St Jean Pied de Port Travel Guide, French Basque Country

ST JEAN PIED DE PORT

TOURISM GUIDE
HOTELS
GET AROUND
MAP
Arrow to jump to top of the page

St Jean Pied de Port Tourism Guide

Deep in the French Basque Country’s hinterland lies St. Jean Pied-de-Port. It’s an unspoiled village that is surrounded by a green landscape making it great place for those wanting to go hiking or those in search of solitude & relaxation.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the capital of the historical Basque province of Lower Navarre. Donibane Garazi as it is also known in Basque, is a small town located on the Nive River, only 8 kilometers away from the Spanish border.

The town is famous for being one of the traditional starting points of the Way of St. James (the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela). It is located on the Roncevaux Pass at the base of the Pyrenean Mountains and the name “Pied-de-Port” actually means “foot pass.”

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a walled town and has numerous gates. The most well known is the number icon Porte St-Jacques which was, along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France, made a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1998. Inside, the town is pretty small but nonetheless charming. The number icon Pont d’Eyheraberry (Eyheraberry bridge) over the Nive River is a romantic roman bridge and one of the highlights of the town.

 
Saint Jean Pied-de-Port Tourism
Old Town of St Jean Pied de Port
Things to Do in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port
Houses by the river

You shouldn’t leave Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port without walking up the Rue de la Citadelle (Citadel Street) to the number icon Mendiguren Citadel. From there, you get a nice panorama view of the town and the surrounding green countryside with the mountains in the background. The citadel, built in 1628 by Antoine de Ville, now houses a school and is unfortunately not opened to the public.

Doorway to the citadel, St Jean Pied de Port, Basque Country, France
Doorway to the citadel

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is also well known for its inscriptions over the doors of almost every house in the town. One of these inscriptions is from a bakery, where the price of wheat from 1789 can still be read. These different inscriptions were used during the Basque Renaissance of the early 1900’s as a starting point for creating the Basque Typography that can now be found throughout the region.

Inscription above doorway, St Jean Pied de Port, Basque Country, France
Inscription above doorway

Hotels in St Jean Pied de Port

Hotels in St Jean Pied de Port
We have hand selected a few great hotels in Saint Jean Pied de Port and its surroundings. However, if you want to see a complete listing of all available hotels, be sure to use the search function below.
Hôtel des Pyrénées, Saint Jean Pied de Port - France
number icon  Hôtel des Pyrénées – $$
Located only 400 m away from the citadel of St Jean Pied de Port, the Hôtel des Pyrénées features an outdoor swimming pool, restaurant and free WiFi. The contemporary designed rooms have flat screen TV with satellite, air conditioning and offer beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
Maison Garicoitz, Saint Jean Pied de Port - France
number icon  Maison Garicoitz – $$
Located in the outskirts of St Jean Pied de Port, the Maison Garicoitz offers a quite atmosphere that can be enjoyed from its gardens or furnished terrace. The rooms have flat screen TV and private bathroom. There is also free WiFi and free private parking.

Search Hotels, Compare & Save

Get In & Around

Get In & Around

Once you have arrived in St Jean Pied de Port, everything is reachable by foot.

Arriving to St Jean Pied de Port

PLANE – The closest airport is in Biarritz, 53km away. From the airport, it is possible to take a train to Bayonne and, from there, another one to St Jean Pied de Port.

website icon
AIRPORT LINKS
Airport of Biarritz
Biarritz Airport Transfers

CAR – St Jean Pied de Port is crossed by the roads D933 and D918. The D933 (which becomes the N-135 in Spain) will take you to Pamplona in about 90 minutes (75 km). The road D918 connects St Jean Pied de Port with Bayonne in about 1 h (50 km).

Car Rental – Search, Compare & Save

BUS – The company Txik Txak operates several bus lines that connect St Jean Pied de Port with St Palais and a few other villages in the surroundings.

Express Bourricot ofrece autobuses desde Saint Jean Pied de Port al aeropuerto de Biarritz y otros traslados relacionados con el Camino de Santiago.

Get the best deals on bus, train and plane tickets with Omio

TRAIN – There is a train station in Saint Jean Pied de Port that is located in the Avenue de la Gare (Station Avenue). There are 4 direct trains per day from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port and it takes about 80 minutes. From Bayonne, it is possible to catch the high-speed line (TGV) to Paris as well as many other regional train services.

Other Places of Interest in the Surroundings

In the Surroundings
Espelette, Basque Country, France
Espelette
Ainhoa, Basque Country, France
Ainhoa
Pamplona, Basque Country Pamplona

Map of St Jean Pied de Port

Open Map View
×
Arrow to scroll to top of the page
Wait, don’t close me!

Is Eusko Guide helping you plan your trip?

If so, please consider booking your hotel through the links to booking.com found on our website or use the following link:
https://www.booking.com/?aid=360107

That way, you get the best rates on your hotels and at the same time, it helps us to continue contributing to this site. Everyone wins!