Ibantelli summit and Col de Lizarrieta from Urdankoits

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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.

Details

n°4372712
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 518 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 516 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 693 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 220 m
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Photos

Ibantelli

Description of the walk

Access:
From the village of Sare, head south on the D 306 then take the road to Pikasariko Borda. At the Pikasaria restaurant, take the small road next to the underground bins, follow it to a junction with a cross and turn right. Follow this road until you reach the gravel track, then continue until you reach the edge of the forest. Park at this crossroads, where numerous trails start at the foot of Ibantelli.

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

(1) Follow this fairly steep uphill path to the border.

(2) Turn left and follow the boundary line.

(3) Continue the climb to the left until you reach asecond boundary marker to reach the summit of Ibanteli.

(4) Descend back to boundary marker 39.

(3) Turn left onto the path leading to the visible Col de Lizarrieta.

(5) Head back towards Ibantelli for 200 m.

(6) Turn left onto the path, following theGR®11- E36 and the HRP until the junction where you leave the marked path.

(7) Turn right towards the north-east, ignoring all the paths and tracks branching off to the left and right, to reach Urdankoits at the foot of Ibantelli (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 220 m - Urdankoits
  2. 1 : km 1.07 - alt. 369 m - Path along the edge
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 583 m - Border marker 39
  4. 3 : km 2.24 - alt. 606 m - Access to Ibantelli
  5. 4 : km 2.7 - alt. 693 m - Ibantelli (698m)
  6. 5 : km 4.47 - alt. 442 m - Col de Lizarrieta (441m)
  7. 6 : km 4.64 - alt. 443 m - Turn left at the fork
  8. 7 : km 6.97 - alt. 364 m - On the right - End of signposting
  9. S/E : km 9.44 - alt. 220 m - Urdankoits

Notes

As with any hike, make sure your rucksack contains at least:
- a water bottle to stay hydrated and perhaps a snack, although it is possible to stock up at La Benta on the Col de Lizarrieta. Furthermore, public toilets have been installed since September 2020.
- a waterproof jacket, as rain can come on quickly in the mountains.
Hiking boots are also recommended.

Worth a visit

At the summit of Ibantelli and at the Col de Lizarrieta: views of the Basque mountains, the villages of Sare, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Ascain and Zugarramurdi, as well as certain towns in the background: Bayonne and Anglet.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
utsenea.stjeandeluz
utsenea.stjeandeluz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 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 alternating between climbs in the forest and open terrain. A short detour via the summit of Ibantelli offers sweeping views of the coast and as far as Sare and Spain. Return after the pass via a path that is sometimes more like a forest track, which can be a little rough (perhaps less pleasant in wet weather with a lot of mud) and forest paths. In October, you can pick chestnuts!

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Isabel Dial
Isabel Dial
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route with magnificent views of the Basque Country, but we were only able to follow the signposting for about three-quarters of the way. It was impossible to find our way using the description alone. As a result, from stage 7 onwards, the brief directions in the guide and the signposting weren’t enough to help us get back to the car. As a result, our hike took an extra two hours, with a large part of it along a busy road. A shame. And it’s much simpler and more direct to reach the starting point by entering the coordinates into a satnav.

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koulouba
koulouba

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

some stunning views, a few sections without signposts

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Oihana
Oihana

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2022
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 that isn’t too difficult. In January, the shaded sections can be icy, with even a bit of snow...
A hike to be enjoyed in any season, as the 360° view from the summit of Ibantelli is magnificent! Well worth a repeat visit

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lasserre
lasserre

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Just to clarify, the starting point is 4.9 km from the Pikasaria restaurant.
Very well; thank you

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MVSG
MVSG

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk; the second half is very shaded. The view from the top of Ibantelli is well worth it, and we were able to spot some birds at the Lizarrieta Pass. However, the path after leaving the GR11 at point 7 was barely passable due to tracks left by forestry machinery. The path was muddy, very wet and littered with branches, so we decided to take a detour through the forest, which turned out to be much longer and more treacherous.

Regarding the route to the starting point, a few details:
From the village of Sare, head south towards the D 306, then take the road to Pikasariko Borda. At the Pikasaria restaurant, take the small road below, which is lined with buried containers (feel free to drive past the restaurant and turn round). Follow the road for several kilometres until you reach a junction with a black iron Cross on a white concrete base, then turn right. Follow this road for about 2 km until you reach an open area which marks the start of several walks; you will see the yellow sign for our walk opposite on the left.

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