Moderate-to-challenging walking on more rugged terrain with significant ascents / descents on most days. Compass skills may be required (check the individual holiday).
The season for this holiday is:
01 May 2020 - 31 July 2020
01 September 2020 - 02 October 2020
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 12 |
| mm | 135 | 115 | 113 | 126 | 114 | 85 | 62 | 97 | 115 | 128 | 162 | 142 |
We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.
7 nights: 01 May 2020 - 31 July 2020 & 01 September 2020 - 02 October 2020
Start varies according to season* | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 22 May 2020 | £1075 | £245 |
| 23 May - 25 Jun 2020 | £1120 | £260 |
| 26 Jun - 8 Jul 2020 | £1145 | £265 |
| 9 - 24 Jul 2020 | £1185 | £270 |
| 1 - 14 Sep 2020 | £1185 | £270 |
| 15 - 25 Sep 2020 | £1145 | £265 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£90 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £90 |
Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.
7 nights: 01 May 2020 - 31 July 2020 & 01 September 2020 - 02 October 2020
Start varies according to season* | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 22 May 2020 | £1395 | £245 |
| 23 May - 25 Jun 2020 | £1445 | £260 |
| 26 Jun - 8 Jul 2020 | £1480 | £265 |
| 9 - 24 Jul 2020 | £1515 | £270 |
| 1 - 14 Sep 2020 | £1515 | £270 |
| 15 - 25 Sep 2020 | £1480 | £265 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£165 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £165 |
Includes all elements in the 'walk price', plus standard-class travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International to Lille or Paris, with onward travel as described below.
Included travel from the UK: UK–Paris (Eurostar), Paris–Bayonne (TGV), approx. duration 7h45 plus 0h50 taxi transfer. Home, Hendaye–Paris (TGV), Paris–UK (Eurostar), approx. duration 9h20 plus 0h10 taxi transfer.
If you book your holiday less than 6 months in advance of your travel date, seats may no longer be available at the tariffs on which our prices are based, but we may be able to offer you seats on the same services at a supplement.
7 nights: 01 May 2020 - 31 July 2020 & 01 September 2020 - 02 October 2020
Start varies according to season* | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 22 May 2020 | £1230 | £245 |
| 23 May - 25 Jun 2020 | £1275 | £260 |
| 26 Jun - 8 Jul 2020 | £1310 | £265 |
| 9 - 24 Jul 2020 | £1345 | £270 |
| 1 - 14 Sep 2020 | £1345 | £270 |
| 15 - 25 Sep 2020 | £1310 | £265 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£200 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £200 |
Includes all elements in the 'walk price', plus a return ferry crossing between Dover and Calais with P&O Ferries for your party and one car.
We also include a transfer back to the first hotel at the end of your holiday to collect your car.
A supplement of £35 per car per single journey applies for outward travel on 3-5 & 10-12 April 2020, and for homeward travel on 12-13 April 2020. A supplement of £47 per car per single journey applies outward on Fridays & Saturdays 22-23 May & 10 July-15 August 2020 and homeward on Saturdays & Sundays 30-31 May & 18 July-30 August 2020.
Room upgrades (£ per person per night)
| Hotel Arraya, Sare | ||
|---|---|---|
| 'Privilège' with mountain view: 01 May - 10 Jul 2020 | £32 | |
| 'Privilège' with mountain view: 11 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £26 | |
| 'Privilège' with mountain view: 01 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £26 |
| Les Jardins de Bakea, Biriatou | ||
|---|---|---|
| 'Jardin/Prestige Vallée': 01 May - 31 Jul 2020 | £14 | |
| 'Jardin/Prestige Vallée': 01 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £14 |
| Hotel Obispo, Hondarribia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Superior: 01 May - 10 Jul 2020 | £25 | |
| Superior: 11 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £20 | |
| Superior: 01 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £20 |
Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room
| Hotel du Fronton, Itxassou (with dinner) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 May - 30 Jun 2020 | £84 | £100 |
| 01 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £90 | £106 |
| 01 Sep - 15 Sep 2020 | £90 | £106 |
| 16 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £84 | £100 |
| Hotel Argi Eder, Ainhoa (with dinner) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 May - 30 Jun 2020 | £105 | £150 |
| 01 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £120 | £165 |
| 01 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £120 | £165 |
| Les Jardins de Bakea, Biriatou (with dinner) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 May - 12 Jul 2020 | £112 | £132 |
| 13 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £120 | £142 |
| 01 Sep - 15 Sep 2020 | £120 | £142 |
| 16 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £112 | £132 |
| Hotel Obispo, Hondarribia (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 May - 30 Jun 2020 | £95 | £140 |
| 01 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 | £110 | £160 |
| 01 Sep - 02 Oct 2020 | £110 | £160 |
Travelling from the UK
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen - Bordeaux (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Aberdeen - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Belfast Intl. - Bordeaux | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Birmingham - Biarritz | Flybe |
| Birmingham - Bordeaux | Flybe |
| Birmingham - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh - Bilbao | easyJet |
| Edinburgh - Bordeaux | Flybe, Ryanair |
| Edinburgh - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Glasgow - Bordeaux | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Liverpool - Bordeaux | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Gatwick - Biarritz | easyJet |
| Gatwick - Bilbao | British Airways, Vueling |
| Gatwick - Bordeaux | British Airways, easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Heathrow - Bilbao | British Airways, Iberia, Vueling |
| Heathrow - Bilbao (via Madrid) | Iberia |
| Heathrow - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Luton - Bordeaux | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Stansted - Biarritz | Ryanair |
| Stansted - Bilbao | easyJet |
| Stansted - Bordeaux | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Manchester - Bilbao | easyJet |
| Manchester - Bilbao (via Barcelona) | Iberia |
| Manchester - Bilbao (via Heathrow) | Iberia |
| Manchester - Bordeaux | easyJet, Ryanair |
| Manchester - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Newcastle - Biarritz (via Paris CDG) | Air France |
| Newcastle - Bordeaux (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Newcastle - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Norwich - Bordeaux | Flybe |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Southampton - Biarritz | Flybe |
| Southampton - Bordeaux | Flybe |
| Southampton - Bordeaux (via Paris) | Air France |
This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.
Connecting travel options - flying via Biarritz
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| direct taxi Biarritz airport to hotel (1h) | £60 | flexible |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| direct taxi hotel to Biarritz airport (0h45) | £30 | flexible |
Connecting travel options - flying via Bordeaux
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| rail Bordeaux to Bayonne (1h50), taxi Bayonne to hotel (0h50) | £84 | 1400 |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| taxi hotel to Hendaye (0h30), rail Hendaye to Bordeaux (2h20) | £36 | 1500 |
Connecting travel options - flying via Bilbao
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| coach Bilbao bus station to Irun bus station (2h25), taxi Irun to hotel (1h30) | £70 | 1200 |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| taxi hotel to Irun (0h20), coach Irun bus station to Bilbao bus station (1h45) | £20 | 1300 |
If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?
We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >
The walking in the mountains was spectacular in the first few days, typified by the cliffs on the French side of the Pyrenees and the circling of eagles above and below us. Then in the next days it changed as we walked through the foothills of the Pyrenees, a softer landscape and finally the dramatic coast and paddling in the Atlantic.
There were many highlights because the trip was well planned. Reaching the summit on the first full day of walking was excellent; the scenery was hugely varied and all of it stunning. The hotel Argi Eder was a terrific place to have a day's rest and the swimming pool very welcome. The food there was particularly good although the food everywhere ranged from good to excellent. My advice to travellers is to travel light during the walks but take a suitable change of clothes and shoes for the evening in the luggage transported by taxi. Finally, I would highly recommend Inntravel; everything about the experience was built around excellent planning, attention to detail and choosing good accommodation as well as finding great walks. Well done and thank you.
This was one of the nicest walks we have done with Inntravel. The walking was varied (particularly as we did the High Route on day 1 and the Lower Route - Option B - on day 2) and the scenery excellent. We loved the food and the local wine has merit. I would recomend a day's pause at the Hotel Argi Eder. The hotel is lovely. We were unable to try the restaurant but it has an excellent reputation, so staying 2 nights would have meant we could have also tried the restaurant. The La Rhune rack railway is also fun, adding another dimension to the journey. Finally, take a pair of binoculars as the birds are great, vultures, eagles, kites etc.
In Hondarribia, we went to the restaurant Sebastien which was excellent.
The walking in the mountains was spectacular in the first few days, typified by the cliffs on the French side of the Pyrenees and the circling of eagles above and below us. Then in the next days it changed as we walked through the foothills of the Pyrenees, a softer landscape and finally the dramatic coast and paddling in the Atlantic.
There were many highlights because the trip was well planned. Reaching the summit on the first full day of walking was excellent; the scenery was hugely varied and all of it stunning. The hotel Argi Eder was a terrific place to have a day's rest and the swimming pool very welcome. The food there was particularly good although the food everywhere ranged from good to excellent. My advice to travellers is to travel light during the walks but take a suitable change of clothes and shoes for the evening in the luggage transported by taxi. Finally, I would highly recommend Inntravel; everything about the experience was built around excellent planning, attention to detail and choosing good accommodation as well as finding great walks. Well done and thank you.
This was one of the nicest walks we have done with Inntravel. The walking was varied (particularly as we did the High Route on day 1 and the Lower Route - Option B - on day 2) and the scenery excellent. We loved the food and the local wine has merit. I would recomend a day's pause at the Hotel Argi Eder. The hotel is lovely. We were unable to try the restaurant but it has an excellent reputation, so staying 2 nights would have meant we could have also tried the restaurant. The La Rhune rack railway is also fun, adding another dimension to the journey. Finally, take a pair of binoculars as the birds are great, vultures, eagles, kites etc.
In Hondarribia, we went to the restaurant Sebastien which was excellent.
We enjoyed walking through the French Basque countryside and finishing in the Spanish Basque at Hondarribia. We found the variety of the landscape through woods, rolling hills and over mountains very beautiful. It was fun going up the funicular railway to La Rhune and the amazing views from the top. The food from these areas was a gourmet's paradise! We would like to reccommend a Tapas bar called Tatapas next to the Hotel Obispo in Hondarribia- it was very easy and quite delicious.
Overall this was a tough walk - hard on feet and knees, but in line with the 2-3 grading. The picnics were inconsistent. Inntravel used to have a standard minimum e.g. sandwich, fruit, cake, juice, water. But on this occasion each hotel seemed to improvise. Sometimes no drinks of any kind were provided, or no fruit, or no cake/biscuit, so the picnic was unreliable and we had to carry spares. The brochure and website could be a bit more frank about the Bakea and Obispo. They are lovely hotels but both suffer badly from constant traffic noise - they are not places to rest and relax.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the picnics. This is the first time we have received any such comments and we will speak with the hoteliers to ensure this was just a temporary oversight. Picnics should provide sufficient sustenance for the day and water should always be offered, although we always advise carrying emergency snacks and additional water too.
Overall this trip did not disappoint. The travel notes were excellent and were amazingly detailed and accurate. I am 65, in moderate shape and found the hikes to be challenging and tiring but doable. Except for the first day's hike where we had great views of Spain once we hiked above a ground fog, most days were cloudy with an occasional drizzle so overall good hiking weather. The first day's hike did have a steep rocky descent which in several spots got a little too close for comfort to a cliff edge. The food and accommodation on this trip were generally very good but not quite as good as a previous Inntravel trip to the Dordogne. There were, however, some extraordinary moments. The Hôtel Argi Eder was fantastic. We were able to upgrade the dinner menu for a small fee and were well rewarded. An amuse-bouche of a cold gazpacho like soup with parsley ice cream and a chocolate sampler dessert were spectacular. I am very glad to have finally visited the unique and interesting Basque region.
This was a trip of a lifetime. The walks were lovely, accommodations and meals excellent (thank heavens for all of the walking, given quality and abundance of the meals), walking directions very good, transfers very professionally handled.
It's hard to explain the pleasure of stepping off the busy tourist track of most of the world, and entering a place where real people live, farm, and grow and prepare amazing food, apparently as they have for centuries. The views are lovely, the pace of walking delightful and challenging, and the arrival into a family run hotel at the end of the day enhances the pleasure. Every day of the hike offers a different terrain and challenge, each wonderful in its own way.
Inntravel organized everything seamlessly. Thank you! We look forward to traveling with you again in the future.
An excellent holiday. Very enjoyable
A very lovely walking holiday through a corner of France which we did not know. Tough walking days but comfortable beds in the evening and lovely sunshine. Everything worked very well and we would thoroughly recommend the holiday. Downhills were as tough as uphills and poles essential.
Beautiful beautiful scenery and lovely food
This was one of the best planned and executed trips we have had (and we have taken many inn to inn hikes). I think you need new photos for your website; the scenery was spectacular and from the website I only expected pretty.
A lovely set of quite challenging walks - there is a lot of up and down! Great local food. If you are lucky, beautiful views - we chose the lower walk on day 1 and were rewarded with a view when others took the recommended route and saw nothing. We were lucky enough to sit on a hillside watching the final time trial for the Tour de France wiz by. The new walking notes are fine - but you will need a compass of there is low cloud. You also need plenty of water as on most walks there is no possibility of buying drinks en route.
Things we wish we had done: an extra day at Hotel Argi Eder rather than in Hotel Obispo - v friendly and great food. Things we would change: the 5th day with its ride on a railway and long walk down is fantastic - but there is no way to get a taxi the 3km trudge to the train station. If there was some way to convince the hotel to offer this service - I would have happily paid whatever they thought a reasonable charge to avoid it.
Two other bits of advice: the Basque Gateau available in the market place in Sare is fantastic - the best in our view of the holiday; and, the cover charges for drinks in all the hotels was extremely high. Hotel Bakea charges Euro 7 for a beer and Euro 5 for a tonic water. Mark-ups on wine are commonly 400%+ over shop prices. We found friendly bars with sensible prices in many of the villages.
Everything was arranged very well, from the travel to the accommodation and walks. As we progressed through our holiday, we were confident that we would be expected and welcomed whenever we arrived at our hotel (and however tired!). The train travel worked out exactly as planned from London to Bayonne, and Taxi Landaboure were waiting for us.
Each day's walking was rewarding (if tough in the humid heat some days), but despite promises of clear weather and hiking up to the iparla Ridge on the first day, visibility was only a few feet! The walk notes and well signed paths were enough to keep us on track, however. We played it safe on day 2, opting not to go over the Artzamendi ridge, despite better weather. This proved a good decision both for our knees and the volume of wildlife seen - a great variety of butterflies, dragonflies, lizards, birds of prey etc. as well as the ubiquitous horses. The walk from Itxassou to Ainhoa was equally impressive, including a fly past from the Tour de France helicopter and views of the race from a distant hilltop. The staff of Hotel du Fronton went out of their way to transport our luggage after dinner to avoid the lengthy road closures due to the Tour - the luggage was already in our room when we finally arrived at Hotel Arraya.
An extra day (with pool) at Hotel Arraya was very relaxing, and gave us a chance to digest the spectacular Saturday night menu before heading on to Sare. The walkway in to Sare after following the border for much of the day was great - and I've never seen so many Beautiful Damselflies in one place. Sare itself was very interesting, but of all the hotels, we felt Arraya was the least friendly and hospitable. However, armed with a good picnic, the Sare to Biriatou day was a delight. We didn't book the train up to La Rhune, but were able to walk straight on just after 10 (although it was busy). The walk 'down' to Biriatou was not quite that, but some lovely, quiet, unspoilt countryside along the way kept us going. We arrived at a very welcoming Hotel Bakea tired but invigorated. The food, sitting on the picturesque terrace, was a delight. And finally, the Jaizkabel coast walk in to Hondarribia. Maybe it was our tired legs, the heat, or even the expectation of reaching the sea, but this was a long day's walking! Hondarribia (and especially the old town) was a fantastic final destination, and the extra day to look around, swim in the sea, enjoy the food was well worth it. In fact, finding El Curry Verde (not only curries!), a vegetarian antidote to all the fine eating of the previous week, overlooking the harbour and views back to La Rhune was a lovely way to end the holiday before a final Atlantic swim.
The French food and local wines were a real highlight. The heat and humidity at the end of June made the walks quite challenging.
A good holiday and an interesting area to visit.
Our trip hiking from the Pyrenees to the Atlantic was perfect in every way - the itinerary, the route and its comprehensive notes, the inns, the meals, the hosts. It was flawlessly assembled and easily the best trip that we two travelers have ever been on. We were challenged and rewarded; excited and delighted; well fed and watered (well, let's be honest, there was plenty of wine and beer!). We saw stunning scenery, untouristed towns, fascinating architecture and rare wildlife, and we learned about this unique part of the world in a way that no book, tv show, or internet site ever could teach us. And Hondarribia is so much fun. Two days was not nearly long enough to begin to scratch the surface there.
Every day was a delightful adventure filled with challenging terrain, spectacular views, gorgeous wildlife, delicious food, and more-than-comfortable lodgings. The culture, history, and cuisine of this region are remarkable and so much fun to explore. At the end of a long, sunny day of hiking, we enjoyed having a cold beer or two on the hotel terrace and watching the world go by. We really enjoyed seeing a game of pelota played on the fronton in Bidarray, walking through flocks of sheep and clusters of Potok ponies, and the pintxos in Hondarribia, where a second day (at the least) is highly recommended! The Hotel Argi Eder stood out for us in terms of service, food and comfort - we had a rest day there, and it was the perfect pause.
The route on the first day and the last day was the most spectacular. Most of the note were quite accurate with a few exceptions. Well done!
We really enjoyed this holiday and will be one of our Inntravel favourites. We really impressed by the Basque welcome everywhere we visited. Although all very different we enjoyed all the hotels and the meals provided, perhaps some of the best we have had during our Inntravel holidays. The hoteliers were warm, welcoming and helpful. We had four days of clear weather in the high 20s giving us outstanding views. Unfortunately the cloud decended on la Rhune and a little drizzle on the final morning but this didn't take anything away from the holiday. Do pre-book la Rhune tickets if you can, it was very busy even with cloud. The walking was true to grade if a little warm. The walks were varied and each village along the way had its own charm. A big thank you to Inntravel staff for sorting out alternative flights, accommodation and onward travel when our return flight was cancelled. Definitely worth the flight booking fee.
Tips: Use the map near Lekaienborda, don't rely on the instructions. Odd that you suggest extra walks in Ainhoa but don't advertise this in advance, we only found this out after we had booked and received the walking notes. We recommend a couple of nights in Biarritz to start the holiday.
Overall a really good holiday with great walking and fantastic food. We saw lots of different Basque ceremonies in the villages. We also enjoyed visiting Hendaye on our extra day at the end.
The entire route has been re-walked by us since this customer travelled, and the notes are up to date and accurate. The map is not entirely correct in its representation of the GR route, which we reference in our instructions.
Inntravel exceeded our expectations in the quality of service, materials provided, quality of the accommodations, and the support that we got for transfers. We will be booking our next holiday with Inntravel. Thank you.
The scenery was beautiful, lush and green with wonderful panoramas; different from other areas we have walked in. We particularly enjoyed the unspoilt and relatively remote feel of the early part of the holiday. We watched groups of vultures riding the thermals on a number of days and on one occasion disturbed a group of about 15 who then rose in front of us. It was a really good opportunity to sample typical Basque food and wine of which the locals are justly proud. We sampled wines from the vineyard at St Etienne de Baigorry and bought a bottle of the cherry aperitif Goradaxi which we drank post-walk each evening. We never tired of gateau basque and often bought individual ones for snacks on the way. We agree with one of the other reviewers that you need plenty of water. Whilst we didn't have the best weather (we had some rain most days) it was still very warm. We would recommend buying tickets for La Rhune online. Due to the French rail strike we had an extra day at the start in St Etienne. Although we didn't have any others we would recommend extra days at either Ainhoa or Sare. On the final day you might be tempted to do the shorter walk into Hondarribia but the longer walk is well worth the extra kilometres.
Hotel Bakea was an absolute delight with impeccable service and delightful food. Stunning scenery, and the Basque peolple are super friendly. You do need to be prepared for some very heavy showers!
The scenery was spectacular and very, very green due to a lot of recent rain. The highlights were the amazing views with circling birds of prey, and the extraordinary rock formations. Some of the descents were quite hard. Really sturdy boots and poles were invaluable, as were proper waterproofs. I was also glad on a couple of occasions that I had carried a compass and knew how to use it.
You never know just what you'll get when you book online, but Inntravel didn't disappoint. Everything was exactly as billed - the route, the hotels, the meals, the gorgeous views, the baggage transfers, and the extensive trail notes on which we relied entirely. It was excellent value for money. We enjoyed every minute and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.
A very exciting and challenging walking holiday, certainly a degree of walking experience and fitness required and walking poles would be a great help as steep ascents and descents. Extremely rewarding, varied terrain and amazing accommodation and food. Be aware you can book the tickets for the 'La Rhune' train in advance on the internet and strongly advise to do this, as they can get booked early and you might have a long wait.
Black kites, red kites and griffon vultures were magnificent.
All the walks were good except the Rhune day but that was because we were in thick cloud all day.
GPS gadget to measure the metres was a useful tool to double check locations. Remember to change to metric.
The upgraded room in the Hotel Obispo was fantastic with our own turret as a balcony and lovely sized room.
The route notes were excellent and quite fun to follow. Arriving and spending an extra day at Ainhoa was wonderful. The Hotel Argi Eder is very special. Mr. Dotax was charming and most helpful. The food is very good and the staff lovely. We were able to do hikes on the day of arrival and the next day from the hotel. It was a truly wonderful experience and we will most certainly look for another Inntravel trip and enthusiastically recommend the company to our friends. Additionally all of the vistas along the routes were superb even though we had low cloud cover most of our days. We loved the remoteness of some of the hiking from Sare to Biriatou. At times felt we were the last people on earth!
Our group of five thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. We could not seriously fault the hotels and the last three in particular were outstanding. We had interesting meals and two of the packed lunches were outstanding. We ranged in ages from 63 to 73 and were happy with the walking although we took the lower route on day 1 due to adverse weather. Temperatures ranged from low 20s early in the week to upper 20s on the final two days.
Walking poles are a big help on the steep downhills.
One of the best organised tours we have done.The Walk notes were extremely thorough and the times were accurate. We were particularly impressed with most of the hotels and the meals they provided. We enjoyed the routes chosen as they were away from the crowds and felt we really experienced "a taste of life" in the Pyrenees. Although a few parts were challenging as 2 people in our 70's we managed it and regard it as one of our best holidays ever!
We stayed for 6 days at Hondarribia following the walk and very much enjoyed the town and the beach. Having the river as well as the sea gave a great variety of walks and running routes.
INNTRAVEL NOTE: One night is included in Hondarribia as part of the published itinerary.
This is great trip - Basques are incredibly proud of their regional identity.
While there may not be any very obvious signs of conflict, the signs of ETA's existence are there if you look hard - tho' I confess I did not have the courage to discuss ETA with any of the locals.
Every day was special, different and varied. Also we had perfect weather, just one morning of constant rain. However the highlight for us was day 5. La Rhune, rushing along old cobbled paths, through muddy woodland to catch the train. Packed into a carriage of elderly Frenchmen. A crystal clear day with views for miles. Stunning journey up the mountainside then the long trek down almost to sea level, a real sense of achievement. The dinner at Birratou was a four course meal of sensational food on a patio looking up to the long trek we had just done. What a day!
Walking in the hills with the vultures soaring above us, gliding on thermals, was magical.
An excellent opportunity to experience the beautiful green Basque countryside. The walking was often on lovely green lanes and beside rivers with very little extreme hill walking. The food throughout was a wonderful part of the adventure and an unexpected delight.