The bay is a two-kilometre-long natural shelter protected by the points of Sainte-Barbe and Socoa. This haven, which rests on the ancient rocky plateaux of Socoa, the Artha and Sainte-Barbe, was threatened by the onslaught of the ocean so, in the 19th century, it was fortified thanks to the building of dykes. The bay therefore is a daily spectacle of contrasts: an immense stretch of calm waters broken by powerful waves smashing on the dykes. From the coast can be seen the emblematic outline of the Larrun Mountain, a strong marker of the landscape identity of Labourd, which signals the foothills of the Pyrenees.
