GR10 self-guided Section 1 : From Hendaye to St Jean Pied de Port

Depending on your arrival time, after checking into your hotel, you may choose to walk in the region of Domaine d’Abbadia. A fantastic natural site of 65 hectares situated right on the coast. You will find a great mix of landscapes, moors, prairies, heather and high cliffs. You can also visit the famouse neogothic castle, the Domaine d'Abbadie. Distance : 5.5km, duration : around 2h00, altitude gain : +80m, descent : -80m 

Hendaye lies on the estuary of the River Bidassoa, which forms the border with Spain. The GR10 walking route begins its course on Hendaye Plage. Rising rapidly above the Atlantic, this first stage of the walk is pleasant. The landscape, scattered with villages, is peaceful and harmonious with the rolling hillsides. The ambience is very basque but there is no sign yet of the high dramatic mountains to come. Distance : 15km, duration : around 5h30, altitude gain : +850m, descent : -450m.

During this stage, the path will pass by the massif of La Rhune (larrun: place of pasture, in Basque), considered as the first Pyrenean summit of the chain and which, from the top of its 905m, remains the sacred mountain of the Basques and a place full of history. Then you will reach the pretty village of Sare and its typically Basque architecture which has managed to integrate the originality of the surrounding environment. Distance : 16,5km, duration : around 6h, altitude gain : +700m, descent : -1000m.

During this stage, you will cross at first the pleasant and preserved Basque countryside before arriving at Ainhoa, magnificent village-bastide of the XIIth century. Then, crossing small summits and passes, the route goes around the Ereby (583m), further on the Atxulegi (617m), and soon appears the Zuccuta pass, a superb belvedere. From there, depending on the weather conditions, you can reach the Col des Veaux by the trail or, if the weather is good, by staying on the ridge, off the GR10, continue to Gorospil Peak (691m), and enjoy the panorama of the Basque mountains. Distance : 22km, duration : around 7h, altitude gain : +800m, descent : -300m.

The GR10 continues to alternate between the Pyrenean summits and mountain villages that have a strong Basque identity. The trail heads in the direction of the Col de Méhatché situated at an altitude of 716m. You pass into a rocky landscape that is home to the griffin vultures that circle high above, before the descent to Bidarray village. As the stage is short, you can make a return trip to the top of Artzamendi and enjoy a wide panorama: from the ocean to the first high peaks of the Pyrenees. Distance : 11,5km, duration : around 4h, altitude gain : +350m, descent : -750m. OR  Distance : 14km, duration : around 5h, altitude gain : +550m, descent : -950m (via Artzamendi).

This sporty stage is one of the most beautiful hiking routes in the Basque Country. From the charming village of Bidarray, you will start the ascent towards the Iparla ridges. From the bottom of the valley, they look like a long, impassable wall. From the top, you will enjoy an immense panorama... Then you will descend towards Saint Etienne de Baigorry, a magnificent village in the Basque Country, with many typical Basque architecture buildings. Distance : 18,5km, duration : around 7h30, altitude gain : +1250m, descent : -1250m.

A stage in the heart of the Basque Country. The track rises above St Etienne de Baigorry to reach the Oylarandoy and Munhoa massif, culminating at 1021m and overlooking St Jean Pied de Port, which you will reach after a long descent. Surrounded by pink sandstone ramparts, the medieval town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is attractive with its cobbled streets lined with old houses, its old bridge over the Nive river, its picturesque facades on the water's edge, its sentry walk and its imposing citadel reworked by Vauban. Distance : 19,5km, duration : around 7h, altitude gain : +950m, descent : -950m.