A land of contrasts between its three provinces with very distinct reliefs
Located in the temperate zone of the planet, they enjoy a privileged climatic situation where the mixture of this climate, between the oceanic influences brought by the Atlantic and its wooded mountains, makes Euskadi a refuge of magnificent landscapes and prolix cultures. A fine rainfall sprinkles the whole territory making it even more fertile, from the Basque Cantabrian coast to the mouth of the Adour river and inland. During your stay, you will not have the opportunity or the right to be bored to visit the Basque Country. It is full of picturesque and enchanting sites to discover in all seasons. Each of the three provinces has its own specificity as three very different countries!
Labourd, with an area of 875 km², is the most visited part with its majestic "Côte d'Or", its long sandy and straight beaches, extension of the Landes coast up to the lighthouse of Biarritz. It is then up to Bilbao, a more steep and rocky coast with protected coves and cliffs of 50 m. The coast extends over 30 km and includes the coastal towns of Biarritz, Anglet Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye and the capital of the Basque Country, Bayonne, to name the main ones... Further inland, we find the towns of Espelette, Cambo-les-Bains, Itxassou, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Sare, Ascain or Ustaritz and Hasparren.
Lower Navarre boasts an area of 1,345 km² with its capital, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, well known to pilgrims from around the world. It is the largest of the three territories, with a hilly area to the north and a more mountainous one to the south. It is in this part that we find the caves of Isturitz-Oxocelhaya, the forests of Aldudes and Iraty. Long attached to Navarre, Basse-Navarre is now a province in its own right of the French Basque Country.
Finally, La Soule covers an area of 845 km² with its main towns, Mauléon-Licharre, its capital, Chéraute or Barcus.. Called the "secret garden of the Basque Country", because it is far from industrial tourism, you can admire splendid and authentic wild landscapes such as the Kakuetta Gorges and peaks culminating at more than 2,000 m which descend to 500 m towards the Gave d'Oloron and the Iraty resort, which is very popular all year round, for snowshoeing in winter, hiking... Mauléon, economic pole is also the capital of the espadrille.
The geological landscape of the Basque Country
The Basque Country offers a lot of natural treasures that allow us to go back in time over several million years. The coastline is a transitional area between the Pyrenees and the Bay of Biscay. It is the end of the Landes dune system and continues to the south with steep cliffs. Intense movements of the earth's crust have compressed the rocks, lifting them up, thus giving birth to the Pyrenees. A whole subterranean universe was formed and allowed the formation of caves and other cavities, which today are the delight of cavers.
Caving: the main sites
There is no lack of sites in the French Basque Country. They are more or less accessible to the average person... La Verna cave in Sainte-Engrâce has the largest underground room in Europe (250 m in diameter and 190 m high) and can be visited by the whole family. The two caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya in Basse-Navarre, the caves of Sare in the heart of a natural territory are also essential heritage. Caving remains an unusual activity to experience during the vacations.
Landscape and space
The geographical situation, its climate and its people have for thousands of years created an infinite number of landscapes, from the most gentle to the most spectacular, from the meadow to the rocky peak through the coastline and its dunes, cliffs, creeks. But some of them are weakened by the intensification of human activity and urbanization, more precisely in the port cities and extremely touristy. Faced with these threats, in addition to the coastal law, many local and associative approaches have been developed to better respect and protect this essential natural environment.
Relief and waterways
The relief of the Basque Country, between sea and mountain, hills, plains and seaside, offers to hikers and cyclists the opportunity to practice these sports activities at all ages and levels. They are real playgrounds with circuits far from monotony. Thanks to the numerous water tables, underground springs and an important rainfall, the territory benefits from a network of numerous waterways. As a result, it is all a quality of life and a local economy that benefit the inhabitants and the exceptional landscapes. The tourist boom has allowed the development of a large number of inland activities such as rafting and canoeing on the Nive from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Itxassou, paddle and river fishing on the Nivelle.
Agriculture, an infinite wealth
Agriculture is an activity in perfect adequacy with the climatic conditions and the relief of its three provinces, with in a general way the high parts of the mountain which are dedicated to the pastoralism with a mosaic of environments favorable to the biodiversity. The plains on the banks of the Adour and Nive rivers are maintained by more mechanical operations and dedicated to crops and numerous orchards. Agriculture is an important economic activity in the Basque Country with nearly 4,500 farms and more than 8,500 workers. It is very dynamic with one of the highest installation rates in France and a desire to promote quality agriculture (PDO, AOC, labels). For example, the salted meats, the pepper or the ewe's milk cheese which is regularly rewarded in international competitions. It is also the agriculture of the ocean favored by beneficial marine currents that bring many varieties of fish. Anchovies, tuna and hake are mainly caught here. Approximately 10,000 tons of fish of a hundred different species are landed and marketed at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz/Ciboure fish market every year. Classified as one of the largest French fishing ports, this port marks the history of Basque fishing.
