Anyone started Camino Nord in Biarritz to Saint-Jean-de-Luz instead of Bayonne?

[sherrykirkham]

Has anyone started the Camino Nord from Biarritz to Saint-Jean-de-Luz instead of Bayonne? Was thinking of visiting Bayonne to get credentials at the Cathedral and then taking bus to Biarritz and starting from there. Is there a route and is it marked? Possibly more scenic /shorter. - thoughts and comments please

 

[lovingkindness]

Bonjour @sherrykirkham. Why take a bus! It may still be possible to follow the river l'Adour from Bayonne to the coast then on to Biarritz -I did this in July, 2011. From there one can follow Le Sentier Littoral, a coastal trail all the way to Hendaye. It is beautiful.

Bidart to St-Jean-de-Luz
http://www.macotebasque.com/fr/itin...entier-littoral-de-bidart-a-saint-jean-de-luz

St-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye
http://www.hendaye-tourisme.fr/images/pages/document/document-1439885658-95541744.pdf

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[NYSE]

My plan is to walk from Bayonne to Irun and on to the Norte. Bayonne is a beautiful city and the walk from Hendaye to St. Jean Pied de Port is spectacular. Why not stretch the Camino out as long as possible is my thought.

 

[VNwalking]

I haven't done what you are asking about, Shirley, but I have done the reverse: walking from Hendaye to St Jean de Luz on the Voie Littoral, and then taking the municipal bus from there to Bayonne. The memory of the latter part is a little vague, but I believe the bus stopped at the airport in Biarritz before it got to Bayonne.

The photos I've posted below start in Saint Jean de Luz and end up in Hendaye; the higher the file number the closer to St Jean.

The walk is definitely spectacular, especially if you are interested in geology. (There is some chatter going on about that on this thread starting at post 253.)

 

[lovingkindness]

ps...

Hello again
Le Sentier Littorale and le Voie du Littoral, a pilgrim trail which starts in Bayonne, are two different trails.

Voie du Littoral (Chemin de St Jacques) : http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Lit_PA.htm

Cheers!

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you for that correction, @lovingkindness - I appreciate it!

An once in Spain, between Deba and Zumaia, there is the Ruta del Flysch through the Basque Coast Geopark.
It is a few kms off the Norte, but well worth the detour.

 

[NualaOC]

Hi @sherrykirkham. there's some helpful information in this thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/biarritz-to-san-sebastian.52787/#post-583719 You'll probably find some others if you hunt using the search function.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

 

[VNwalking]

Also this:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-from-bayonne-to-irun.64327/#post-783853

 

[Charles Chamberlain]

I started my "Norte" last year in Biarritz by walking from Bidart (a short bus ride from the Biarritz airport) to Hendaye on the Le Sentier Littoral. It was a wonderful day (although a bit long and tiring after an overnight flight from Canada) but beautiful scenery along the coast and a great tuneup for the Norte from Hendaye/Irun to Bilbao. I'm sure you would enjoy it.

 

[sherrykirkham]

Bonjour @sherrykirkham. Why take a bus! It may still be possible to follow the river l'Adour from Bayonne to the coast then on to Biarritz -I did this in July, 2011. From there one can follow Le Sentier Littoral, a coastal trail all the way to Hendaye. It is beautiful.

Bidart to St-Jean-de-Luz
http://www.macotebasque.com/fr/itin...entier-littoral-de-bidart-a-saint-jean-de-luz

St-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye
http://www.hendaye-tourisme.fr/images/pages/document/document-1439885658-95541744.pdf

Cheers
Lovingkindness

Thanks - would love to do that but for me it is a matter of time my schedule.

 

[Helen1]

I've done part of this - flew to Biarritz then taxi to Bayonne to accomodation. Credentials and then hot chocolate in Cazenave (it's famous but doesn't open early) the next day, then we walked to Biarritz along the road and spent the night in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, then walked onto Hendaye before we turned inland towards SJPDP. Can't remember about the route markings but it's along the coast so hard to get lost, lovely route and well walked/easy to follow, we used the maps lovingkindness posted.

 

[filly]

I flew in to Biarritz airport some years ago and walked to a hotel nearby and had dinner at a Courtepaille resto. The next day I braved the N highway and walked along the cost from Bridart to Hendaye. SENSATIONAL. I only found out later that I could have taken a ferry from the estuary edge at Hendaye to Hondaribba and started the Norte that way... I never found the GR and have no regrets... Ultreia!

 

[Vacajoe]

You can walk from the airport to Bayonne and then onto Biarritz the next day. It’s possible, but the most interesting walk and I’d only recommend it if you are a pilgrim who likes to walk versus taxi/bus. I did it last year and enjoyed it.

I recommend mapping your route via maps.me or google maps as there really isn’t a marked path for the entire route. Unlike other responders, I avoided busy roads.

 

[AlanTheTraveler]

Hi, I live very close to Biarritz airport and can walk from my front door to join either the Camino Frances (walking along the Nive to St Jean Pied de Port) or the Camino del Norte (by walking (roughly 30 minutes) to Bidart and taking the Sentier Littoral to Hendaye). In Hendaye you make your way to the railway station cross the railway line and then follow it on the Eastern side to the Bidassoa river. The bridge over the river, the Pont Saint-Jacques takes you to Irun and the start of the Camino del Norte.

I generally don't walk into Bayonne, whereas I do enjoy walking into Biarritz and the towns to the South. If your purpose of going to Bayonne is to visit the cathedral for a credential the bus is a good option. From the airport you can take the number 4 bus into Bayonne and then take the number 3 bus back to Bidart to start your walk. The T1 'Trambus' joins the centres of Biarritz and Bayonne. The following map shows the various bus routes : https://tim.chronoplus.eu/tim/data/pdf/433_Chronoplus-Schematique_INTERNET.pdf.

You can't really miss the Sentier Littoral as it follows the crest of the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and is very well marked.

 

[John Holland]

I did this route three years ago (2017) as part of a walk from Koblenz (Germany) to Santiago via Saint John Pied de Port, Bayonne, the River Adour to the coast and on to Biarritz, St Jean de Luz and eventually Irun and the Norte. The route between Bayonne and Irun is not marked all the way, only partially. Even where marked it sometimes goes along main roads rather than the coast. The coast is quite a bit longer as it weaves in and about. I did not have a map or a phone with maps.me or google etc. There is a ferry from Hendaye to Hondarribia but I walked around the inlet to Irun. The walk is very doable. It took me two days from Bayonne to Irun Enjoy the walk.