Arrokagaray from Itxassou

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful view of the countryside and the mountains in the sunshine

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Date of your route : Apr 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An ideal April day for this hike, with cool sunshine. In hotter weather, I strongly recommend covering your head and arms, as there is virtually no shelter. This is a moderately difficult route with some steep climbs, offering an alternative to the trails leading to Mondarrain, Atharri or Pas de Roland from Itxasu, the village where sour cherries are grown and where, at the end of July, a legendary festival features singers performing "Basa Ahaide", beautiful wordless songs dedicated to nature.
Views of the plains and Olhamendi in the first part (with the unpleasant noise of traffic below), then of Artzamendi and other more distant peaks in the second part, which I preferred, magnificent with its shades of green and silence.
Although I walked this path on 1 April, I didn't come across any fish...

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Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

route completed on the afternoon of 30 March 2025. Very few hikers. Easy route offering beautiful views.
There are indeed restrictive recommendations due to vulture studies from 8 May to 31 July and from 1 September to 30 November. However, these are only visible near point 2, after most of the climb has been completed.
For hikers doing the circuit clockwise (2-4-3-2), the start of segment 4-3 is difficult to find as the trailhead is in a field that has been cleared. The visible path leads to private land: it is a dead end. You have to go upstream.
Furthermore, the start of segment 2-3 is not at point 2, but 200 metres to the right after heading towards point 4.

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Date of your route : Jul 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The hike cannot be completed in order to avoid disturbing vulture hunting until 30 July.

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Date of your route : Jul 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The hike cannot be completed in order to avoid disturbing vulture hunting until 30 July.

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

"Very busy"... no. But it's a fairly well-known hike where you often come across other people. I think its "medium difficulty" rating is exaggerated; there aren't really any difficulties except for a slight climb. The section that passes through the fields can indeed be more or less overgrown with grass depending on whether it has been maintained recently or not. I imagine that it is in the latter case that you might find it a bit "average".

Once you've passed the first kilometre of forest, there are lovely views all the way to the end, which is quite rewarding. The section at the top of Arrokagaray is even more beautiful, and the view at the end of Artezmendi, Mondarrain, Eskandrai and Atharri is superb.

There is no difficulty in following the GPS route, and the explanations are not essential given how obvious the route is (but thanks anyway to the author!). As mentioned in the comments, it is best to park after the bridge on the left, where there are spaces at the side of the road.

In the end, I give it 3/5 for interest because, despite everything, it's not an exceptional hike that will stay in your memory. Worth doing if you get the chance.

Views: very beautiful
Shade: very little
Mud: very little
Suitable for children: 10+
Duration: 2 hours

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Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Sometimes the explanations should be clearer.
During the tour, there are some junctions and the directions are given a little too late
Otherwise, it's good

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Date of your route : Feb 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

shaved

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Date of your route : Aug 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I didn't meet anyone during the entire ride. To park your car, it's best to do so after the bridge on the left side of the road before the track on the right at the start of the route. It's impossible to park before the bridge.
The entire climb is a bit noisy due to the road.
Very beautiful view and beautiful vultures in flight!

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Date of your route : Jul 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not very busy but a lovely walk with beautiful views. It's a shame you have to come back the same way.

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Date of your route : Feb 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We parked at Itxassou station, which made the hike a little longer, but at least we weren't in anyone's way.

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Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy, family-friendly hike. Beautiful 360° view of Itxassou and the surrounding mountains. No other hikers on the trail today! (Saturday morning). Personally, I extended the hike by starting from the church in Itxassou (15-minute walk and large car park). To avoid returning the same way, I continued via the Pas de Roland. This made for a lovely 3-hour loop.

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Date of your route : Dec 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and relatively easy hike. Recommended for beginners.

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Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Correction
By car:... Park after the bridge, where you will find about ten parking spaces. It is easy to turn around. It is impossible to park before the bridge: private properties along the road do not allow parking.

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Date of your route : Dec 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike. The end of the trail, on the ridge, offers a 360-degree panorama with superb views of Itxassou, the mountains and the villages of Labourd, stretching as far as the coastline and the BAB in the distance.
I recommend this walk.
The only downside is that it could do with some signposting, even if only basic. Although it's not really possible to get lost, you do find yourself wondering which way to go from time to time.

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