The GR11 Trail. Brian Johnson

to show the general trend of the day’s walk and won’t show all ups and downs.

      GPS

      A GPS device is not needed to follow the GR11, but GPS co-ordinates (latitude and longitude) have been included for key points along the route for those who insist on using one.

      Fresh snow on Pico Royo in August (Stage 20)

      THE GR11

      Dolmen de Achar Aguas Tuertas (Stage 10)

GETTING TO CABO DE HIGUER FROM IRÜN

      Faro de Cabo Higuer

      The simplest solution is to take a taxi from Irún to Cabo de Higuer. In summer there are buses (route E25) about every 15min from Paseo Colón, in the centre of Irún, to Playa de Hondarribia. It would take about 1hr 50min to walk to Cabo de Higuer from Irún or 2hr 15min from Hendaye Railway Station in France.

      You need to continue past the Playa de Hondarribia, the main beach of Hondarribia, to reach the harbour at the N end of the sea-front. Follow the road which climbs steeply from the N end of the harbour switchbacking up to a junction. Turn right to reach the S side of the lighthouse, Faro de Cabo Higuer, and Camping Faro de Higuer (40m, N43°23.479 W001°47.546).

      Camping Faro de Higuer has a bar-restaurant. Open all year. Tel [phone] www.campingfarodehiguer.es

      See Stage 1 for facilities in Hondarribia and Irún.

STAGE 1

      Cabo de Higuer to Bera (Vera de Bidosoa)

Start	Cabo de Higuer
Distance	30km
Total Ascent/Descent	800m
Difficulty	Easy. Waymarking does not begin until the S edge of Irún, after which it is very good.
Time	8hr 30min
High Points	Collado de Erlaitz (448m), Collado de Tellería (415m)

      Stage 1 is too long for a first day unless you are already ‘trail fit’. If you are camping it is sensible to take three days to get to Elizondo at the end of Stage 2. If you are staying in Irún you could walk the section from Cabo de Higuer to Irún on the evening of your arrival and then set out from Irún in the morning. Once clear of Irún, the route is typical of the Basque Country as you traverse steep rolling hills on good tracks through a mixture of woodland and pasture.

      There doesn’t seem to be an official starting point for the GR11 but the Faro de Higuer lighthouse is the prominent feature on the cape. You could of course climb down the rocks to dip your toes in the Atlantic Ocean.

      Follow the tarmac track, signed ‘GR121 to Hondarribia’, down between the lighthouse and the campground, soon forking left along a path which loops round the lighthouse and follows the slumping undercliff. On reaching the road, turn left down to the harbour and follow the coast road past the sandy Playa de Hondarribia (25min) where there are water-points, toilets and beach showers. There are water-points at regular intervals along the seafront. Continue past the large marina and along the shore until the road turns inland alongside a canal opposite the airport (1hr).

      Hondarribia is a large tourist resort with all facilities. Camping Jaizkibel, 500m W of the centre of Hondarribia, also has cabins and bar-restaurant. Albergue Juan Sebastián Elcano is at the N end of Hondarribia, inland from the marina. You must show the youth hostelling international card in this youth hostel.

      After the road veers right, go straight (W) across a double roundabout, fork left at the next small roundabout, past the Eroski supermarket, left at a big roundabout and immediately right down the Santa Engrazia Kalea. This road returns to the main road by the Puente de Amute (1hr 30min). After crossing the bridge, fork left along road GI-636 before veering left into Irún, under a road bridge, straight across a large roundabout and up the Calle de Fuenterribía. Fork left up Hondarribia Kalea and over the railway into the wide boulevard of the Paseo de Colón to reach a big square (1hr 50min).

      Irún is a large town with an international railway station. All types of camping gas are available at Decathlon in Parque Comercial Txingudi which is in Ventas at the SW end of Irún near junction 2 of the A-8 autopista. There are buses to Txingudi from Hondarribia and Irún every hour.

      Keep straight on as the road becomes the Avenida de Navarra after a large multi-way junction and heads downhill. Head down the right-hand side of this dual carriageway and cross a stream. Turn right along the second road after the stream, turning left and immediately right at the end. Cross a roundabout and then, at the next roundabout, go diagonally left, signed to San Martzial Ermita. Just before you reach a stream turn right along a path. This veers left to the road. Turn right under the A-8 (Autopista del Cantábrico), after which there is a GR11 information board by a concrete track on your left (2hr 15min, 20m, N43°20.009 W001°46.634). The GR11 is well waymarked from here.

      Aldabe Farm, above Irún

      Turn left up the concrete track, ignoring two left forks, then continue up a rough track. Join another concrete track at Aldabe Farm, with water-point, cross a road and continue up a tarmac track which becomes gravel after another house. Cross the road again and reach a large picnic area with water and toilets (2hr 50min, 205m, N43°19.869 W001°45.920). The building on your right is the Ermita San Martzial, which has a bar-restaurant.

      Irún, on the border of the kingdoms of Navarre, Castile and France, belonged to Navarre, but became part of Castile in 1200. In 1522 Navarre raised an army, assisted by German and French mercenaries, to recapture Irún and they defeated a Castilian army at the battle of Monte San Martzial on 30 June 1522. Success was honoured by the building of a chapel on the shoulder of the hill.

      In 1813 Wellington was besieging the French garrison at San Sebastián when he had news of a relief force under General Soult. Wellington broke off the siege and marched his British and Spanish army to meet the French. On 31 August 1813 the Napoleonic troops were defeated in the second battle on Monte San Martzial and the chapel became an important shrine for the people of Irún.

      Continue ESE along a concrete track, turning right 50m after a children’s play area/picnic area. Don’t get confused by the R-11 sign – this is a local footpath and nothing to do with the GR11. Keep straight on when the concrete track goes right and follow a track along the crest of the ridge, descending to a farm on a saddle. Keep straight on, ignoring a track to the right, and climb. You pass a small water catchment dam but the water is of dubious quality. Fork right after a cattle grid along a track which becomes concrete after passing a farm. Turn left up a rough track, under power lines, at the top of the hill. This track soon becomes a grassy path to reach a white cabin. Veer to the right of the cabin to reach a waterless picnic site beside the GI-3454 road. Continue just left of the road to a car park on the Collado de Erlaitz (4hr 5min, 448m, N43°18.314 W001°45.380) with Erlaitz (495m) on the right and Pagogaña (482m) on the left. Dry camping. It would be very easy to walk up Pagogaña from here.

      Follow a grassy track parallel to and just left of the road, passing through another waterless