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.
