For your holidays, you have chosen Bidart and it is a very good choice! It's time for you to discover his interests and his cultural heritage. remarkable history. Don't panic, we have everything planned! We have created for you (yes, just for you) a small heritage walk where we invite you to think outside the box. And imagine, we even tested it for you!
Let's start by finding the starting point, it will be easier! (or download the correct topoguide here !)
We take the direction of the laundry car park. This is where our itinerary begins.
We are told to take the paved road that goes up to the village square. Halfway (and fortunately because it climbs), we discover the wash house and its source "Plazako ithurria". It's amazing !
We continue our climb, and we arrive, out of breath of course, but amazed to find the famous Labourdin triptych: the church, the pediment and the town hall! We then discover a very lively place of life which immerses us in the atmosphere of the village.
We cross the square and continue straight towards the children's playground, we take the pedestrian path that passes under the RD810 to take the direction of the Ur Onea Chapel.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrive on site and it is here that the source “Ur Onea” (good water) is located. She was once renowned for her virtues. The place is quiet and we have great weather! What more ?
We continue our way crossing Ur Onea Street to follow the footpath that skirts the large grassy field. We pass over the small footbridge and be careful, you have to turn right! We almost made a mistake! We then follow the Uhabia stream to its mouth for 800m. It's very pleasant, nature is omnipresent and we meet a few cyclists because we are on a portion of the Greenway of Uhabia, a pretty track that connects the Bassilour mill to Uhabia beach, and that's where we're going.
We arrive on the coast, it's so beautiful, that we take advantage of a short stop to refresh ourselves and rest for a moment, lulled by the sound of the waves. The sea air does us a lot of good, we are ready to resume the route south towards the aid station. Again, a great climb awaits us. Not even afraid, after all, the Basque country has to be earned!
After these few steps, on the left, it is possible to see the remains of a whale blubber oven, preserved in stone and witnesses of a time when whaling was an important activity for the fishermen of Bidart.
We join the Chemin de Parlementia, up to the Saint Joseph Chapel which once again offers us an incredible view of the ocean! On the right you can even see the superb art-deco house Emak Bakia in which the artist Man Ray shot a film of the same name in 1926. Incredible, isn't it?
From the Saint Joseph chapel, we descend towards the ocean, opposite the Parlementia surf spot. We then find the path on the left which passes in front of the restaurant on the Parlementia beach then it goes up, (for our greatest happiness) to the Koskenia lighthouse, the last piece of heritage before arriving at the charming village of Guéthary. Up there, we discover Bidart as a whole with its beaches and magnificent cliffs! We take full view! The climb was worth it!
It's time to turn around in the direction of Uhabia beach to find the path that bypasses the terrace of the Embruns Rehabilitation Center. The advantage of this walk is that you learn a lot about the history of the village! At each point of interest there is a small explanatory plaque.
We go up along the rue de l'Uhabia to the crossroads in the direction of the Center beach. It is here that we find the coastal path with the last stairs of the itinerary, which go up to the Chapelle Sainte Madeleine. Along the way, we come across the orientation table which allows us to observe the Pyrenees. We have a few meters left to reach the level of the esplanade of the Sainte Madeleine Chapel! This is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Bidart!
Below, is the Departmental Memorial of the Second World War and for Peace. We recommend that you stop by to find out more! To complete the loop, we just have to take rue de la Madeleine and reach place de Bidart. We then find the path between the Town Hall and the restaurant Elissaldia which goes down to the car park of the Lavoir.
We're not the type to show off, but now we know a lot about Bidart! Finally, walks are good! We will have done our physical activity for the week and we will have learned a lot! What if it was the best way to discover a place?
For the most curious, we have also tested for you, the geocaching routes ! Another way to discover the village differently!