Ainhoa on Foot: What You Can Do Without the Car
A car is useful for exploring the French Basque Country. But one of the things we love about staying at Les Hauts d’Ainhoa is that you don’t need to get into it every time you want to go somewhere.
From the house, a footpath leads up towards Ainhoa before joining a quiet country road into the village. In around 20 minutes, you can be wandering along Ainhoa’s main street, sitting on a terrace, having lunch or setting off into the surrounding hills.
You can even visit a local producer, buy artisan gingerbread or walk out for a special dinner.
Here are some of our favourite things to do in Ainhoa without taking the car.
Walk into Ainhoa village
Around 20 minutes from Les Hauts d’Ainhoa
Ainhoa is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, and it’s small enough to explore slowly on foot.
Even better, the centre of the village is now pedestrianised. For years, Ainhoa suffered from through-traffic heading towards the Spanish border and the shops at Dantxaria. Today, that traffic is kept out of the historic centre, making the main street much quieter and more pleasant for pedestrians.
You can now take your time looking at the traditional white Basque houses with their red or green timberwork. Look a little more closely and you’ll see carved lintels above some of the doors, often bearing the names of the families who built the houses and their dates of construction.
Ainhoa developed as a stopping place on one of the routes towards Santiago de Compostela, and its history is still visible in the layout and architecture of the village.
There are small shops to browse, terraces where you can stop for a drink and plenty of details that are easy to miss when you simply pass through.
Visit the church and cemetery
In the heart of the village stands the Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption.
Step inside and you’ll see the wooden galleries typical of traditional churches in the Basque Country. And here’s a tip that’s easy to miss: bring a €1 coin with you. There’s a little mechanism inside the church that switches on the illuminations and music, allowing you to see the interior properly and experience it rather differently.
The cemetery surrounding the church is worth exploring too. Look out for the traditional Basque stèles discoïdales – distinctive circular gravestones decorated with carved symbols.
It’s a peaceful place and one of the best spots in Ainhoa for noticing some of the traditions that make this part of France so distinctive.
Discover Ainhoa’s artisan gingerbread
Another of our favourite stops is Les Pains d’Épices d’Aïnhoa, where artisan gingerbread has been made in the village since 1992.
There are several different recipes to discover, including some using ingredients associated with the Basque Country, such as chestnut and buckwheat flour and Piment d’Espelette.
It’s a lovely place to pick up something for later – or something edible to take home with you.
One piece of local advice: check that they’re open before you go. Their opening days and hours can vary, particularly according to the season. They post regularly on Facebook, which is useful for checking the latest information.
Visit a local sheep farm
For a glimpse of rural life beyond Ainhoa’s main street, you can also visit Ferme Olatxarea, a working sheep farm around 1.5 km from the centre of the village.
The farm produces its own AOP Ossau-Iraty, the sheep’s-milk cheese of the western Pyrenees, as well as other sheep’s-milk products.
It’s a chance to meet a local producer, learn a little more about how the cheese is made and, of course, taste some.
Visits need to be arranged in advance, so don’t simply turn up – call the farm beforehand to organise your visit.
This is one of the things we parw(pticularly like about exploring Ainhoa on foot: within a relatively small area you can go from one of France’s most beautiful villages to the working farms and countryside that surround it.
Stop at Ezkurra for an apéritif
Back in the village, Ezkurra is an easy place to stop without committing to a full restaurant meal.
Have a drink on the terrace, share a charcuterie board or stop for a snack. They also serve homemade ice cream, making it a particularly tempting destination on a warm afternoon.
It’s informal and relaxed – a lovely place to sit for a while and watch village life go by.
And because you’re on foot, there’s no need to worry about who is driving home.
Walk out for lunch
For such a small village, Ainhoa has a remarkable choice of good places to eat – and several are within walking distance of Les Hauts d’Ainhoa.
Argi Eder is the closest, at around 15 minutes on foot.
Ithurria Côté Bistrot, around 20 minutes away, is one of our favourite choices for a relaxed lunch. In warmer weather, its shady terrace is particularly lovely.
Maison Oppoca, also around 20 minutes away, is another favourite and has the advantage of being open throughout the year.
We’ve put together a separate guide to where to eat in Ainhoa, including which restaurants we choose for different occasions.
Walk up to the Chapelle de l’Aubépine
If you feel like stretching your legs a little more, head uphill towards the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Aubépine.
The chapel sits above Ainhoa and is associated with a local story of the Virgin Mary appearing to a young shepherd in a hawthorn bush – aubépine in French.
The climb takes you above the village and rewards you with lovely views over Ainhoa and the surrounding Basque countryside.
This is more of a proper walk than a stroll along the village street, so wear suitable shoes and take some water, particularly in warm weather.
Go for a longer walk in the hills
Ainhoa is surrounded by wonderful walking country.
Waymarked paths lead from the village into the hills, so you don’t need to drive somewhere else before you can start walking.
The GR10, the long-distance trail crossing the French Pyrenees between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, also passes through this part of the Basque Country.
You certainly don’t have to embark on a long-distance trek. Following part of a marked route for a couple of hours can be enough to leave the village behind and enjoy the landscape.
For a longer walk, plan your route beforehand and take appropriate footwear, water and sun protection.
Walk out for dinner
A car-free day doesn’t have to end when the shops close.
Maison Oppoca is around 20 minutes away on foot and is one of our favourite places for a relaxed dinner.
For a special occasion, the main Restaurant Ithurria is also around a 20-minute walk from Les Hauts d’Ainhoa. The food and service make it somewhere we’d happily choose for a birthday or celebration.
Being able to walk there means everyone can enjoy the wine without somebody having to volunteer to drive home.
Just remember that this is the countryside. If you’re walking home after dark, bring a small torch or use the light on your phone, as the route isn’t illuminated all the way.
Or simply have a slow day
You don’t actually have to do very much at all.
Have a slow breakfast. Read outside. Enjoy the view towards the mountains. Wander into Ainhoa for a coffee or lunch. Buy some gingerbread or local cheese. Come home for the afternoon and then walk back to the village for an apéritif or dinner.
One of the pleasures of staying somewhere rural is having the time to slow down.
And one of the pleasures of Les Hauts d’Ainhoa is being able to do that without feeling cut off from village life.
Do you need a car in Ainhoa?
For a whole holiday in the French Basque Country, we recommend having a car.
You’ll want one for days at the coast, visiting Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz, exploring villages such as Sare and Espelette and discovering more of the Basque Country on both sides of the French-Spanish border.
But you certainly don’t need to use it every day.
From Les Hauts d’Ainhoa, you can walk into one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages, visit local producers, have lunch, go hiking, stop for an apéritif and walk out for dinner.
Sometimes, leaving the car parked is part of the holiday.