Discover the beauty of the basque country, Off the beaten path

Last fall, we spent an incredible week in our trusty van scoping out the best destinations that both the French and Spanish sides of the Basque Country has to offer. Using a road map, Google maps and the wonderful park4night app, we slept under the stars in some of the best wild camping spots you can imagine. We stopped at local markets to pick up ingredients for our daily picnics, JP cooked yummy meals on our little camping stove, and we indulged on tapas in a few cute towns along the way.

After looking up a few different blog posts on the best places to stop in the Basque Country, we realized there were some differing opinions. Plus, they had left off a few choice spots that we happened upon that we’re sharing here. Below you’ll find all of our favorite places, both known and unknown.

Itinerary

Oloron Sainte Marie & Vallée d’Aspe

Our first stop was in the charming town of Oloron Sainte Marie. We spent a couple hours walking through the old town where the river Gave d’Oloron splits into the Gave d’Aspe and Gave d’Ossau. We meandered up to the main church which had lovely views to the Pyrénées in the near distance. As it was covid time, not many shops were open but a few lovely restaurants that lined the river looked enticing for another time.

From there we headed south into nature in the Vallée D’Aspe. The valley cuts straight through towering mountains on both sides. From either direction, heading into the hills you can find cute tiny villages perched on the steep hilltops to wander through. Many of these have a few local residents but most of them are “village vacances” where families stay in gites (basic accommodations) for their holidays.

We made a stop in the gorgeous area of Lescun for our ritualistic mid-day picnic. Typically, we stop in a village to pick up fresh ingredients. If we’re lucky, there will be a local market on to buy directly from the farmers (these normally happen once per week and each village has different market days).

Plateau du Benou

After our lunch stop, we headed to the other side of the valley towards the little-known spot called the Plateau du Benou. It was a magical discovery! Gorgeous scenery surrounded us while horses, cows and sheep roamed freely through the hillsides. Hiking the wild hillsides was beyond amazing to be so in the middle of nature with lovely animals all around. This place is so special!

We were lucky enough to park for the night amongst the horses roaming all around us. The calming sounds of hooves just outside our van gave us the best night’s sleep. If I could, I would buy land here. It’s simply perfect in my book.

The Road to Saint Jean de Pied de Port

The next day we headed back West towards Saint Jean Pied de Port along a tiny road through the mountains, avoiding the main road with less breathtaking views. This drive is not for the faint of heart but the incredible vistas are worth the stomach churning fear of heights (if you have them).

Saint Jean Pied de Port is a typical Basque village that is high on the tourist stop-off list. We only stayed briefly because it was the height of summer heat at lunchtime and filled with people (not our ideal). BUT it is completely charming and picturesque with typical Basque architecture, a little river running through and plenty of restaurants and shops catering to visitors. If heading there, I would recommend going early in the morning or in the off-season (April-June, September-November) to avoid bigger crowds.

Espelette, Ainhoa, Sare

A few more of the typical “known” Basque villages are Espelette (famous for peppers), Ainhoa, and Sare. They are even smaller, cuter versions of Saint Jean Pied de Port. To be perfectly honest, we only passed through all three of these because they were CROWDED with people. Again, I would give the same advice to either go early or off-season to truly enjoy these perfectly adorable villages.

Col de Lizarrieta

Now we’re talking! This spot was thee spot! JP had been here before and thus was privy to locating this hidden gem. On the road between Sare and Extalar, you can find this wonderful location for hiking and even better, for wild camping! We had the top of the hillside all to ourselves with the most stunning views to the surrounding mountains. From the road which crosses over into Spain, there is a restaurant, parking for hiking and viewpoint area. Just to the left the road continues up the hill. Keep following it up up up until you reach the top and voila, the perfect place to camp for the night.

Extalar

The following morning we cruised down from the top of the mountain crossing into Spain and ended up in the cutest little Spanish Basque village you ever have seen! Extalar is the epitome of adorable towns. It’s nestled in the bottom of the mountains and surrounded by a towering forest. The buildings have that typical Basque architecture with a lovely church, town square, a few shops and restaurants and a wonderful bakery. It’s the perfect spot to grab a coffee and pastry, sit in the square and watch the locals pass by.

Hondarribia

From there we spent a few days stopping at some costal beaches in Spain. The beaches were lovely but for us, they were far too crowded. Due to covid restrictions in Spain, the locals were out in droves at the beaches. The authorities had also banned parking for the night at the beaches (which we weren’t aware of until we were told to leave), so we didn’t have the best experiences in those parts. But the highlight in Spain for us was Hondarribia. Just on the French border, this town oozes Basque charm.

There is the port and beach areas and then the central old town. Both are equally lovely. We spent a few hours on the long stretch of beach at the edge of the harbor. The water was particularly refreshing in the warm mid-day hours. Into the old town there is a strip of restaurants frequented by locals and tourists alike. After days of camping cookouts, we treated ourselves to some delicious tapas and wine at a couple restaurants. Everything was delicious and affordable.

If hiking along one of the most stunning coastlines is your thing, this is the place to go! About 15 minutes from the main town heading towards San Sebastian, you can find GI-3440 road. There are plenty of turnouts to park, then simply walk towards the coast and you’ll find the walking trail which takes you over incredible landscapes. The color of the Atlantic was simply stunning and beckoned us to jump in a couple times along the way. We only crossed paths with a handful of other hikers as well. This is definitely a spot I will revisit.

Saint Jean De Luz, Biarritz & Bayonne

Finishing off the trip back on the French side, we journeyed to these three popular destinations with no regrets. Saint Jean de Luz is a pretty port town, smaller than Biarritz but still a sizable small town with loads of restaurants and shops, a nice beach and some popular surf spots further out.

We only stayed in Biarritz briefly as it was full of people and had little to no parking but we cruised along the seaside, stopped to marvel at some of the stunning architecture and did a quick walk along the famous Passerelle Eiffel. At first glance, it felt like a seaside Paris. It’s a little ritzy and chic but has that coastal laid back vibe. I for sure want to go back to spend more time to get a real feel for the place.

The last stop on our Basque tour was Bayonne. This was town completely charmed me. Darling restaurants lined the Nive river which passes right through the main part of town. Crossing cute little bridges will take you into the old town center where there are endless winding streets filled with hip boutiques and terraced cafés. In Les Halles, you will find a great market full of stands selling everything from produce to meats, cheeses, breads, etc. I could have spent hours just mindlessly wandering around, stopping where I pleased and letting the hours pass by but alas, it was time to head home.