Lake Ibardin from Ganixgazte Baita

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Lake Ibardin with a detour that has become mandatory since crossing the dam is no longer permitted.
We therefore descend along the left bank of the stream to complete a true circular loop.

Details

n°3881270
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.38 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 732 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 719 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 984 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 266 ft
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Photos

Primroses
Cows roam freely.
Waterfall
View of the mountains

Description of the walk

To get to the starting point, take the D4 from Urrugne towards Ascain.
Turn right towards the Mendi Azpian campsite, but do not go to the campsite. Continue along this road to the starting point, where there are six or seven parking spaces on the side of the road opposite a block of houses.

(S/E) Go through the cattle grid and take the track that climbs southwards. The track winds its way to a fork in the road where you can see the lake and its dam.

(1) Continue straight ahead towards the south-east until you reach the next crossroads.

(2) Turn right onto the path that descends towards the lake and follow this path along the shore to the western end of the lake.

(3) Leave the wide track on the right and continue along the lake shore.

(4) Ignore the paths that descend to the shore and towards the dam and continue north.

(5) Take the path on the right that runs alongside the Arrola Stream (Arrolako Erreka in Basque).

(6) Turn right as you approach the buildings to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 266 ft - Car park on the right along the road.
  2. 1 : mi 1.19 - alt. 892 ft - Crossroads in sight of the - Barrage du lac d'ibardin
  3. 2 : mi 1.54 - alt. 978 ft - Large crossroads of carriageways
  4. 3 : mi 2.59 - alt. 866 ft - The western end of the - Lac Xoldokogaina (256m)
  5. 4 : mi 3 - alt. 873 ft - Path opposite - Lac Xoldokogaina (256m)
  6. 5 : mi 3.22 - alt. 764 ft - Path on the right
  7. 6 : mi 4.02 - alt. 512 ft - Path on the right
  8. S/E : mi 4.38 - alt. 266 ft - Return to the car park.

Notes

There are no water sources along the route.
The lake is a water reserve for the municipalities, so fishing and swimming are not permitted.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
User 25266251

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

I’m giving it 3 stars because the first half is a stony but passable track: not very interesting for a hike.
The second half, on the other hand, is very pleasant, along a small, shaded path, and seeing the animals roaming freely is magical. I also thought it would probably be better to walk down the road rather than up it: it would go quicker and be easier. So, I decided to reverse the direction of the walk.

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jcworobel
jcworobel
• Edited:

I’d suggest reversing the direction of this route. In the version you’ve suggested, the easiest part is at the start of the walk – an easy path with no difficulties – whilst the second part, which is a bit more challenging, comes during the descent. It’s
not straightforward for people who aren’t particularly fit, so I’d suggest reversing the direction of your recommendation for this route.

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guiton13
guiton13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk, easy to follow and with beautiful scenery.

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Hervé Bignon
Hervé Bignon

Hello,

You are free to walk past a sign indicating a prohibition and ignore it, but I would not recommend this attitude to hikers.

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delaitre annie
delaitre annie

we set off on a hike from the motorhome car park at the bottom of Las Ventas
this route is beautiful and easy enough for a family. Cows and pottoks along the way

was the dam closed because we are going there next Wednesday?

i went there two weeks ago and it wasn't closed. We just had to close the gate behind us after we passed through

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Hervé Bignon
Hervé Bignon

Hello Annie,

The question no longer arises, the dam is no longer an option, crossing is prohibited.

Best regards,

Hervé

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delaitre annie
delaitre annie

we set off on a hike from the motorhome car park at the bottom of Las Ventas
this route is beautiful and easy enough for a family. Cows and pottoks along the way

was the dam closed because we are going there next Wednesday?

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hilaire.vachon
hilaire.vachon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful scenery: the lake, the Rhune mountain, the ocean. Our short hike began with an encounter with pottoks, four adults who waited patiently for the little foal to regain its strength before setting off again.

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User 19437012

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this walk with two children (aged six and a half and five). The descent was quite difficult with the children (in addition to the fatigue at the end of the hike), as the path was narrow and very stony
A very pleasant route. Surprisingly, we came across quite a few people walking around the lake, but in the opposite direction!

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Valfonie
Valfonie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

From the start to point 3, the trail is very busy (on the day I did it) with all kinds of walkers, runners and mountain bikers. After point 3, there are fewer people.
Be careful on the rocky descent, which is quite steep in places from point 4 onwards.
Very few places to rest or take a break.
Some nice views at times.

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teimahu
teimahu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely route, pleasant forest path, fairly shaded.
The artificial lake is cute, but it's not that easy to get to the shore, with only a few accessible spots.
We had a great time as a family, and my children aged 6 and 7 had no trouble completing the walk.
We didn't follow the exact route and took a path through the forest that runs closer to the lake to avoid the wide forest track, which can be a bit monotonous.

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delaitre annie
delaitre annie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off on a hike from the motorhome car park at the bottom of Las Ventas.
This route is beautiful and easy enough for families. Cows and pottoks along the way.

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PascalAscain
PascalAscain

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Under a beautiful blue sky, a very pleasant walk.
The route is easy to follow and, once you reach the lake, the scenery is very pleasant.
There are a few betisoak (stone pillars) along the way and intriguing markers around the lake.
The view of the sea was unobstructed, allowing for beautiful panoramic views of the lake and sea.

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CAMBERMI
CAMBERMI

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Pleasant walk

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Liya
Liya

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with views of the mountains and the lake. You can even see the ocean on the way back. No car park. You have to park on the grass at the side of the road and there is limited space. It's uphill at the start until you reach the lake.

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