The Whalers of Atalaye
Reveal the secret of the last hunt on March 3, 1686
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
When the Atalaye watchers harpooned the last whale, they sealed a millennial pact
The Whalers of Atalaye
You are an apprentice whaler in Biarritz, just days before the mysterious last hunt of March 3, 1686.
Your mission is to discover the truth behind that ultimate catch.
1686 — The last whale of the Bay of Biscay
« Aura, sidus, mare, adjuvant me »— Devise officielle du blason de Biarritz
The saga of Biarritz whalers
From the 12th century, Biarritz was a fishing village whose sailors, the Biarritz whalers, were renowned throughout the Atlantic for their skill at harpooning cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay. From the rocky promontory of Atalaye, watchers scanned the horizon day and night, armed with rudimentary telescopes and horns to alert the crews. Whale oil, a precious resource used for lighting European cities, made this Basque maritime community wealthy.
The coat of arms of Biarritz still bears witness to this glorious era today: it depicts a whale under a boat with five sailors, accompanied by the Latin motto 'Aura, sidus, mare, adjuvant me' (The air, the stars and the sea help me). But on March 3, 1686, a page was definitively turned: the last whale was harpooned off Biarritz. The cetaceans had fled to more northern waters, exhausted by centuries of intensive hunting. The Biarritz whalers then had to convert to other maritime activities, marking the end of a centuries-old tradition that had made the Old Port, formerly called Port dou Hart, famous.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Authentic historical hunt
Relive 5 centuries of Basque whaling tradition, from 12th century to 1686
Immersive maritime journey
From Old Port to Atalaye Plateau, following the last harpooners' footsteps
Etxeberry's secret journal
Decipher the memoirs of Biarritz's last whaling captain
The air, the stars and the sea
Following the last whalers of the Bay of Biscay
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01What's the difference with a regular indoor escape room?
Outdoor escape game format: no physical locks, no actor, no fixed time slot. You start when you want, progress through Historic center of Biarritz, France with your phone, and the city itself is the set. More immersive on local history, more flexible in pace.
Q02What walking pace should we expect?
Easy stroll: between stops you walk 3 to 7 minutes. No tough climbs unless flagged on the product page. If you really want to push, you can jog between stops, but that's not the point.
Q03Does The Whalers of Atalaye work for team-building?
Yes — it's actually one of our main use cases. Outdoor escape game format, teams of 4 to 6, live ranking possible between groups. For companies above 12 participants, contact us: we can issue linked codes.
Q04Best season to explore Historic center of Biarritz, France like this?
Spring and autumn are the best seasons: mild temperatures, fewer tourists, gorgeous light. Summer is also great but go for early morning before 11 or late afternoon. Winter is perfectly playable, especially in southern cities — Historic center of Biarritz, France often feels more authentic then.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Explore Biarritz's maritime heritage through an immersive treasure hunt. Discover the secrets of Atalaye, walk through the Old Port and solve the mystery of the last whaler. A unique historical adventure that reveals 5 centuries of Basque tradition, between augmented reality and authentic heritage.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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