Around Villefranque

A beautiful circular route with trails, passages through the woods and a section along the Nive river.

Details

4774089
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.73 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 161 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 165 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 116 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is the car park along Chemin Bahunenia.

(S/E) Head towards the restaurant and turn right onto Chemin d'Ilailanea and follow it. The road makes a sharp left turn and at the next crossroads, turn right towards the Nive. Go under the railway bridge and turn left along the riverbank. Further on, go under the railway again and continue to the crossroads near the station.

(1) Turn right and cross the level crossing to return to the banks of the Nive. The path passes under the railway line again, runs alongside the river and then bends left to reach a level crossing. Immediately after, turn right to join the D137 at the entrance to Ustaritz.

(2) Cross the departmental road with caution, go through the barrier opposite to enter the forest. The path winds its way until it passes under a high-voltage line, then runs along the edge of the forest to a road, which you reach by going through another barrier.

(3) Turn left onto Chemin Basterretchea. Then take the first right downhill towards the Butzingorria farm until you can see it.

(4) Turn left onto the grassy track between two barbed wire fences. The path winds through the forest and then runs along the edge until it joins a track suitable for vehicles, which leads to some farm buildings. Continue along this track until you reach the tarmac road.

(5) Turn left towards the north-west onto Chemin de Chaiberrikoborda until you reach a Y-junction.

(6) Turn right onto Chemin de Hariagaraya. Ignore the first road on the left, then the second, and continue until you come to a gate on the right that leads to the Berrogain column.

(7) Go through the gate on the right and climb up to the Berrogain cross.
Go back down to the crossroads, turn opposite and follow the D257 towards the village.
Pass the church and then a car park on the left.

(8) Turn into the cul-de-sac on the left, climb the stairs and cross the D137 at the pedestrian crossing to take the Ilailanea path opposite. At the next pedestrian crossing, leave the street and follow the path on the right which leads directly to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 50 m - Bahunenia Path Car Park
  2. 1 : km 0.77 - alt. 5 m - Crossroads - Gare de Villefranque (Pyr.-Atl)
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 5 m - Route D137
  4. 3 : km 2.86 - alt. 58 m - Basterretchea path
  5. 4 : km 3.49 - alt. 49 m - Grassy track on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.92 - alt. 90 m - Chaiberrikoborda path
  7. 6 : km 5.44 - alt. 107 m - Y-junction
  8. 7 : km 6.11 - alt. 101 m - Access gate to the - Colline de Berrogain
  9. 8 : km 7.44 - alt. 48 m - Dead end on the left
  10. S/E : km 7.72 - alt. 51 m - Bahunenia Path Car Park

Worth a visit

Part of this route follows the annual Milafrangan Gaindi race course

I have corrected the route to pass by the viewpoint on Berrogain Hill, where an orientation table gives the names of the peaks that can be seen.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Marc ECKERT
Marc ECKERT

Hello,
I don't know how you managed to get a distance of 11 km. I recorded it and got exactly 7.480 km. The start of the hike is not difficult to find.
Do you use the Visorando app? It's difficult to stray from the trail...

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User 10956223

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Difficulty finding the start of the hike. Explanations too vague.
In the wooded section, there were many treacherous roots.
The route was quite interesting and varied.
The walking time indicated was significantly underestimated. Of the 7.7 km advertised, we counted more like 11.

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vinorando
vinorando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

two metal barriers that don't work: one you have to climb over, the other you just have to push...
Perhaps this should be reported to the Town Hall? Or to the association that manages the route?
Thank you
JH

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lasserre
lasserre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, we enjoyed it.

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Marc ECKERT
Marc ECKERT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk around Villefranque.
Magnificent view at the end of the route from Berrogain hill.
Two problems encountered along the way:
- at WP3, when arriving on the Basterretchea path, you have to climb over a barbed wire fence, which is not accessible to everyone
- between WP4 and 5 at a place called Larregaina, the gate in the fence was blocked by a wire that we had to remove in order to open the gate.

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Liya
Liya

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy, pleasant hike. Free parking at the start. Thank you, Visorando!

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Jojorando
Jojorando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A fairly easy hike. Be careful in the undergrowth: there are two muddy, sloping sections despite the fairly dry weather in July. Beautiful view of the mountain, slight incline. Starts from a car park where it is easy to park your car.

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Marie Martine Ka
Marie Martine Ka

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Excellent, well-marked route, easy and varied. At the Berragain cross, superb panoramic view of the Basque Pyrenees. Freshly repainted yellow markings.

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Lcha64
Lcha64

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Between points 4 and 5 there are pidgeon hunting huts: avoid hiking here during hunting season.
Otherwise, it is an easy and pleasant hike, completed on 18 February 2024 in less than two hours without rushing.

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Murielle Biez
Murielle Biez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike for the whole family.
Explore the town of Villefranque.

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Xabi Camino
Xabi Camino

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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ayout
ayout

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, peaceful walk. We discovered the open-air café on the banks of the Nive.

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Santiago3164
Santiago3164

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant country walk. Easy, it can be done with the family. Near the start there is a guinguette (open-air café) on the banks of the Nive.

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Amona64
Amona64

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent scenery, varied hike
two details to note: the start is to the left of the restaurant, and the ground can be very muddy near the Nive river, especially after rain, but it is possible to climb up the embankment

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Jim 972
Jim 972

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied and very pleasant hike on a day with exceptional weather.
Several fabulous panoramic views around splendid Basque houses.
The only downside was the large number of hunters and constant gunshots
due to the large numbers of wood pigeons passing through at this time of year.

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