in the morning with a lunch stop in Landa (Burgos), continuing on with the plan to make the most of the afternoon in Saint-Jean-de-Luz: a stroll, shopping, the harbor at sunset, and dinner at a local bistro.

  • FRIDAY

    Market, drive, and check-in. A morning visit to the Les Halles market, followed by a direct drive to Eugénie-les-Bains—an hour and a half away. Arrival at the hotel, a stroll through the gardens, and a leisurely exploration of the entire estate.

  • SATURDAY

    Spa and dinner at L'Orangerie. Thermal mud treatment at La Ferme Thermale, cycling around the estate, the pool, and—in the evening—a Michelin-starred dinner at L'Orangerie.

  • SUNDAY

    Farewell. One last morning to stroll leisurely through the gardens before hitting the road back—stopping in Zarautz along the way for *pintxos* at Arguiñano, right by the beach. It is the perfect spot to stretch your legs (and dip your feet in the water) before heading home with the feeling that you have found a place you simply must return to.
What we’re taking away from this trip isn’t just beautiful content for social media. We’re taking with us the feeling of having discovered a place that defines luxury differently: not as silence and distance, but as authentic history, flavor, and care in every detail. It was a fantastic mother-daughter getaway—we didn’t have a single dull moment—and one we’d recommend without hesitation, at any time of year.
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