The Basque Country from both sides

A loop that crosses the border twice, between a coast beaten by the Atlantic and inland villages where the mountains begin at once.

Published on 29 August 2026·Updated on 13 September 2026·1 min read

La Rhune, which marks the border between the two sides.

Two sides, one country

The border crosses La Rhune at its summit. That is a fair image of the trip: on either side, the same language, the same architecture, and two countries you pass between without noticing.

The contrast is not between France and Spain, it is between the coast and the interior. Twenty kilometres take you from Atlantic beaches to mountain villages.

The contrast is not between two countries, it is between the coast and the interior.

Practical notes

When to go: May–June and September. July and August saturate the coast.
Getting there: Bayonne and San Sebastián under an hour away, Bordeaux two and a half.
Access: All tarmac. The inland roads are narrow and very winding.
Sleeping in a van: Plenty of campsites on both sides. Overnight parking is tightly controlled on the coast in season.
Worth knowing: The little train up La Rhune must be booked ahead in high season.
Allow: Four days for the loop, six pushing on into Navarre.

What not to miss

1La RhuneThe border summit, reached on foot or by rack railway.
2The inland villagesAinhoa, Sare, Espelette: red half-timbered houses and pelota courts.
3The Basque cornicheBetween Hendaye and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the coast drops straight into the Atlantic.

A trip comes with this article

Loop from Saint-Jean-de-Luz

4 days 157 km ≈ 4 h driving

The stages

1Château d'Abbadia · Castillo de Carlos V · Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
2Monte Urgull · Kontxa hondartza
3Lesaca · Cuevas de Zugarramurdi · Ainhoa

+ 1 day

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