Biarritz to Donostia

What a Camino and what a great amount of learning.

As readers of this blog know I will talk endlessly about albergues, bus and train travel tips, the routes, the water stops and it's usually always value for money first.

I just like to have enough to tip the staff in bars. It's that simple. I don't have a lot but I want to go out and tip.

This trip had everything from bargain travel to expensive meals so let's get to it. Simon and I flew May 5th.

We stayed in Biarritz on our first night. The budget was blown out the water. Accomodation seemed cheap for two rooms for the two of us in an apartment. We were close to the market area. It's expensive but not like the place that got us a bottle of wine and two plates for €100. We found a cheaper bar in the market area with a plate of cheese for €14 and drink prices better. Suffice to say, when we walked out it was cheaper. Breakfast seemed cheap getting 2 fried eggs for €6 and €30 for breakfast seemed a bargain. Biarritz was €200 a head all in with only €40 on accommodation. Ouch.

By the time we reached st Jean de luz it was another €20, then €16 on the edge of town

 

We were getting the bus to the border then walking to our digs in Hondarribia and stopping in Spain for a tapa and drink for €12 felt so good.

That was the tale of Spain and the French know it. Generally speaking two small beers and two pinxtos was €12.

When we got to Hondarribia the array of bars was fantastic. There were more french voices than Spanish which made me chuckle.

The shortest Camino

Camino Norte tasting menu from Edinburgh, its a gastronomic camino walkers delight.

A two night, three day walking and eating experience to salivate the brain and stimulate the taste buds.

We leave Edinburgh at 6:20am and arrive in Biarrritz on Sunday morning. We jump the bus to arrive in Bidart by 11am. We want to maximise our time in both France and Spain.

We get off the bus, turn our heads 90° and look down on the magnificent inlet at erreterria.

300m downhill, on arrival in Bidart town centre we have 3 options.

Option 1 is look through the beautiful town, enjoy coffee and cake at the patisserie and stroll on. You stroll down through the town then keep largely to the shore for 12km, a little bit up to the path and down to the shore, but generally quite easy, mostly flat. There is a beach cafe at Gerneray and another set of cafes on the coastal edge of st Jean before you reach the botanical gardens. You then walk the promenade for 2km.

Option 2 is to take a few photos, buy some fridge magnets and write a few postcards, then walk 150m down past the church to rejoin the main road and get the #3 bus to st jean de luz. 500m max. The bus is €1.30 every time you board so use your bank card, buy a txik txak ticket on arrival at airport, machine by bus stop and load 6 journeys (labelled other products.).

Option 3 is a hybrid. You get the bus along the road then you get off at another bakers on the edge of st Jean de Luz, walk past some big beautiful houses as you head the 1.5km down to the beach and then walk the 2km promenade. 4km max.

REPEAT NOTES

(This is a Camino for beginners so it involves more food and drink than walking but there will be a few steps.)

(We arrive in Biarrritz at 9:45am SUNDAY local time. Customs is usually good for us getting the #3 @11am for €1.30 down to Bidart. If lucky 11am becomes 10.30am and we are walking by 10:45.)

LUNCH RENDEZVOUS CHEZ PABLO.....this restaurant is next to the market and the bus stop, 10 mins from the prom. The market closed around 1pm. We will lunch until 3pm.

Nobody's watching so you can go down to the beach and do what you like. 

We aim to rendezvous at 1:30 for lunch. We will try to avoid staying too long at the  beach bar near Gerneray train station.

About 3-3.30pm we get the €1.30 bus to Hendaye grand plage and walk the 500m along the beach to the market area of Hendaye for 4:30.

We will stop for a beer and some tapas then get the €2.50 boat to Hondarribia. The 10 minute crossing takes us around the many moored catamarans and scooners, across the bay and into the town centre. There is often a queue for the regular boat so worth checking it and taking a snack. Usually the wait is less than 30 mins.

We arrive in Hondarribia and won't go over to Gran Sol unless we can catch a lunchtime slot. We would get served the most amazing food at 7:30pm except it's closed on a Sunday night but for now we will accept a beer or a glass of wine and then head elsewhere. We will check in to hotel, probably stop en route and go to another bar for a nibble without spoiling our appetite. It is worth waiting for. One day people🤣

NOT ON A SUNDAY EVENING 😜

For those who want to check in the hotel is 6 minutes walking unless you can't walk in a straight line. If you are a bit wobbly after the wee ferry, I suggest 8 minutes is wise. If you are staying in the albergues at Irun I suggest you jump a #25 check in, dump your bag, get yourself a pilgrims passport, decline dinner, accept breakfast, then dump your bag near, NOT ON, your bed and get the 5 mins bus back down. It is a donativo so your donation can be €5, €10 or €20 whatever you want.

If we check into an even more local hotel than the Onyarbi I will revise the times. Hard to believe but never say never.

The Onyarbi was superb and did family rooms.

Our first room was a twin but when we moved downstairs, on the entrance level our room had 2 settees, aka sofa beds as well as twin beds. It also had 10m from one end to the sofas so we quietly drifted apart.

On Monday morning you'll feel like you have already done loads and it's just beginning. Our cafe tip stop is Gaxen. There are many and we recommend it. A mixture of continental through to ham and eggs. Lots to love about the people here as they look after you.

We will walkout the far end of Hondarribia around the bay.

There are two routes and this is slightly more gentle up the hill.

It will take 2 hours and the views get better with every step.....

When we get to our new base camp we have two options. Around Jaizkibel or up and over.

Up and over is my preference if it's dry and you have sticks. Importantly follow the arrows.

I've done two around and one over. It's all good and my preference is over as long as it's dry.

Now the timings get approximate.

We will arrive in Lezo around 3pm. Roughly 2 hours after we reach the church with the black Madonna.

Biarritz May 5th-19th San Sebastian

New plan accommodation.

May 5-8 Al and Simon 

3 nights San Sebastian area 

May 8-10 Al Simon and Stu 1 night Bilbao

Now BOOKED 9TH-13TH May - 4 nights IRUN 

May 10-12 All 6

May 12-13 Al Jackie and Stu

May 13-19 Al & Jax Hondarribia 

Straight to San Sebastian on 5th.19:45 flix bus

Walk to Zarautz on 6th

Zarautz to Zumaia / getaria 7th.

Zumaia to Deba on 8th then train to Bilbao to meet Stu 7:45pm 

May 9th.Walk around San Sebastian, check out the Gizpouka football club that unai emery, arteta, and Bournemouth manager Areola, played for then continue scouting with walk to Pasaia. Lunch San seb /dinner Pasaia sleep well on the 9th. 

May. 10. Meet boys in San Sebastian and walk to Pasaia and walk/train back. Go to Real Sociedad v Real Betis if we get tickets.

May 11th tram to Irun and walk to San Sebastian or Pasaia.

May 12 tram to Hendaye and walk to Biarritz fall back bus from St Jean or Bidart around 2:45/3pm.

May 11th Irun to Bidart via st jean de Luz.

May 12 Bidart to the airport 

5th Biarritz arrival 6pm bus to Biarritz or st jean de luz or even hondarribia and book in for 3 nights.

6th st jean de luz walk to irun

7th Irun to Pasaia /San Sebastian 

8th walk from San Sebastian and bus to Bilbao after lunch

9th bus back to Zarautz/then Zamaia or deba

10th Jimmy and Paul coming out arrive 10:30am

11th markina to Guernica 

12th back to San Sebastian and travel to Biarritz for 18:00  flight. Jackie arrives for 7 days until 19th.

AND THE TRUTH....

So that's not what happened and it never is....

After Irun I booked us into hotel Onyarbi and we never left. Jackie and I were going to stay one night then we stayed another 2 nights💨🌧️while it rained a lot all over the country, then we booked Saturday and then Sunday night.

We discovered Gran Sol and this bar was just so good.

The town of Hondarribia is so easy on the eye and full of restaurants that put day to San Sebastian/Donostia or in the boat to Hendaye were side shows. The place to be was here.

Sunday was sunny and we walked about and now it's time to leave and head to st jean de luz on Monday and the Mosaik hotel.

Sunday was €82 while Friday and Saturday was nearer €250. 

We plan to come on Sunday in June and return Tuesday. A two nighter but as gran sol will be closed after lunch on Sunday we may need a fast bus. St Jean by 11, Irun by 11.45 and hondarribia by 12:20. It's a bit tight but if we have to queue so be it. If we get lucky we get here faster possibly a train to Hendaye but all bets are tricky on a Sunday.

Getting back after lunch on Tuesday is easier. Queue for lunch at 12. Get the bus to Irun at 1:40 get the Hendaye train at 2:08, get the bus to st jean or train to Biarritz by 3pm. No sweat.

Málaga strolls

This morning we start on the metro. Line 2 to Palacio de los Portes. 

We will walk back a gentle stroll through the gardens and down to the beach, going around the construction site on the way.

There are so many things to love about this wee walk. It's all downhill for starters. 

I know it can't be but it feels that way as you walk towards the rising sun.

The sky is an amazing array of beauty and anger. 

A bit like I feel. 

There's a rage that wants to spit rain at you and then the beauty of the blue sky and the heat of the sun.

You pass a cafe called Magna after 10 mins and then 5 mins later your at the beach. It was raining as I hit the beach with a warm sun coming off the Alboran Sea. It looked sunny in Morocco.

I stopped for coffee at Cafe Marcello. Wonderful it was.

The sun came out and it was toasty. It was like some generous Greek god had just wrapped a little fire all around me. It disappeared very quickly but the 25 seconds of heat had me reaching for the sun screen it was so strong.

I walked on down passing an amazing sight as the sun bartered with the clouds to spray rain and sunshine over a boat in the sea. Some cruise that I speculated. "Would all passengers on the bow wishing for sunshine move to the stern and those with brollies move to the bow".

I love the weather.

6000 steps from house to La Isla metro and back again. A beautiful gentle stroll and one I could do in a wheelchair.

An interesting aside is the Málaga metro card. It's €1.35 for a single journey but I put €10 in the recharge purse. That bought 20 journeys at €0.50

Málaga 2026

Depart Edinburgh 08:40 January 23rd or 6am from Haymarket with many layers on

Friday Málaga 23rd

Saturday 24 beach walk nerja

Sunday 25 mountain walks/Almunecar 

Monday 26 mountain walks

Tuesday 27 beach walks torre

Wednesday 28 Málaga walks (3)

Thursday 29 Málaga walks (2)

Friday 30 

Saturday 31

Sunday 1 last night in central Málaga and off to Cordoba on the fast train. Metro to Maria Zambano in the morning.

Monday 2 what a quick train that was. We arrived at 9:30 so had to wait until 10:07 but as ever at our age it passes ridiculously quickly. Down a rabbit hole on the phone one minute and the next we are boarding.

Wednesday 3

Thursday 4

Friday

Saturday 

Sunday

Monday 

Tuesday 9th