Littoral path

[Beeman]

I want to do the vasco camino next year and would like to start in Biarritz. I would like to walk the littoral path but have seen various information about it. It is closed-it can be done by jumping the barricades-there is a new alternate path,slightly inland. You can see why I am confused. Does anyone have any recent information about this path. Thank you

 

[donalomahony]

Walked it last September. Diversions are well signposted. Gronze was up to date at the time. I have seen some "discussions" here about jumping fences etc. I tend to follow local advice. Gronze was very helpful as was Jean Luc in the albergue/gite in Guethary.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Irún (por el interior) | Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

Desde Ciboure tenemos dos opciones: el camino oficial que discurre por el interior, con algunos tramos de campiña y sin grandes desniveles, o el recorrido alternativo por el litoral, más fotogénico y con espectaculares vistas sobre los acantilados de la Corniche Basque. Tras una etapa corta y...

www.gronze.com

At the end of the day, keep the sea on your right and the next town in mind!

 

[Beeman]

Thank you so much!

 

[lt56ny]

I walked from Bayonne starting in early October and then did the Vasco to Burgos. No problems walking along the coast.
Just had to kind of adapt a little as I went. Loved the Vasco.

 

[Beeman]

I walked from Bayonne starting in early October and then did the Vasco to Burgos. No problems walking along the coast.
Just had to kind of adapt a little as I went. Loved the Vasco.

Thanks; could you tell me where you stayed on the Vasco,and if there were any problems with accommodations or anything else?

 

[tjz]

If you haven't come across this link, you might find it helpful for the "official" diversion: https://www.saint-jean-de-luz.com/f...a-corniche-basque-ciboure-urrugne-et-hendaye/

Open the map in the "+" and you'll see it illustrated.

We hopped the barriers and it worked fine, but if I were to do this again, I might take this way which stays close to the coast instead. The alternate route in Gronze takes you further inland than this and you cross over into Irun instead of Hondarribia.

 

[lt56ny]

Thanks; could you tell me where you stayed on the Vasco,and if there were any problems with accommodations or anything else?

I walked early last year. I started in the end of September. I stayed mostly in the municipal albergues and they were fine. From adequate to very good. Had to stay in some hostels because some nights there were no albergues. If you are going later in the season I would call ahead to make sure albergues are open. There aren't alot of albergue options so if there is an albergue you can figure I probably stayed in one. I was alone almost all the time.

 

[Former member 115996]

I walked from Bayonne starting in early October and then did the Vasco to Burgos. No problems walking along the coast.
Just had to kind of adapt a little as I went. Loved the Vasco.

Were you able to walk along the coast between Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye? I downloaded this map from the official tourist office site provided by @tjz (post #6) and it appears that the littoral path has been diverted inland and as a result is not that much littoral (coastal) anymore. A bit disappointing to be honest.

Walking on the D-912 road seems impossible. Zero shoulder to walk on.

The new official "littoral" route

Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye - Google My Maps

Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye

www.google.com

 

[lt56ny]

Were you able to walk along the coast between Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye? I downloaded this map from the official tourist office site provided by @tjz (post #6) and it appears that the littoral path has been diverted inland and as a result is not that much littoral (coastal) anymore. A bit disappointing to be honest.

Walking on the D-912 road seems impossible. Zero shoulder to walk on.

The new official "littoral" route

Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye - Google My Maps

Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye

www.google.com

Yes I did. It was easy in some parts and some caution needed in others.

 

[Former member 115996]

Well, I don't think I will take my chances.
This sounds quite serious:
"For security reasons, the coastal path as it was, is permanently prohibited to all pedestrian traffic from the exit of the town of Ciboure to the intersection between departmental road no. 912 and the Haizabia estate on the eastern part on the commune of Hendaye."

Maybe one can get fined, like for walking Napoleon route in winter. I have no budget for that. Thanks anyways!

 

[donalomahony]

You can see the updated coastal route here, found by following through link posted in #6 above

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I booked flights yesterday to the San Sebastian airport and I assumed without researching I could get a bus or train and walk from Bayonne on a coastal trail to Irun over a few days before starting the Vasco. I see this is not as simple as I'd hoped. I may now forego Bayonne and start from either Biarritz or Saint Jean de Luz instead, but I see their is potential danger shown on the coastal stretch from SJdL to Irun on Gronze. I have several days to "play around with" and wanted to walk most of the coast before heading inland and now I don't know if that is possible and am confused.
Any thoughts from those of you who are familiar with the routes to Irun from Bayonne, Bidart, or SJdL?

 

[Tincatinker]

I booked flights yesterday to the San Sebastian airport and I assumed without researching I could get a bus or train and walk from Bayonne on a coastal trail to Irun over a few days before starting the Vasco. I see this is not as simple as I'd hoped. I may now forego Bayonne and start from either Biarritz or Saint Jean de Luz instead, but I see their is potential danger shown on the coastal stretch from SJdL to Irun on Gronze. I have several days to "play around with" and wanted to walk most of the coast before heading inland and now I don't know if that is possible and am confused.
Any thoughts from those of you who are familiar with the routes to Irun from Bayonne, Bidart, or SJdL?

Chrissy, what’s the problem? It’s about an hour and a half by bus from Donostia/ San Seb to Bayonne or a couple of hours by train.

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Donostia-San-Sebasti%C3%A1n/Bayonne-France

If you would like me to suss it out for you pm me your flight time & data. I promise I won’t burgle your house while you’re away

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Chrissy, what’s the problem? It’s about an hour and a half by bus from Donostia/ San Seb to Bayonne or a couple of hours by train.

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Donostia-San-Sebasti%C3%A1n/Bayonne-France

If you would like me to suss it out for you pm me your flight time & data. I promise I won’t burgle your house while you’re away

That's not the problem. I assumed Bayonne was on the coast, but it's not. I wanted to walk ON the coast....then I read about mudslides somewhere on the coastal route after Saint John de Luz, thus my confusion on what to do.

 

[Tincatinker]

That's not the problem. I assumed Bayonne was on the coast, but it's not. I wanted to walk ON the coast....then I read about mudslides somewhere on the coastal route after Saint John de Luz, thus my confusion on what to do.View attachment 182491View attachment 182492

Ah well, just head to Biarritz then.

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Donostia-San-Sebasti%C3%A1n/Biarritz

You’ll get there sooner and can spend the afternoon surfing before scoffing a bunch of moules marinières

 

[trecile]

That's not the problem. I assumed Bayonne was on the coast, but it's not. I wanted to walk ON the coast....then I read about mudslides somewhere on the coastal route after Saint John de Luz, thus my confusion on what to do.

No problem getting to Biarritz from Bayonne. It's an easy train or bus ride, or you can follow @Tincatinker's suggestion to go directly to Biarritz. When I walked that route in 2023 there were signs up after St Jean de Luz about the erosion of the path, but I was able to walk it - however I did have to cross over barriers occasionally. This section was along the road. It's up to you if you feel comfortable doing that.

Here's some picture of that section

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@trecile, those pictures don't look bad at all, as long as you didn't find any sections treacherous from mudslides, or potentially falling off a cliff. Someone had mentioned worrying about getting "fined" and I hope that would not be a concern either.

 

[tjz]

Walking from Bayonne to Biarritz is very straightforward, you can find directions in @Dave 's book as well as other places. From Biarritz I think you have basically 3 options:

1. Hop the barriers after Saint-Jean-de-Luz as @trecile indicates. We did this in 2022 and did not feel endangered in any way, just a little annoyed as it was fine, really.
2. Take the Gronze route inland a bit. But you cross over into Irun instead of Hondarribia.
3. Take the route I linked above https://www.saint-jean-de-luz.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/sentier-cocc82tier.pdf which seems to stay closer to the coast than Gronze, but not right on it as in option 1.

We really enjoyed the 2 days from the cathedral in Bayonne to Hondarribia. If I had to choose again I'd do #1 or #3, I think.

Buen Camino!