bokormen91
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF, Via Podensis, Baztan, Coastal Portugese, sections on others...
Sooo - Baztan again, this time with a friend, and not continuing after. Slightly longer notes this time...
As there were 2 of us, and we did not continue after - we upped the budget. We were on a tight schedule due to RL commitments, and purists might get breathing problems.
Due to Easter - a lot more places were open compared to January, but for accomodation some places demand 3-4 nights continuous booking during the holls.
Our fitness levels can best be described as unfit and more unfit... So we took it slow, and were flexible
Day 1/Good Friday/ 19th April - Esplette overnight
Train from Bordeaux, changed in Bayonne, took the train to Ustaritz, which left us with a 10km walk. (Ustaritz was booked out, and having walked it before I decided we were better off skipping it. It’s a pleasant walk on concrete/tarmac along a river). Got lunch at supermarket in Ustaritz, bar/restaurant was also open. A really nice walk, undulating, but not too strenuous, only had a few very short sections with mud. Esplette was busy, 6-8 restaurants open in evening. We stayed in «Le Moulin de Pascale»- kitchen facilities if you want. Would recommend.
Day 2/ Easter Saturday/ 20th April - Arizkun overnight
The day starts with a hill... If staying in Esplette, you can go to Souraide and add some extra km, or just after leaving Esplette you can turn left just after the road named Gazitegiko Bidea, there is a yellow sign with a walking path marked - I did not take a picture, nor make a name of the path
The path goes uphill and joins the Baztan later, about halfway to Ainhoa. Being Easter Ainhoa had cafe’s open. The «border» had plenty of restaurants and supermarkets open. Nice easy walk to Urdax where all restaurants/bars seemed to be open. We arrived just before 2 pm, and I knew it would be hard going getting to Arizkun (where we had accomodation booked), so we took a taxi - had to wait 2 hours, but it was worth it for us. Stayed at Gontxea - there is a microwave, but no kitchen. Marian also runs a bar/restaurant/tienda just around the corner. She speaks really good English - is really helpful and super nice!
Day 3/ Easter Sunday/ 21st April - San Blas Venta overnight
It’s a flat walk to start, and beautiful. Elizondo has all amenities - including a vending machine for milk and cheese! Beautiful walk, with some short, but very steep hills until Berroeta, also flatter sections in between. Then down, crossing under the motorway, and uphill again, on (remnants of) Roman road to Almandoz, where there was a small tienda/newsagent open across from the church, and the Posada was also open. We continued on until San Blas Venta - where we had a lovely dinner, felt very welcome - and was so pleased to have less of a hill for next day... And the shower was fab!!! (getting spoilt)
Day 4/ Easter Monday/ 22nd April - Olagüe overnight
We walked the road until we hit the gravel path to the Ermita/Monastery (It’s an easy gradient - and quiet, in January I met 2 cars, we met 3 cars and 2 motorcycles this time). Lovely walk to Lantz, less leaves obstructing the path than in January, and drier, but still muddy in places. The Posada in Lantz was open, but we went down to Isabel’s tienda for a snack. Easy and non muddy walk to Olagüe - bar was open, but we seemed to have missed the shop/bakery that is open between 19-20, we tried it at 19:40. Olagüe has kitchen facilities and equipment, and there are disposable pillow covers and sheets on all bunk beds + blankets.
Day 5/ Tuesday/ 23 April - stayed in Pamplona
Lovely walk to Ostitz. Bar closed (same as January). No shop in Enderiz that we saw. Path was less muddy than in January, resembled bumpy dried concrete. Everything closed in Sorauren. Easy walk to Arre.
General thoughts/observations:
It is always easier budget wise if you are 2, but as there are limited refugios/albergues - especially true for the Baztan. Personally I like the accomodation in Urdax, Lantz and Olague, just bring warm clothes...
If staying in Ustaritz - good supermarket, and Natalie let’s you cook. If staying in Esplette - buy food in Ustaritz, Pascale at the Mill has cooking facilities, or eat out. If staying in Urdax, buy food at border or eat out.
Not sure about Amaiur-Maya, but in Arizkun at Gontxea there is a microwave, and shop/tienda where I would not expect microwavefriendly food. Eat out, or food you got at border, or Marion’s tienda has veggies and some dried goods (did not look too closely)
Elizondo has food, albergue has microwave and fridge.
Staying in Berrotea? Buy food/drinks in Elizondo for dinner - And breakfast - the shop we saw in Almandoz mainly had snacks (we might have missed other shops).
Staying in Olagüe - we did not enter the shop, only peered through the glass. Olagüe has decent cooking facilities - you might be better off shopping in Lantz
Hills... - you might think that the «hill» from Urdax to Amaiu-Maia is not that bad looking at maps...You might be right, we met someone that walked Urdax to Lantz in a day (I almost hyperventilated at the thought!). However, it is sort of a «sucky» hill as it gives little respite. Elizondo to San Blas Venta can actually feel less strenous as there are flatter sections that almost allows unfit people to talk and breathe, and there’s a shop and restaurant that is a perfect excuse for a break....
Time... The Baztan is perfectly doable in 5 days with some flexibility for those that are slower, though I see no reason not to extend it into 6-7 days... Faster/fitter walkers should be able to do it in 3 if they’d want to.
I loved the Baztan just as much 2nd time around, if not more... There’s just so much that makes me happy. I was a bit sad to miss out on the river walk, and the stretch between Urdax and Maia, but - prefer to feel happily spoilt for getting the chance to do a repeat
Yup, a bit of a Baztan fangirl
As there were 2 of us, and we did not continue after - we upped the budget. We were on a tight schedule due to RL commitments, and purists might get breathing problems.
Due to Easter - a lot more places were open compared to January, but for accomodation some places demand 3-4 nights continuous booking during the holls.
Our fitness levels can best be described as unfit and more unfit... So we took it slow, and were flexible
Day 1/Good Friday/ 19th April - Esplette overnight
Train from Bordeaux, changed in Bayonne, took the train to Ustaritz, which left us with a 10km walk. (Ustaritz was booked out, and having walked it before I decided we were better off skipping it. It’s a pleasant walk on concrete/tarmac along a river). Got lunch at supermarket in Ustaritz, bar/restaurant was also open. A really nice walk, undulating, but not too strenuous, only had a few very short sections with mud. Esplette was busy, 6-8 restaurants open in evening. We stayed in «Le Moulin de Pascale»- kitchen facilities if you want. Would recommend.
Day 2/ Easter Saturday/ 20th April - Arizkun overnight
The day starts with a hill... If staying in Esplette, you can go to Souraide and add some extra km, or just after leaving Esplette you can turn left just after the road named Gazitegiko Bidea, there is a yellow sign with a walking path marked - I did not take a picture, nor make a name of the path
The path goes uphill and joins the Baztan later, about halfway to Ainhoa. Being Easter Ainhoa had cafe’s open. The «border» had plenty of restaurants and supermarkets open. Nice easy walk to Urdax where all restaurants/bars seemed to be open. We arrived just before 2 pm, and I knew it would be hard going getting to Arizkun (where we had accomodation booked), so we took a taxi - had to wait 2 hours, but it was worth it for us. Stayed at Gontxea - there is a microwave, but no kitchen. Marian also runs a bar/restaurant/tienda just around the corner. She speaks really good English - is really helpful and super nice!Day 3/ Easter Sunday/ 21st April - San Blas Venta overnight
It’s a flat walk to start, and beautiful. Elizondo has all amenities - including a vending machine for milk and cheese! Beautiful walk, with some short, but very steep hills until Berroeta, also flatter sections in between. Then down, crossing under the motorway, and uphill again, on (remnants of) Roman road to Almandoz, where there was a small tienda/newsagent open across from the church, and the Posada was also open. We continued on until San Blas Venta - where we had a lovely dinner, felt very welcome - and was so pleased to have less of a hill for next day... And the shower was fab!!! (getting spoilt)
Day 4/ Easter Monday/ 22nd April - Olagüe overnight
We walked the road until we hit the gravel path to the Ermita/Monastery (It’s an easy gradient - and quiet, in January I met 2 cars, we met 3 cars and 2 motorcycles this time). Lovely walk to Lantz, less leaves obstructing the path than in January, and drier, but still muddy in places. The Posada in Lantz was open, but we went down to Isabel’s tienda for a snack. Easy and non muddy walk to Olagüe - bar was open, but we seemed to have missed the shop/bakery that is open between 19-20, we tried it at 19:40. Olagüe has kitchen facilities and equipment, and there are disposable pillow covers and sheets on all bunk beds + blankets.
Day 5/ Tuesday/ 23 April - stayed in Pamplona
Lovely walk to Ostitz. Bar closed (same as January). No shop in Enderiz that we saw. Path was less muddy than in January, resembled bumpy dried concrete. Everything closed in Sorauren. Easy walk to Arre.
General thoughts/observations:
It is always easier budget wise if you are 2, but as there are limited refugios/albergues - especially true for the Baztan. Personally I like the accomodation in Urdax, Lantz and Olague, just bring warm clothes...
If staying in Ustaritz - good supermarket, and Natalie let’s you cook. If staying in Esplette - buy food in Ustaritz, Pascale at the Mill has cooking facilities, or eat out. If staying in Urdax, buy food at border or eat out.
Not sure about Amaiur-Maya, but in Arizkun at Gontxea there is a microwave, and shop/tienda where I would not expect microwavefriendly food. Eat out, or food you got at border, or Marion’s tienda has veggies and some dried goods (did not look too closely)
Elizondo has food, albergue has microwave and fridge.
Staying in Berrotea? Buy food/drinks in Elizondo for dinner - And breakfast - the shop we saw in Almandoz mainly had snacks (we might have missed other shops).
Staying in Olagüe - we did not enter the shop, only peered through the glass. Olagüe has decent cooking facilities - you might be better off shopping in Lantz
Hills... - you might think that the «hill» from Urdax to Amaiu-Maia is not that bad looking at maps...You might be right, we met someone that walked Urdax to Lantz in a day (I almost hyperventilated at the thought!). However, it is sort of a «sucky» hill as it gives little respite. Elizondo to San Blas Venta can actually feel less strenous as there are flatter sections that almost allows unfit people to talk and breathe, and there’s a shop and restaurant that is a perfect excuse for a break....
Time... The Baztan is perfectly doable in 5 days with some flexibility for those that are slower, though I see no reason not to extend it into 6-7 days... Faster/fitter walkers should be able to do it in 3 if they’d want to.
I loved the Baztan just as much 2nd time around, if not more... There’s just so much that makes me happy. I was a bit sad to miss out on the river walk, and the stretch between Urdax and Maia, but - prefer to feel happily spoilt for getting the chance to do a repeat
Yup, a bit of a Baztan fangirl
That's nuts.
