
An historical overview...
Basque pelota is a sport whose origins can be found in the game of real tennis played in south-west France, in particular in the Basque Country and Southern Gascony.
This sporting discipline is played in a number of different ways : bare-handed, in Cesta Punta style, or with a pala (wooden bat) or chistera (curved basket). It was in the 18C that Basque pelota really made its name.
At the time, the sport was played in two ways: laxua, the predecessor of rebot, and pasaka, which is still played today. The revolution in Basque pelota took place in the 19th century, when the discovery of rubber around 1820 enabled the manufacture of balls which bounced.
On a pelota court the playing areas, known as "canchas", are marked out by white lines which can be up to 80m in length.
At the end of the court, the wall facing the players is commonly referred to as the "fronton".
Play takes place on walled courts known as "place libre", "trinquet" and "mur à gauche".
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Matches
At 9.15pm every Tuesday and Friday in summer,
the world’s best professional Cesta Punta players compete against each other at the Jai Alai stadium.
You can book your tickets at the Tourist Office 33 5 59 51 65 30 contact@cestapunta.com
At 9pm on Mondays and Thursdays and 6pm on Sundays from mid-June to mid-September,
pelota matches are also played at the municipal fronton wall.