Urbeltz route in Lower Navarre

This hike takes you along one of the most beautiful sections of the Compostela trails in the Basque Country. You will pass by the Stele of Gibraltar at the crossroads of several paths and you can enjoy a stop at the open chapel of Soyarce, ideal for taking in the panorama of the Basque Pyrenees and for a picnic break.

Details

8457536
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.89 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 288 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 285 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 291 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 63 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park in front of the church and town hall in Uhart-Mixe.

(S/E) Take the D302 towards Pagolle. Pass quickly in front of the Château d'Uhart-Mixe between the two bridges.

(1) After thesecond bridge, turn left at the Estenia sign. Turn left twice at the tarmac intersections and continue to the end of the road.

(2) Turn left at the crossroads and continue straight on for 1.5 km to Larribar.

(3) After the pelota court, turn left onto theGR® 65 marked in red and white. Pass in front of the church (small porch where you can shelter in case of bad weather). Continue along the road and cross a bridge over the D933.

(4) At the hamlets, turn right (signposted "Chemin de Saint-Jacques"). At the Bidouze river, cross the bridge and continue along the tarmac road until you reach a sharp bend, where you go straight on along a dirt track.

(5) Follow this path, which can be very slippery in wet weather due to the undergrowth. At the junction of the twoGR® trails, turn right for 20 metres until you reach the Stèle de Gibraltar.

(6) Turn back to the junction of the twoGR® trails (this is the very principle of the stele...), turn right onto the same road (GR® 65), leaving the stele behind.
At the crossroads, cross the D302 and take the road opposite, still on theGR® 65. At the first bend, continue straight on along the path to the Chapelle de Soyarce.

(7) From the chapel, follow the track that descends to the left to the memorial stone dedicated to a deceased priest

(8) Continue downhill, leaving theGR® 65 markings a little further on to follow the yellow markings that branch off to the left.

(9) At the Calvary, turn right, then left into the street marked as a dead end and continue to the church car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 84 m - Car park at the church in Uhart-Mixe - Bidouze (cours d'eau) - Affluent de l'Adour
  2. 1 : km 0.22 - alt. 80 m - Fork to the left, after the - Château (Uhart-Mixe)
  3. 2 : km 1.71 - alt. 117 m - Fork to the left
  4. 3 : km 2.81 - alt. 130 m - Larribar pelota court
  5. 4 : km 3.78 - alt. 83 m - Hamlets
  6. 5 : km 4.39 - alt. 85 m - Dirt track
  7. 6 : km 5.23 - alt. 154 m - Stèle de Gibraltar (Gibraltar)
  8. 7 : km 7.21 - alt. 290 m - Chapelle de Soyarza (Uhart-Mixe)
  9. 8 : km 7.92 - alt. 234 m - Tribute stele
  10. 9 : km 9.57 - alt. 122 m - Calvary
  11. S/E : km 9.89 - alt. 84 m - Car park at the church in Uhart-Mixe

Notes

This route is suggested by the website www.tourisme64.com, with a few additions for use via Visorando.

The route is markedGR® between (3) and (8) (and even a little further on); the rest is marked in yellow.

(7) Water source at the Soyarce Chapel

Worth a visit

(S/E) Uhart-Mixe Castle 16th/17th century
Feudal tower house (casa-torre) belonging to the Duhart family, remodelled in the early 16th century (date 1518 on a door). Modifications at the end of the 17th century: one storey added and a wing added in 1699. Interior completely remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1833, the château passed from the Duhart family to Henri Berdoly, a friend of Odilon Redon who stayed at the château several times.

Owned by a private company, not open to visitors. The property can be seen more clearly a little further away.

(6) Gibraltar Stele
The Stele of Gibraltar is a small monument built in 1964 to symbolise the supposed crossroads of the Tours, Vézelay and Le Puy routes.

(7) The Chapel of Soyarce.
The chapel is a small open-air place of worship dedicated to Mary. Its location facing the Pyrenees mountain range and its water source make it an ideal place for a picnic break.
An orientation table details the peaks of the Basque Country and Béarn.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
monein64360
monein64360

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello. A beautiful hike through the Basque countryside and its heritage. Bring the app with you to find your way around the first part.

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Lannemi
Lannemi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The mild weather in this area made us choose this route. A pleasant walk along hilly paths. 70% of the walk is on small tarmac roads, but fortunately without too much traffic. We were able to enjoy the chapel's canopy for a picnic sheltered from the wind and the damp fog that had settled on the hill.

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Vincent Lafori
Vincent Lafori

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike without much difficulty

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DEBARGE
DEBARGE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in the warm weather on 1 October! Not very busy at this time of year, we only met pilgrims at the Soyarce chapel.

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DENEBED
DENEBED

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, but still too much road in the first part up to point 4. Then, partly on the Camino de Santiago, it's very good and there are beautiful landscapes.

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Basajaun
Basajaun

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery despite the rainy weather! You can take shelter and have a picnic in the shelter next to the chapel.

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Etcode
Etcode
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike.
Superb view of the Pyrenees mountain range, well-marked route, except at the end, the descent from the chapel (7)
to the car park at the start, not enough descriptions, with the possibility of taking a wrong path that leads to Harambeltz (alternative route). You have to turn back at Harambeltz and at the end of this path turn right to go to the car park (fairly well paved to the car park).

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Marche Santé
Marche Santé

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route passing through Larribar, the Gibraltar stele and the Soyarce chapel on the hills.

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AnneS74
AnneS74

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views. My only regret is that there is a rather long stretch of tarmac at the start, but fortunately there is little traffic.

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cocorando
cocorando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike.
Superb view of the Pyrenees mountain range, well-detailed route, except at the end, the descent from the chapel (n7)
to the car park at the start, not enough descriptions, with the possibility of taking the wrong path.

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vinorando
vinorando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Partially completed.

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michel cordelier
michel cordelier

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant little hike.
On the GR 65 section, there are several groups of pilgrims, but it's not as crowded as St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles.
It's interesting to see the junction of the Compostela trails at the Gibraltar crossroads.
You can add a short detour to the chapel of Haranbeltz. I was unlucky, as it was closed, but apparently it is open to visitors.
One downside: the section on tarmac roads.

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