Hello Spain? Hello mountains! Our trip has been pretty flat but just as we cross the border, we run right smack into the Pyrenees. We will not see flat land again. The coast turns to the left here and the mountains follow the coastline. 

No joke, the mountains really start right at the border. We’ll pass Hendaye, the last town in France, curl around the bay at the end of the Bidisoa River and climb up a long mountain peak, the Jaizkibel, that runs along the sea for 12 miles. As we ease down this spine of land, we’ll see the Guadalupeko Gotorlekua, a fortress built during the Carlist Wars. We’ll dip down by the ocean to see the painted rocks of Lubetxu (Lah-bet-choo). 

The long line of Jaizkibel is split in two by the Ria de Pasaia – a place where it looks like the river cracked the mountain open to find it’s way to the Atlantic. Here, fishing villages cling to small slivers of flat land between steep ravines and the water. This is also where we will see Albaola, an organization that is building replicas of wooden ships from the 15th century. 

Finally, we’ll end our day in San Sebastian, a beautiful, gorgeous city that wraps around a small bay. 

Guadalupeko Gotorlekua

Labetxu

Pasaia and Abaola

San Sebastian

Our place for tonight, Villa Soro.