The journey so far down the west coast of France had been fairly straightforward as it followed the excellent Eurovelo 1 cycle route. The planning and implementation of this route really impressed me and made me think how much effort must have gone in to developing this infrastructure and maintaining it. Especially in the busier southerly sections, it was good to see that it was getting such good use.

So far I had just followed this path south, now that I was turning east the route would be less obvious and more subject to change. According to my map there was a dedicated route almost to Lourdes and some more routes further east but not one that stretched directly to the Mediterranean coast. There was an easterly route further south from San Sebastián but it looked very mountainous. I was keen to see the mountains, and had already seen some peaks in the distance from Biarritz, but wasn’t sure how challenging the Pyrenees would be and wanted to keep my options open for the route depending on the terrain, traffic, and weather conditions.

I left the campsite and proceeded through Biarritz and through the centre of Bayonne which had an attractive historic centre with large city walls surrounding it. The city dates back to Roman times.

There was a very quiet cycle path running eastward from Bayonne running alongside the Adour river, this took me to a bridge which I crossed to reach Urt. Was pleased to find a very peaceful and rural campsite there with plenty of space, which I didn’t hesitate to check in to. The place was incredibly tranquil backing on to fields yet along with birdsong and the smell of neighbour’s barbecues I could hear the sounds of live Rhythym and Blues music coming from the annual town party nearby.

Distance: 20 miles

Maximum temperature: 24 degrees C

Grande Plage, Biarritz

Biarritz

Château Vieux, Bayonne

Bayonne

Camping at Urt