La Rhune walks

A beautiful route to discover La Rhune in all its glory.

This hike will take you to one of the first peaks in the Pyrenees, offering views of the entire French and Spanish Basque Country.

Another way to climb La Rhune. You won't have to contend with the crowds on the more popular trails. Here, there are very few people, except for the locals.

Nice hike to the top of La Rhune, along the pigeon fields, on the south side, avoiding the crowds and the little cogwheel train.

La Rhune in a wide loop below Miramar. A little-used path to the Col des Trois Fontaines. A little longer, but easy and with much better views.

Whether you are a regular or occasional hiker, the hike to the summit of La Rhune is a must, as this peak is omnipresent in the Labourd landscape. A real challenge for some, a breath of fresh air for others, La Rhune is a magnet that attracts walkers and trail runners, climbing up all its slopes. The steep and rocky trails require suitable equipment, so sandals can stay in your beach bag and be used on the way back from your walk. If the sky is clear, the panorama offered by this summit, with its foundations in the ocean, is vast, stretching from the beaches of the Landes to the first peaks of the Pyrenees.

La Rhune, the legendary mountain of the Basque Country, is never really easy to climb.This hike via the central ridge and the chimney is certainly one of the most difficult ways to reach the summit. The descent via Petite Rhune and Subizia is also difficult.Despite this, this hike is worth doing once because it takes you off the beaten track. You won't meet many people. The path is varied and the views are splendid.

For those who want to climb La Rhune without encountering hardly anyone, this is the hike to do. The route starts in the forest. Once you’ve left the road behind, only birdsong accompanies you. If you wander along the edges of the path during the season, you may come across a few mushrooms. The return route, alternating between open areas and forest sections, is most pleasant.

From the Rhune mini-train station, this hike climbs to the summit at 905 metres. The trail crosses moors, pastures and small woods, offering progressive views of the Basque Coast and the Pyrenees. Along the way, pottoks and mountain birds punctuate the ascent. At the summit, the 360° panorama reveals the ocean on one side and the Pyrenean mountain range on the other, rewarding your efforts with a spectacular natural spectacle.

After reaching the summit of La Rhune via the little train (a lovely climb), we head back down towards the village of Sare. A lovely stretch through the woodland, occasionally passing horses roaming freely.

This is the ideal route for tackling La Rhune in winter or on a cool day in mid-season. Indeed, much of this hike faces south and is sheltered from the north wind. Whilst the ascent is steep, the descent will also leave you with pleasant memories, over grassy terrain with few stones. In any case, your efforts will be rewarded by the unforgettable view from the summit of La Rhune. Depending on the time of year, you may even be able to enjoy a coffee or a bite to eat in one of the summit huts (closed in winter). On the way up, you’ll come across a magnificent cromlech, a prehistoric Basque monument and a sacred burial site.