St Jean de Luz or Collioure for a small village by the sea

Hello,

I am going to Provence and trying to decide between heading west to St Jean de Luz or east to Collioure. Can anyone tell me the pros/cons between these 2 seaside villages? I am looking for a pretty area with a nice beach, some shops and restaurants to explore.

thanks

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Not sure how to answer this since, St Jean de Luz is in Aquitaine region and Collioure is several hundred miles away in Languedoc.

A lot depends on when you are going as certainly Collioure is dead outside the main holiday season of July and August.

Collioure is of course that several hundred miles closer to Provence.

I haven%26#39;t been to St Jean de Luz so cannot help there.

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I plan to go late May/early June. Collioure will still be dead then? Any other towns on that side of the Mediterranean that are quaint but not totally dead at that time of year that you would suggest? I have already been as far east as Cassis and would rather go somewhere new.

thanks

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What type of ocean do you like? Or rather, would you like an ocean or a sea? Both towns are reasonably quiet outside the high season but then the high season is mayhem on either side so a trip in the shoulder season sounds good. Collioure is by the Med so the weather will probably be hotter. Be aware of the ferocious Tramontane wind though, think it%26#39;s worst in spring but may be worth checking. The town is smaller and it is easy to go for a walk in the Pyrenees to walk off lunch. The local food is Catalan ie Spanish/French/Med influence. I went to the area over christmas and there were quite a few restaurants with people eating outside though quite a few were closed-don%26#39;t know about May but most were open at a visit in June. It is %26#39;touristy%26#39; but not less pretty for it.There is good snorkeling to be had in nearby Banyuls sur Mer and a fantastic fish market in neighbouring Port Vendres (less %26#39;touristy%26#39; but no beach). St Jean is Basque and set by the much wilder, dramatic Atlantic coast, though it is on a gorgeous, scallop shaped calm cove. Again, it is very pretty, quite %26#39;touristy%26#39; and has more shops and restaurants as it is bigger, though again, some might be closed though June is shoulder season. It also has a great fish market. The food is Basque/French. On this coast you will find excellent surfing/body boarding. The Atlantic Ocean dominates the weather and though it is often gloriously sunny, you may get some rain and it is frequently hazy. Nearby Biarritz might be worth looking in to as it is an all year working town with stunning beaches and more shopping and restaurants though of course it can hardly be called a village.

Both places are very close to Spain with the Pyrenees as back drop, have friendly people, great food and a distinct culture and dialect.

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I%26#39;ve been to both places seperately in May. Collioure is much smaller than St Jean de Luz, but at this time is more alive.

Collioure was almost entirely open and working with a feeling of life, but less crowded than Summer, though parking was still a bit tight.

St Jean was generally open but didn%26#39;t seem to be doing very much, and felt rather flat, with a lack of visible people by comparison.

Both ends of the Pyrenees Mts are worth visiting. St Jean is not as pricey, but Collioure is much nearer to Provence.