Place Louis XIV is the main square of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the place where the town takes its ease. It is named for the Sun King who lodged in the Maison Louis XIV on the square's edge before his wedding in 1660, and whose equestrian statue — a copy of the bronze in Versailles — stands at the centre. The terraces of the surrounding cafes are reliably occupied from mid-morning to midnight.
On Sunday mornings in summer, a Basque choir sometimes performs traditional songs on the square — worth timing a visit around if you happen to be here. The square connects directly to the pedestrian streets leading to the port and the beach, making it the natural starting point for a day in town. The Maison Louis XIV itself, a 17th-century Basque mansion, can be visited in summer.