Sare walks

A beautiful hike that will allow you to discover the most famous peaks of the Basque Country around you as you climb, but also to enjoy a wide view of the ocean.

With the beautiful village of Sare as its starting point, this hike showcases the built heritage, old stones, history and landscapes in a very varied loop where there is no room for monotony. From a sporting point of view, the climbs and descents follow one another without transition, never very long, but admittedly with a few steep sections that are sometimes quite tough. It takes a little effort to complete this varied circuit between the town hall square and the heights of the Col de Saint-Ignace. But above all, there are discoveries to be made along the way. Walking along the cobblestones of the old galtzada (medieval road) is a poignant introduction to the area's heritage, followed further on by an old wash house, the remains of Napoleonic redoubts and traditional houses and barns.

Starting from Sare, a beautiful little village in the Basque Country, a short hike allows you to discover the beautiful landscape around the village.

A route to the summit of Zuhalmendi, featuring traces of the past along the way, such as wayside shrines, a wash house and a redoubt, as well as the chance to learn about pig farming.

This is a short walk with no other aim than to spend a pleasant moment in a superb landscape and enjoy the peace and quiet of the wide open spaces of the Basque Country.

A very beautiful hike that climbs from Sare towards La Rhune and passes from pass to pass, offering remarkable views of the mountains, countryside and ocean.

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.

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.

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.

Take a short tour of the Basque pig farm that gave rise to the Kintoa designation, with a picnic at the Ascain sheepfold.

This circular walk takes you to the Napoleonic redoubts used by Marshal Soult's army against Wellington's British troops in 1814. You can enjoy beautiful 360° views. Magnificent hundred-year-old oak trees line the route.

A circular route starting from Amotz and heading towards Suhalmendi through woods and meadows.

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.

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

Short circular on the slopes of La Rhune to the Col des Trois Fontaines. You can go a few steps further to discover the cromlechs.

An original route to the summit of Larun Txiki (the Little Rhune), allowing you to discover little-known spots in the Rhune massif. However, this is a fairly demanding hike, suitable for experienced or moderate walkers, as there is still a climb of around 700 metres. Please note: there is a more difficult but optionalsection between (2) and (13)

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.

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..

A lovely, easy hike. Beautiful view from the summit.

A beautiful hike that allows you to admire many legendary peaks of the Basque Country and gain a better understanding of wood pigeon hunting.

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.

Un itinéraire en boucle à travers les vallons qui entourent Sare en passant par la Redoute en étoile de Santa Barbara.

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.

This beautiful loop, which takes you from the bottom of the valley to the peaks of Suhalmendi and Esnaur via the Basque pig trail, will allow you to discover many facets of the Basque Country.

This hike takes you up the Suhalmendi for a magnificent 360° view of the Pyrenees and the ocean. You'll also discover the Basque pig that makes such delicious hams and other charcuterie. There's also a nice little picnic area where you can enjoy your picnic.

A family hike through the forest, starting from the beautiful village of Ascain and ending at the Col de Saint-Ignace, a place famous for cyclists, but also because it is the starting point of the little rack railway that takes you up to La Rhune. This pass is very busy in summer.

Although the highest point is “only” 180 m above sea level, this is a lovely walk through the countryside, often alongside streams, with a beautiful waterfall to discover.

This hike passes by a Basque pig farm, which produces Kintoa charcuterie and cured meats. Mount Esnaur offers a beautiful view of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ascain.

This is a short walk we did in October to discover the Esnaur and then gather some chestnuts along the pretty Arraioko Erreka stream.

A double loop around Bizkartzun allows you to discover this often overlooked waterfall.

A short detour takes you past the bottom of Esnaur, then Suhalmendi and finally up Bizkarzun, two peaks in Ascain dominated by the Rhune.

A lovely stage with a seaside feel and the end of the journey in sight.

Another way to tackle all these little peaks between Sare and Ascain. A few fairly steep sections, but the return along the Uzkaingo Erreka is quite picturesque. After the descent from Zuhalmendi, you walk past herds of Basque pigs roaming freely.

Route on the heights of Ibarron with a beautiful view of the Nivelle valley.

A beautiful walk around the village of Ainhoa, passing by an old fish farm

This walk, published by the municipality of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, forms a lovely circular route in the Urguri district.

A circular route through the hills above Ibarron (Ibarrun in Basque) with Zuhalmendi in view. Mainly on wide tracks, this route presents no difficulty.

A pretty loop passing by the Santa Barbara cross with a view of the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Between Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle and Ascain, this hike is inspired by another called "Collines d'Ibarron" (Ibarron Hills), but I like the trail that starts at point (9).

Several hikers have reported that the path after the Zugarramurdi caves is now blocked. I have modified the route (July 2023). From the centre, take the road that leads to the cemetery. A superb hike that avoids the climb to the summit, which can be exhausting and difficult to find.I have already posted this hike on Visorando.You will walk along the magnificent and impressive cliffs of Atxuria. On this southern side, the hike, with less elevation gain and a few hundred metres more, becomes bucolic.

Atxuria or Peña Plata is a beautiful peak with 100-metre cliffs on its southern face. Magnificent views of the Spanish mountains and the northern plains. There are numerous caves at its base. The most famous are those of Sare and Zugarramurdi, which were inhabited in the Palaeolithic era.

A beautiful circular route around Atxuria (Peña Plata in Spanish).

Starting from the caves of Sare (which are well worth a visit), the climb to this proud summit offers a magnificent panorama. The climb up the French side, which is sometimes steep, quickly takes you close to the summit ridge, which you follow to reach the top of Atxuria. The route continues opposite the village of Zugarramurdi, the village of witches, before plunging down the Spanish side. A wild crossing precedes a steeper descent back to the French side, passing at the foot of cliffs made up of countless brown-red ledges: overhanging, they serve as a refuge and nesting place for colonies of griffon vultures that fly over this idyllic pastoral landscape. As you approach the forest, the hundred-year-old beech trees and the refreshing company of streams give this gentle valley an enchanting air.

A beautiful walk starting from the Sare Caves and passing through the Zugarramurdi Caves, the Witch Museum and the village of Zugarramurdi.

This is a very pretty hike that takes you up Atxuria or Peña Plata, a rocky peak above the caves of Sare. We will start near the caves. Etymologically speaking, Atxuria comes from aitz-xuria, meaning "white rock". To the south, it is called Peña Plata, or "silver peak", which comes from the light colour of the rock when the sun shines on it. This peak is a border peak. During this hike, we will be in Spain, in the part that goes around the peak.

These are three peaks, Bizkartzun, Zuhalmundi and Esnaur, clearly visible from Saint-Jean-de-Luz and located behind Ascain. Emblematic of the nearby hinterland, they each offer a superb 360° view of the coast, the Rhune and the Pyrenees further east. This route takes you up these peaks one after the other on an easy trail with steep sections, flat sections, scree, a bit of tarmac and dirt tracks, all in a stunning setting.

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.

This hike allows you to discover Lake Saint-Pée, where there is a small beach where you can cool off before the last part of the route.

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

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.

Did you know that a tramway used to run through the hinterland from the coast (Hendaye, Ciboure) to Sare via Ascain? That was before the car became popular in 1936. This hike takes you along its route, based on available archives. The landscape has preserved the memory of this journey, which you can discover during this excursion under the watchful eye of Mont Esnaur.

A lovely walk starting from the beautiful village of Les Sorcières. Magnificent views of the Basque peaks and the ocean in the distance.

Set off from a charming village of witches to discover a majestic oak tree.

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.

An easy and quick climb to a beautiful summit offering enchanting 360° views.

Climb to Ibanteli from the Lizarrieta Pass, which is easy and offers beautiful views. The Lizarrieta Pass is a birdwatching spot and also the starting point for a large number of hikes.

This is a short version of the pidgeon hunting hut circuit (the long version starts at the bottom of the valley). Starting from the pass, the elevation gain is greatly reduced, but this does not detract from the magnificent views of the surrounding peaks, the valleys (French and Spanish) and the coast (Basque and Landes) in the distance. Information boards also provide a better understanding of wood pigeon hunting.

A beautiful hike offering superb views of the surrounding peaks and the ocean in the distance. In addition, you will pass through a fascinating archaeological site.