Saint-Jean-de-Luz is still a working tuna fishing harbour, which gives it a practical edge that most beach resorts lack. The harbour lies just north of the main square, and the quays are busy with boats in the morning when the catch comes in. In late summer, the tuna season brings a particularly active atmosphere — the boats that go all the way to the Atlantic and return loaded with bluefin are a different scale from the inshore vessels.
The fish market (criée) near the port auctions the catch early in the morning, and some restaurants buy directly from the boats; this explains why the fish in town is consistently good. Walking the harbour in the evening is pleasant: the smell of salt and diesel, the sound of rigging, and the view across to the smaller resort of Ciboure on the opposite bank all feel genuinely like France's Basque coast rather than a manufactured tourist experience.