The summit of Ibanteli from Bexineneko Borda

de fr

A short mountain walk which, as you climb, offers breathtaking views of the surrounding villages.

Details

n°3461173
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.29 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,585 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,558 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,277 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 725 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

View from the summit of Ibanteli looking north

Description of the walk

Access:
From the village of Sare, head south on the D 306. Just before the Sare forest, take the road leading uphill on the right. At the top of the hill, next to several houses, take the path on the left and walk alongside the riding centre
Continue along the gravel track until you reach the edge of the forest. You’ll see several dirt tracks ahead, including one that goes downhill and another that goes uphill. On the left, the gravel track continues across the small stream. This same track turns sharply left to exit the forest and, opposite the bend, park here at this junction of numerous paths at the foot of Ibanteli.

(S/E) Cross the stream, following the gravel track. Immediately afterwards, take the path opposite, then turn left straight away. Continue uphill along a few hairpin bends. Reach the edge of the forest.

(1) Continue along the edge of the forest, turning right. Carry on until you reach the French-Spanish border, arriving at thefirst border marker.

(2) Turn left, continue the ascent to asecond boundary marker, then carry on straight ahead to reach the summit of Ibanteli.

(3) Follow the same route back to the car park at the foot of Ibanteli (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 725 ft - Pied d’Ibanteli
  2. 1 : mi 0.65 - alt. 1,207 ft - Edge of the forest
  3. 2 : mi 1.38 - alt. 1,988 ft - 1st border marker
  4. 3 : mi 1.65 - alt. 2,277 ft - Summit of - Ibantelli (698m)
  5. S/E : mi 3.29 - alt. 725 ft - Pied d’Ibanteli

Notes

Make sure your rucksack contains at least:
- a water bottle to keep you hydrated and a snack (if required)
- a K-Way, as rain can come on quickly in the mountains.
Hiking boots are recommended for this walk.

Worth a visit

(3) Ibanteli summit: The view over the Basque mountains, the local villages including Sare, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle and Ascain, as well as some towns in the background, such as Bayonne and Anglet.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
taboulechat
taboulechat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. The return route via the Spanish side is much less strenuous and demanding than the usual route.

Machine-translated

papipou64
papipou64

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. The description is accurate.
It’s worth emphasising the beauty of the 360° view from the summit of Ibanteli.

JPG

Machine-translated

Nerkure64
Nerkure64
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk that’s well worth the detour. After a bit of a climb, you’ll soon catch sight of the village of Sare in the distance; as you climb higher, the view stretches further and further (all the way to Bayonne).

I highly recommend it.

Image showing part of the view from the summit looking north ->

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Ibantelli summit and Col de Lizarrieta from Urdankoits

Visorando Member
Sommet d'Ibantelli et Col de Lizarrieta depuis Urdankoits
↔5.87 mi ↗+1,699 ft ↘-1,693 ft ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This mountain hike offers stunning views of the surrounding villages as you climb. Furthermore, the route takes you over the Col de Lizarrieta, where there are two restaurants—one in Spain and the other in France—offering the chance to stop for a bite to eat.

Walking La Rhune from the D406 road

Visorando Member
La Rhune depuis la route D406
↔7.22 mi ↗+2,579 ft ↘-2,579 ft ◔5h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
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.

Walking Tour of Ibanteli

Visorando Member
Tour de l'Ibanteli
↔5.98 mi ↗+1,949 ft ↘-1,923 ft ◔4h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
A lovely, easy hike. Beautiful view from the summit.

Walking The Ibanteli from the Xabalo area

Local authority
L'Ibanteli depuis l'aire de Xabalo
↔6.14 mi ↗+1,932 ft ↘-1,926 ft ◔4h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Starting from refreshing streams, a warm-up walk through chestnut and oak woods gradually reveals the other side of the Rhune, towering above the foggy plains iridescent with the first rays of the sun. After following a small canal, the route climbs into the open, widening the view of the hillsides. The slope becomes steeper along the edge of the forest, then along the border, before levelling out onto a wide, beautiful lawn. It is then time to climb the last slopes leading to the summit of Ibanteli. This summit offers a breathtaking 360° panorama of the Basque countryside, the ocean, the Rhune, the Col d'Ibardin, the Peñas de Hayas and, to the east, the Pyrenees and Atxuria. In this direction, you can also see the Lizarrieta border pass, which may be waiting for you for a refreshing break or a typical, hearty lunch..

Walking Sare pigeon hunting hut trail

Visorando Member
Circuit des palombières de Sare
↔7.44 mi ↗+1,598 ft ↘-1,617 ft ◔4h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
A beautiful hike that allows you to admire many legendary peaks of the Basque Country and gain a better understanding of wood pigeon hunting.

Walking La Rhune from the Col de Lizuniaga via Venta Negra

Visorando Member
La Rhune depuis le Col de Lizuniaga en passant par la Venta Negra
↔6.29 mi ↗+2,405 ft ↘-2,408 ft ◔5h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bera (Navarre)
Nice hike to the top of La Rhune, along the pigeon fields, on the south side, avoiding the crowds and the little cogwheel train.

Walking Around Bera

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔4.49 mi ↗+886 ft ↘-1,476 ft ◔2h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Bera (Navarre)
A ridge route above the town of Bera, taking you from the Col de Lizuniaga, on the French-Spanish border, to Bera. The Haute Route des Pyrénées is not yet very high at this point.

Walking The Ibanteli tour from Lizarrieta

Visorando Member
Le tour de l'Ibanteli depuis Lizarrieta
↔4.79 mi ↗+1,572 ft ↘-1,562 ft ◔3h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This route starts at the Lizarieta Pass and goes around Ibanteli without passing through the Xokobia car park (the lowest point of a long loop). It offers the possibility of a half-day hike, without missing out on the magnificent views of the Basque valley and some legendary peaks.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.