Hendaye to Sare
The Basque Coast
Atlantic coast and Basque farmland, traditional villages of white walls and red shutters, the first cols and the first views of the Pyrenees.
GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port
Your walk from
Hendaye to
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
You'll walk 101 kilometres from the Atlantic at Hendaye to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the gateway of the Camino, taken along the Franco-Spanish border ridges — through Basque coastal villages of white walls and red shutters, limestone cliffs where griffon vultures circle, the high Iparla crest, and the first peaks above 1,000 metres. A route that opens the Pyrenees properly.
French Pyrenees
France
Trail Essentials
- Start
- Hendaye
- End
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- Distance
- 101 km63 miles
- Total Ascent
- 4,435 m14,551 ft
Difficulty
Demanding
Hilliness
Mountainous
Time to Complete
Explorer
6 days ~16 km/day
Hiker
6 days ~16 km/day
Fastpacker
4 days ~25 km/day
Trail Runner
3 days ~33 km/day
When to Walk
Best
Good
Avoid
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
The GR10's Atlantic section runs 63 miles from the Atlantic at Hendaye to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the gateway of the Camino — past traditional Basque villages of white walls and red shutters, over the first cols above the coast, through the limestone cliffs of the Peñas de Ichusi where griffon vultures circle, onto the red-sandstone Iparla crest along the Franco-Spanish border, and down into the medieval bastide of Saint-Jean. This is where the 550-mile GR10 begins its full traverse of the Pyrenees. You walk in Basque country from end to end, mostly in France with brief slips across the Spanish border, and the peaks rise above 1,000 metres in the closing two days.
Walking the GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port
How The Trail Unfolds
Your trail divides naturally into three parts — not by day, but by altitude. You start at sea level on the Atlantic, climb through limestone foothills and Basque hill villages, and finish on the Franco-Spanish border ridges, where the peaks rise above 1,000 metres.
Sare to Bidarray
Into the Foothills
Bastide villages give way to limestone cliffs and griffon vultures, and the country starts to look like proper mountain ground.
Bidarray to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
The Border Ridges
The trail climbs onto the Franco-Spanish border ridge for the first 1,000-metre peaks, then drops into the Camino gateway.
— Now Make It Yours —
Find Your GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port
Most people walk it in 6 days. Some want longer to take it all in. Others want the challenge of doing it quicker. Pick the trip that suits you — or customise yours below.
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72-hour confirmation or no charge
Refund promise if we can't deliver
Build Your GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port Adventure
Choose your pace and group size — we'll do the rest.
Your Adventure
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Daily Distance
~14 miles/day
Party Size
2 people
What's Included:
- Hotels or guesthouses with breakfast at each overnight stop
- Custom Door-to-Door Route
- Big Trail Adventures App
- Your own personalised Trail Book
- On-trail support
Per person:
—
Trip total:
—
Deposit today:
—
Your Adventure
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Daily Distance
~14 miles/day
Party Size
2 people
What's Included:
- Hotels or guesthouses with breakfast at each overnight stop
- Custom Door-to-Door Route
- Big Trail Adventures App
- Your own personalised Trail Book
- On-trail support
Per person:
—
Trip total:
—
Deposit today:
—
Included with every trip
Your personalised
Trail Book
Everything you need for every day of your trail — built around your exact itinerary. Your route, your accommodation, your packing list. Ready before you leave, works offline when you're out there.
Tonight's accommodation
Check-in time, room type, phone number and directions — all in one place
Day-by-day trail description
Route map, elevation profile and written description for each stage
Packing list and pre-trip checklist
Everything you need, nothing you don't. Tick items off as you go
Works offline
Open it once with data and it's yours — no signal needed on the trail
Included with every trip
Your route on every device you use
Your custom GPX file is built around your exact itinerary — day by day, door to door. Load it onto any device or app before you set off and navigate with confidence.
Works with
Talk to a Specialist
Knows the trail. Plans yours.
Craig
Trail Specialist
The GR10's Atlantic section is what I send people to when they've done the West Highland Way or Tour du Mont Blanc and want a proper mountain trail in a quieter range. People underestimate the Iparla day — exposed ridge, 1,000-metre peaks, a long technical descent. Don't tack it onto anything else.
Craig has spent over ten years in adventure travel, most of it talking walkers through trails like this. He's helped hundreds of customers plan their GR10's Atlantic section, knows where people typically misjudge the jump from gentle coastal days to the exposed Iparla ridge, and has the calls in his pocket from people who walked it the week before.
Ask Craig about the GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port
If you want to talk through your timing, your fitness, your pace, or anything the planner can't answer — call. Most of our customers do, and Craig's the one who'll answer.
The Practical Side
Before You Book
The things walkers ask us most often — answered plainly, so you don't have to ring to find out.
How fit do I need to be?
You should be comfortable walking around 20 km / 12 miles a day for five consecutive days, with substantial elevation — the total ascent over the trail is 4,435 metres, and the back half includes two days with peaks above 1,000 metres. The Iparla and Munhoa days are the hard ones — proper mountain walking, with exposed ridgelines and steep descents. If you'd rather lengthen the trip, the Explorer pace gives you seven days and lets you take the high sections more slowly. Hill fitness matters more here than flat miles.
When should I walk it?
June to September is the settled window. The Iparla and Munhoa ridges are above 1,000 metres and the trail crosses several exposed cols — early-season snow can linger on the high passes into May, and weather closes in by November. May and October are workable if you're flexible with weather and accept that the high days may be windier or wet. July and August are the busiest months and refuges fill up — book early. June and September are the sweet spot: long days, settled weather, fewer walkers.
Do you include luggage transfer?
Yes — your luggage is moved between accommodation each day, with a 20 kg allowance per bag. You walk with a daypack containing whatever you need until evening. On the Pyrenean GR10 the carriers vary by region — we book and time the transfers so they meet you each evening. The remote refuge sections occasionally need a different carrier or a small porter relay; we handle that. Most walkers carry around 5–7 kg in the daypack: water, lunch, layers, waterproofs, a small first-aid kit, and sun protection for the exposed days.
What kind of accommodation do you book?
A mix of small family-run hotels in the towns, gîtes d'étape (the French walkers' guesthouses) in the smaller villages, and traditional inns. All come with breakfast included, drying space for wet kit, and rooms en-suite where the village allows it. In some smaller stops — Col des Veaux, Bidarray — the choices are limited and we book well ahead; the trail's popularity in summer means a late booking can mean a longer walk to the next bed. We never put walkers in chains.
How do I get to the start and finish?
Hendaye at the start has a mainline TGV station — direct trains from Paris, around five hours, and good connections from London via Paris. Biarritz Airport is the closest by air, about 30 minutes away. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the finish is on a single regional line to Bayonne, where you can connect to the TGV or the Biarritz airport bus. Most walkers fly into Biarritz or Bilbao (around two hours from Hendaye by bus/train) and out of Biarritz at the end. We'll talk you through the connections when we book.
What's the realistic total cost?
The Hiker package starts at £609 per person for the five-day route — that covers accommodation with breakfast each night, daily luggage transfer, the planning, route notes, and our support line while you walk. On top, expect €12–18 a day for lunches and €25–35 for an evening meal in a gîte or village restaurant — most gîtes do an evening meal, which you sign up for at check-in. Drinks and bar snacks add up if you stop in the afternoon. Most walkers spend roughly £250–350 in extras across the trip.
Still not sure? Ring us on 0131 560 2740 — Craig usually answers.
Still Thinking?
Speak to Craig
If you've scrolled this far, we need to help you get onto this trail. The bit the planner can't help with — "is the pace right for me?", "is August really that busy?", "can we add a rest day in Keswick?" — that's a two-minute phone call. Most people who book the GR10 Section 1: Hendaye to Saint Jean Pied de Port ring first.