Fort Socoa

The bay of St Jean de Luz terminates, on its western side, in the small village of Socoa. The entrance to the bay is guarded by Fort Socoa, which is situated on a promontory in extreme north-west of the bay.

Plans to build a fortification at Socoa were first put forward during the reign of Henri IV in 1595, but work did not start until 1627. Before the work was completed, the Spanish took Socoa, adding their own defensive works.

In 1681, Vauban visited Socoa and drew up plans for a sea wall, connecting the fort (which had hitherto been practically an island only accessible at low tide) and the mainland. Vauban also added a wooden roof to the top of the tower to protect the guns and gunners from the elements.

The fort takes the form of a large central tower, which is almost medieval in style. This is surrounded by a loopholed inner wall, which is roughly square in shape. This inner area at the foot of the tower contains most of the barrack buildings, all in the local style, as was common in Vauban's work.

The lower section of the fort has a loopholed wall across its western end, where the fort's gate is, but the rest of the lower level is surrounded by the sea and has no wall around it. From the fort, a small sea wall with gun embrasures protrudes eastwards into the bay.

Visiting Fort Socoa

Socoa is within walking distance of St Jean de Luz, where there is a station. It is fairly easy to find your way - just cross over the river Nivelle from St Jean de Luz into Ciboure, then follow the coast to Socoa - the fort is right at the tip of the promontory.

The fort is currently home to a sailing club, and whilst you cannot gain access to the tower itself or the inner fort, it is possible to explore the outer fort and the sea walls. Although only a small fortification, it is still interesting to explore and is in a fantastic location on the Basque coast.