text: Transportation Saint-Jean-de-Luz straddles Route départementale D810, the old Route nationale 10. The town can be reached from the A63 motorway, Exit 3 (Saint-Jean-de-Luz Nord) and Exit 2 (Saint-Jean-de-Luz Sud). The Saint-Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure station is served by the SNCF Bordeaux–Irun railway.
  Biarritz Airport is the closest airport to Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
  Etymology
  Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the French adaptation of the Labourdine Basque  – from  'saint',  'John' and  'mud' +  'made of' +  'place of'; thus meaning 'Saint John's swamp'. It is a common misconception that Luz would be the Spanish word for 'light'.
  The town is named after the frequent floodings which occurred in the area over the centuries.
  History
  Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located on the Atlantic coast of France, just a few kilometres from the border with Spain. Its wealth stems from its port and its past, with the town being associated with both fishing, and with the capture of vessels by its own Basque corsaires, or pirates (English sailors used to call Saint-Jean-de-Luz the "Viper's Nest"). This prosperity reached its height during the 17th Century, which is still considered as the town's "Golden Age." During this period, Saint-Jean-De-Luz became the second largest town in the Labourd region with a population or around 12,000, just behind Bayonne.