From Sare to the Spanish border, this historic trail winds through ferns and beech woods before revealing a breathtaking view of the Rhune.
Setting out from Sare, a trail slips in among ferns and beech woods before climbing toward the Spanish border. This is the old smugglers' path, once travelled by night, on muleback, to carry salt, coffee and cloth from one slope of the Pyrenees to the other.
The walk is lovely in every season. In spring, the light filters through the still-damp forest; in autumn, the ridges wrap themselves in mist at daybreak. You'll come across black-faced Manech ewes, a few stone sheepfolds, and sometimes complete silence — the kind that gives full meaning to the word "interior" in "the Basque interior."
Allow two to four hours depending on the route, with a reward along the way: the view suddenly opens onto the valley and, further off, onto the ocean. Nothing extreme, but enough to feel at once tiny and thoroughly alive.
Before you head off, come and see us: we're happy to put together a basket — bread, sheep's cheese, seasonal fruit — and to point you toward the trail that suits your pace. The finest memory of a stay often comes down to a single day's walk.