The pretty seaside town in France just £46 flight from UK that's a mini California

A sunshine city on the coast is only 22 miles from the border with yet you can fly direct from the UK in under two hours and be sitting on its glorious by lunchtime - and some say it's somewhat of a mini California in style.

Biarritz is located in the Nouvell Aquitaine region of south west France on the Atlantic coast. A town situated on the Bay of Biscay, temperatures reach a warm but pleasant 24C in June, before rising a few degrees more in July and August with a cooling ocean breeze.

Tourists have long been drawn to Biarritz's coast, from the beach at the limit of Bidarte (Plage des Basques), to the cape of Saint Martin. There's a 44 metres (144 feet) tall white lighthouse can be found, constructed in 1834 to replace the one Louis XIV ordered to be built.

The view from the lighthouse is amazing especially on a sunny day. Climb the 248 steps of the lighthouse and you'll get to enjoy the sweeping of the entire coastline and the city itself.

Various hotels appeared, as did a municipal casino, the Belleuve club, the thalassotherapy house, and wonderful luxury houses. Luxurious branches of shops from London and Paris were also set up, and 36 small newspapers were published as the little city by the sea thrived.

In 1957, American film director Peter Viertel was in Biarritz with his British wife, the actress Deborah Kerr, working on the film The Sun Also Rises. One of his Californian friends came for a visit and his use of a surfboard off Biarritz is recognised as the first time surfing was practiced in Europe. Biarritz eventually became one of the most popular European spots for surfers from around the world, developing a nightlife and surfing-based culture.

Over the years Queen Victoria, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper, and Coco Chanel have been regular visitors to Biarritz. The Hôtel du Palais, built for Empress Eugénie, has welcomed many of these famous guests and many European royalt too, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Still a stylish beach town today it is known for its an amazing gastronomic scene, yet at the same time, it exudes a cosy, small-town feel.

The bustling city centre boasts a myriad of restaurants, chocolate shops, coffee shops both French and Californian in style,and charming boutiques. Despite its compact size there are a diverse array of neighborhoods and architectural styles panning out from the centre. You can spend the morning meandering through the enchanting Belle Époque boulevards and weaving through the narrow streets adorned with traditional Basque houses.

Don't miss the the imposing rust-red and stucco Hôtel du Palais, built by Napoleon III as a summer home for his bride, Empress Eugénie.

Conde Naste Traveller writes: "Long before it was anointed the French capital of surf, Biarritz was one of Europe's smartest holiday spots, a discreet summer retreat for assorted royals who were beguiled by the golden Atlantic coast light, immense cornflower skies and the restorative properties of the seawater."

Direct flights from the UK to Biarritz leave from London Heathrow and Stansted with Air France and Ryanair or easyJet from Gatwick starting from around £46.