Camino Baztan - Bayonne

Nous sommes à Bayonne. We are in Bayonne … in Pays Basqué. It’s our second visit here in the past month. We had an overnight stay in Bayonne after Easter en route from Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port to visit our friends Pierre and Nadia. And we also enjoyed some days here in late April 2022 at the end of our Camino de Piemont des Pyrénées. It’s a colourful and charming town, now quite familiar to us.

Bayonne is also a starting point for various Caminos including the Baztan, one of the oldest paths taken by French pilgrims - and those from further afield - to make their way over the Pyrénées to Spain. From there they would most often join the path that has come to be known as the Camino Frances and continue their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. But this is a path less travelled. Not many follow this Way, though it is quietly gaining popularity.

So when we begin walking tomorrow morning we will be interested to discover how many others have chosen this path at this time. Could it be even quieter than our Camino de Piemont last year when we met fewer than a handful of walkers in our three weeks from Carcassone to SJPP? I hope not. The French and I have sought out quieter paths in the years since we met. But we do enjoy meeting other walkers. And last year’s camino was a bit too quiet for me, though the local people who welcomed us into their bars, cafes, gites and homes almost made up for that. So .. on verra. We’ll see. But first some practical matters.

The Way: At just over 110 kms thé Camino Baztan will be by far the shortest camino we’ve walked. Leaving from Bayonne tomorrow morning, 13 May, we expect to arrive in Pamplona on the afternoon of 17 May, so just 5 days of walking. No particularly long days in terms of distance but the elevation profiles tell us we are in for some significant climbing in the middle, especially on Days 2 and 4. After all, we do need to cross the Pyrenees.

On Day 1 we plan to walk to Espelette, a well known town and popular tourist destination. As our arrival is on a Saturday, we have reserved a room. And on Day 5 we will arrive in Pamplona, always busy at this time of year, so we have reserved a room there as well. As to the other days … we’re not sure. Our stages for Days 2, 3 and 4 will need to take into account available services (e.g. somewhere to sleep, eat or to buy food along the way).

Accommodation: Tonight we are staying at Refuge Saint Jacques, a small gite just around the corner from Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne. Thé gite can accommodate 14 pilgrims in two dormitories in bunk beds. Each dormitory (‘dortoir’) has a shared bathroom, large and modern Thé gite is clean and comfortable and we’ve received a warm welcome from the volunteers who manage thé gite on behalf of the local association des pèlerins. The price is 10 euros per night per person and includes breakfast. We also bought our pilgrims’ credenciales and shells for our backpacks for a few euros. As I finish this update thé gite is nearly full, with friendly pilgrims and volunteers - though so far all others are walking the more well known Camino del Norte.

The French and I are quietly excited about tomorrow’s walk and this petit Camino. It will be our first since Domi’s unexpected quadruple bypass surgery a little over six months ago. We feel blessed. We hope we are ready. We will do our best.

A demain. Until tomorrow. 😎Baca lagi