Urdiki, Apaola and Oianberri from Arantza

The starting point of the walk is at the car park, at the entrance to the village of Arantza (or Aranaz in Basque), on Rue Beheko. To get there, see the “Practical Information” section.

(S/E) From the car park, enter the village heading towards the school, then take the first road on the left. You will reach a crossroads.

(1) Follow the signs opposite marked “Hilleria” (meaning “cemetery”) or “Mendaur”. At the cemetery, take the tarmac road branching off to the left for about 20 metres.

(2) Take the dirt track on the right marked in white, yellow and green. This track turns into a tarmac road. Follow it to a three-way junction.

(3) Take the dirt track on the left until you reach a hairpin bend to the left.

(4) Take the path on the right, then further on, turn right for about 60 metres, following the direction indicated on the sign for “Mendaur”.

(5) Take the path on the left. You will then face a very steep and long climb, aiming to pass to the left of the small wood. The gradient reaches 15%, so on this section of the route, it is best to go at your own pace, not hesitating to stop and have a drink. This is the most difficult part of the hike. But once you reach the top, you are rewarded with a superb view of Mendaur and the surrounding peaks. Head towards the drinking trough.

(6) Take the track to the left and you’ll come to an area with pidgeon hunting huts, which means this walk is prohibited during the pidgeon hunting season. You’ll reach a T-junction.

(7) Continue straight on for about 200 m until you reach a Y-junction.

(8) At this point, leave the wide track and take the very narrow path on the right. You will then reach the Bulastegi burial mound, which is quite easily recognisable.

(9) After the tumulus, follow the path on the right to the summit of Urkidi (627 m).

(10) At the summit lies the Artaleku dolmen, but as it is overgrown with vegetation, it is barely visible. Head back down, due north, down the other side of Urkidi, heading for a stone marker and reaching it.

(11) This marker bears the date 1790 and serves as a landmark, as we will return to this spot on the way back. Continue straight ahead along the ridge path, heading north-east, to the summit of Apaola (682 m), marked by a cylinder resting on a cube.

(12) Descend along the ridge line, then follow the path with a private property fence which should always be on your left. This path is also marked by small stone markers. Reach the summit of Oianberri (653 m), marked by a small stone placed on the ground.

(13) Retrace your steps a little and head down across open ground, keeping to the right towards a track visible further down.

(14) At the bottom, turn left onto the track, which becomes a very narrow path through the ferns, then widens again to join another track.

(15) Follow it to the right as it descends and, immediately afterwards, at the junction, take the track on the left and follow it to a fork.

(16) Follow the track to the left and do the same a few moments later. After a climb, you’ll come to the boundary stone bearing the date 1790, which you passed on the way out.

(11) Turn right and arrive at the Bulastegi burial mound, which you passed on the way there.

(9) Continue straight on to climb the small hill with a clearly visible cross at its summit. You will reach a fork in the path that you passed on the way out.

(8) Continue in the opposite direction to the outward journey until you reach the triangular junction, which you also passed on the outward journey.

(7) Head down to the right, then right again for a few metres along the concrete track, looking for a small path on the left just before a field fence, and take it. This stony path, lined with a row of trees, is enchanting. You’ll reach a junction.

(17) Turn right, then continue straight ahead and across to join the^GR®. Walk along a very pretty section of the^{GR®11-GR®12 trail}, which runs from Lesaka to Bustitza. Join a tarmac road and follow it to the left for less than a hundred metres until you reach a junction.

(18) Take the small path on the left marked with red and white signs. This will take you back to the junction you passed on the way out.

(2) Go straight on to reach the cemetery and follow the route back in the opposite direction to the outward journey.

(1) At the road junction, continue straight ahead, then turn right at the end of the street to return to the car park (S/E).

To get to the starting point by car:
From Saint-Jean-de-Luz, head to Béhobie to cross the border.
After crossing the bridge, turn left at the roundabout to take the N121A towards Pamplona.
On the N121A at kilometre 58, take the NA-4020 exit for Igantzi / Arantza.
At the roundabout, take the second exit for the NA-4020 Igantzi / Arantza. Follow the NA-4020.
At the roundabout, take the second exit towards NA-4020 Arantza (and therefore do not take the right-hand exit for NA-4052 Igantzi).
Continue for quite a while on the NA-4020 (you’ll pass the Yanci and San Juan Xar quarries).
You enter Arantza, pass a few buildings, and the car park is immediately on the right-hand side of the road opposite a large bus park: you are on Rue Beheko (Beheko Karrika).

For your information: by car from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the journey is 35 km and takes around 50 minutes.

Before the (7) => pidgeon hunting hut: this walk is prohibited during the pidgeon hunting season.