Circular route between Ahüzki and the Eltzarre plateau

The Arbailles massif is one of the limestone ranges that lie just before the Pyrenees proper. Rising to an altitude of nearly 1,300 metres, this mountain offers a magical panorama of the border peaks. The proposed route winds its way through high-altitude pastures and dark forests, until it plunges into the heart of the massif, with plenty of sheep, cows and horses as companions on the walk.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 531 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 531 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,149 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 747 m

Description of the walk

Start from the Ahüzki inn, just above the Col de Burdin Olatzé, which links Soule (Mauléon-Licharre) and Lower Navarre (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) via the RD 117. Park at the pass and walk up to the inn.

(S/E) Head to the inn, then go round it to the right. Ignore a path veering off to the left as you come out of the bend.

(1) The actual start of the circular route. Follow the small road uphill to the second bend.

(2) Leave this road for the path heading left towards the spring. After tasting the water, walk past the fountain, skirting the trough at its base. Pass under a small shrub—one of the few you’ll see at the start of the route—before setting off along a very faint track.
Regular markings, made using small yellow-marked stakes, ensure you stay on track. Keep a close eye on them. Continue along this track until you pass under a rocky outcrop that cuts across the pasture.
A hawthorn tree, standing completely alone on the hilltop marking the boundary of the next valley, signals the start of the descent.

(3) As you approach it, turn left and descend the ridge of the hillock until you reach a copse. Pass to the right of it. Be careful: as you go round the copse, the path is unclear, the slope is steep, and the ground may be slippery.
Once you have passed the small copse, veer right to finish crossing the pasture and reach a track. Turn right onto this track to reach the Lexarregibela sheepfold.

(4) Pass between the shepherd’s hut and the sheepfold, and follow the bottom of the valley until you reach the forest. Pass a series of sinkholes, some wetter than others, until you reach the largest one, which is also the lowest. As you descend, the terrain closes in and the woodland thickens. Once you reach the last sinkhole, the path seems to disappear.

(5) Look out for the small stakes, marked in yellow, which climb the opposite slope, slightly to the right. As soon as you reach a small plateau, the path becomes more visible again, although the vegetation tends to close in. You will soon reach a steep slope, dominated by beech trees, where the path winds its way down.
Stay alert to follow them, as the wooded environment and infrequent use make it easy to lose your way. Rely on the well-established markings. On the descent, ignore the forest track you cross. Shortly afterwards, the woods thin out as the Eltzarre plateau comes into view. Descend to the track that runs alongside it.

(6) Turn left to climb back up the plateau. Strange, this flatness in such a mountainous setting! After entering the beech forest again, look for the entrance to a chasm on the left of the track, where a rope has been left in place. Descent reserved for experts!

(7) After the chasm, the track continues its gentle ascent, crossing a clearing and curving to the left. As the terrain closes in and a jumble of large boulders seems to block the way, you reach an overgrown clearing at a place called Erbinea.

(8) Pass through the clearing, then continue up the track, which is easy but a little monotonous, until you emerge from the forest. You come back to the pastures and soon the Istaurdi sheepfold comes into view.

(9) Pass the sheepfold, leaving the track on your left that leads to the first sheepfold you passed at the start of the route. Continue uphill, then reach the first hairpin bend.

(10) Leave the track, heading slightly uphill to the left to go round the wooded bottom of the ravine. Several parallel tracks wind through the pasture. Once again, take care not to lose sight of the marker posts, which are sometimes quite inconspicuous. Cut across a valley on the left, then continue along the ravine, which narrows as you climb. Climb up to Col Inharpu and the road that runs through it.

(11) Follow the road to the left, gradually moving away from it. The path then runs a few dozen metres above the road, initially following a rocky ledge. Afterwards, the slope becomes steeper and the track runs along a ledge above the drop. Take care on this section!
Above the inn, rejoin the road leading up to the fountain.

(1) Turn right and follow the road back to the cars (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 974 m - Pass below the Ahüzki inn
  2. 1 : km 0.33 - alt. 1,016 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 0.98 - alt. 1,081 m - Turn left
  4. 3 : km 2.1 - alt. 1,136 m - A solitary hawthorn on the hilltop
  5. 4 : km 3.14 - alt. 910 m - Lexarregibela
  6. 5 : km 4.18 - alt. 850 m - Large sinkhole
  7. 6 : km 5.16 - alt. 747 m - Eltzarre Plateau Trail
  8. 7 : km 6.03 - alt. 779 m - Entrance to a chasm
  9. 8 : km 6.68 - alt. 823 m - Erbinea Clearing
  10. 9 : km 7.74 - alt. 903 m - Istaurdi sheepfold
  11. 10 : km 8.29 - alt. 955 m - Entrance to the valley
  12. 11 : km 8.82 - alt. 1,032 m - Col Inharpu
  13. S/E : km 10.14 - alt. 974 m - Pass below the Ahüzki inn

Notes

The route is marked in yellow. It is essential to follow it through the pastures, as this is the only way to find your way.

In this environment with no physical landmarks, do not venture out when visibility is poor, which is common in the Basque Country.

Not a soul to be seen along the route, apart from at the start up to the fountain, and possibly at the sheepfolds along the way. You must therefore set off with provisions, particularly water.

Worth a visit

From the point (5), it is possible to reach the source of the Bidouze. Emerging from an underground lake, this river gushes out of a cave at the bottom of the valley overhung by the Eltzarre plateau.
Add a return trip to the route described.

You can take a welcome break at the Ahüzki inn before heading back down to the pass to return to the starting point.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
LM64
LM64

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We covered 10km and climbed 584m.
A lovely, easy walk with varied scenery and perfect weather for taking in the views...

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philrandovilaine
philrandovilaine

Thank you for the information. I am very pleased that you enjoyed this circular as much as I enjoyed suggesting it to you
Best regards
PhilRV

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lacris64
lacris64

A lovely walk to discover a region
be careful on the section between point 11 and the finish, which is starting to become overgrown
minor issues with sheepdogs
Traditional inn at the finish
Good signposting overall
thanks to the author

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olivier BS
olivier BS

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The first part of the walk is absolutely lovely, with a variety of scenery packed into just an hour and a half, but the return leg is a bit of a let-down. I took my time and completed it in three hours.

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Pat6464
Pat6464

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very pleasant circular path with good signposting. Between points 5 and 6, the forest path isn’t easy to follow. The only slight downside is that the section along the track is a bit monotonous.

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JMLAC
JMLAC

In response to the so-called author of this hike, I am Basque and proud of it; as far as I’m concerned, the walks described on this site can and should be criticised, even if that annoys you. The purpose of this site is to highlight inconsistencies. Now that you’ve made a name for yourself by publishing a walk that’s already well known, that’s up to you, but I maintain that what you’ve done is simply copy a walking guide.
The aim of this site is to help people discover little-known or unknown walks.

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xiberotarra
xiberotarra

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Strangely enough, the weather is nicer at the end of November than it was last spring and summer. So I took the opportunity to go for this lovely walk in glorious sunshine. It is indeed part of a PLR (Long-Distance Hiking Trail), which explains the very useful signposting, even with a GPS. However, I find the description here better than that in the guidebook ‘Les sentiers du pays Basque’ dedicated to Soule, and I highly recommend the other walks in it, plus the eight that will be added soon.
There are one or two uprooted trees, but you can get past them; do be careful on the descent, which is marked as slippery because it really is. The only downside is that the Ahuzki inn is closed in winter!

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philrandovilaine
philrandovilaine

I don’t see how publishing a route on Visorando that isn’t already there would amount to plagiarism. I found the route marked on the IGN 1:25,000 map, which I believe is in the public domain, and the description is my own. And it was when I visited the site that I saw it was marked out. I actually think that spreading the word about this route can only be beneficial to its use, which, from what I’ve seen, really needs a boost to keep the trail open.
And who on earth are you to act as a censor in this way? If I am to receive any feedback on what I post on Visorando, it will come from the site’s administrators, not from a stranger who seems capable of nothing more than posting comments.
A word to the wise.
Phil RV

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JMLAC
JMLAC

is also available on www.soule-xiberoa.fr and rando64.fr

Do you realise that you are committing plagiarism, given that this hike is described in other documents, and there is even a sign describing it in the car park of the Ahusky inn? Please explain to me what your added value is?
Thank you
Kind regards

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philrandovilaine
philrandovilaine

I have no doubt that the view from the summit must be impressive, but given how difficult it is to follow the trail (the marker posts are really small), I couldn’t bring myself to send hikers off the marked path. An alternative route to suggest to those familiar with the area.
Best regards
PhilRV

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ayout
ayout

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Perfect weather for this easy hike. Between points 2 and 3, the summit of Bohorkortea is well worth a detour (+20 mins) for the 360-degree view.
The descent between points 3 and 4 is a bit steep in places, so it can be slippery if it’s damp. In that case, you might want to consider doing the hike in the opposite direction (clockwise).
Between points 5 and 6, you need to keep a close eye on your GPS as the path through the forest isn’t always easy to follow.

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JMLAC
JMLAC

is also available at www.soule-xiberoa.fr and rando64.fr

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JMLAC
JMLAC

It’s already featured in the Basque Country guide and on AllTrail; it’s a hike that’s already been described in numerous guides

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