The Saint-Antoine Chapel from Musculdy

Park in the hikers' car park on Route d'Ehûsanea.

(S/E) At the end of the car park, turn left towards the Arrokain farm and you will come to a fork.

(1) Turn right, cross a bridge and pass Barretxea farm. Turn left, then right at the next two intersections to reach a crossroads.

(2) Keep left to stay on the main tarmac road. Cross a stream, then pass the Arrokainea farm and you will come to a fork.

(3) Continue left, cross another bridge and, a little further on, take the road on the right to pass in front of the Arabehetia farm. Then follow the road to the Bedaxagar farm. End of the tarmac road.

(4) Take the gravel track on the left that passes behind the farm buildings. It crosses a cattle grid before climbing into a wood of pedunculate oaks. After a few bends, the track leaves the wood and heads towards a wide pass to join the Compostela GR®78 route.

(5) At the Col d'Ehüsa, leave the rounded summit of Pic d'Elhaudi on your left and take the track on the right onto the plateau in the middle of beautiful meadows. After the cattle enclosure, you will come to a fork.

(6) Continue to the right, leaving the GR®78, which descends towards Saint-Just-Ibarre. There is a beautiful view of the Arbailles limestone massif. The track gradually straightens out and climbs steadily to the summit. Do not take the two paths on the left to climb to the right towards the chapel. After the hairpin bend, you will reach a fork.

(7) Go left to reach the summit with its immense 360° panorama: the Saison valley, the Béarn mountains and the Haute-Soule valley, further to the right the Arbailles karst massif then the peaks of Basse-Navarre, the village of Pagolle and the plain to the north as far as the borders of the Landes. Take the track on the left and arrive at the Saint-Antoine Chapel.

(8) Pass in front of the chapel and head towards the large cross below. Follow the path along the ridge to a wide plateau, ignoring two tracks on the right.

(9) Cross the track near a large rock and head right towards a fence, which you will need to follow on the left. Across the pastures, the path crosses a large dome and descends to a cluster of beech trees. Continue straight ahead on the dirt track below a fence until you reach a plateau.

(10) Before the barrier, take the sunken path on the right that descends. Pass close to some pidgeon hunting huts. Go past these to reach a crossroads.

(11) Take the track that descends to the left, then turns right and arrives at a farm.

(12) Go around the buildings on the right and descend to the left. At the intersection, take a road on the right, then a road on the left onto Agerrehiriko Bidea and arrive at a fork.

(13) Return to the starting point (S/E) by following the main road to the right.

Hiking tips

Check the weather forecast before setting off
Wear suitable footwear
Bring enough water
Park your car in designated parking spaces
Take all your rubbish with you
Follow the marked trails
Keep your dog on a leash
Close gates behind you
To learn how to behave properly, visit this website.

(8) Saint-Antoine Chapel

The chapel was built in 1385 to commemorate the peace between the two powerful families of Gramont and Luxe, then restored in 1900 with its bell tower. In 1911, a fire caused by burning brushwood destroyed the new building, leaving only the walls standing. Rebuilt and crowned with a single bell tower in 1912 by the 447 parishioners of Musculdy, Saint-Antoine once again became a place of pilgrimage on 13 June, the second Sunday in July and 19 August.

(10) Wood pigeon hunting

The Col d'Osquich, very close to Saint-Antoine, on the RD 918 between Mauléon and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, is a prime location for wood pigeon hunting. In October, you can witness a spectacular traditional hunt that is carried out without guns, using vertical nets called pantières. This technique was already mentioned in the Middle Ages and still survives today in a dozen passes in the Basque Country and Béarn.