The banks of the Lapitxuri in Ainhoa

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The Lapitxuri is a tributary of the Nivelle, which forms the French-Spanish border.

The walk follows the north bank of the Lapitxuri, forming a return route of whatever distance suits you.
For my part, I wanted a two-hour walk, so I planned my route accordingly.

The starting point is given as Urdax in Hegoalde, but it’s actually in Ainhoa in Iparralde. The Basques view their country independently of borders.

Details

n°7177472
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.82 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 282 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 282 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 541 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 259 ft
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Photos

The Laptxuri
The Laptxuri
The Laptxuri in flood
The sun brings out the beautiful colours of the leaves

Description of the walk

To reach the starting point, take the Xarako Bidea path, which branches off from the D20 between Ainhoa and Dantxaria. The path runs alongside the quarry to reach the starting point.
Parking is available in the car park to the right of the road.

(S/E) Take the forest track heading east, then south-east; it runs alongside the Lapitxuri stream on its northern bank.

(1) Ignore the path branching off to the right across the stream along the border and continue straight ahead, still on the north bank of the Lapitxuri, which is no longer the border.

Carry on along this track for as far as you like.

(2) Take the same path back to the car park (A/D).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 259 ft - Roadside car park
  2. 1 : mi 1 - alt. 344 ft - Footbridge over the Lapitxuri
  3. 2 : mi 1.91 - alt. 541 ft - End of the walk
  4. S/E : mi 3.82 - alt. 259 ft - Back to the car park

Notes

Strictly speaking, this walk is in French territory, although it is sometimes easier to go via Dantxaria to reach the starting point rather than crossing through Ainhoa, which is nonetheless a very beautiful place.

Worth a visit

The name of the stream contains ‘xuri’, which means ‘white’ in Basque.

This stream gave its name to a song whose fame has spread beyond the Basque Country all the way to the International Space Station: La Pitchouli.

The village of Ainhoa is stunning, with old houses lining the main street.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Cbrugre
Cbrugre

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, but very short

Machine-translated

Basquoccitan
Basquoccitan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely walk along the Spanish border and a stream.
There’s the option to extend the walk, which is exactly what we did!

Machine-translated

Basquoccitan
Basquoccitan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, very easy walk, with plenty of shade, along a small river and the border.
The first part of the path is tarmac and gently sloping, but we carried on much further than suggested, which made it all the more interesting, as the natural surroundings reveal their charm the more we explore them.
Of course, the main attraction here is the forest and its streams in the valley, rather than a distant panoramic view.

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