A gentle route for those who would rather leave the Pyrenees alone. There is no mountain pass to Roncesvalles; instead you head from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port towards the coast, where you join the Camino del Norte. It also works very well as a first taste of life as a pilgrim.
First you follow the Nive along quiet paths through green hills. You walk through Basque villages such as Bidarray, Espelette and Ascain, and the houses look every bit as Basque as the names sound. The route keeps going up and down, but you never climb higher than about 350 metres. Towards the end the hills get lower and you can already taste the sea in the air. At the Bidasoa, the border river, Spain lies ahead of you. After the bridge you are in Irun, where the Camino del Norte begins.
July and August are the best months, when it is warm and usually dry. Between November and March it is cool and often rainy, so the route is less pleasant then. Pack a rain jacket in every season. This is the Basque Country, after all.