What to do in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, in the South of France, is a charming place at the feet of the Pyrenees, rich in history and principally famous for being the starting point of the Camino Frances. But there is a lot more to it that deserves an entire blog post! Here’s a short but complete guide about all the things to do in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Right in the centre of the Cizé region, a fertile valley at the foot of the Pyrenees, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (also known as Donibane Garazi in Basque) owes its French name to the mountain passes (known as “ports” which means footpass ) that drop naturally towards the town and its valley. Built on the banks of the Nive river, this medieval village of the “Pays Basque” has found its fame on the international level with the movie The Way which follows Martin Sheen along the Saint-James’ Way leading to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.

Although in France the town is mostly known for being one of the most beautiful villages in the region. In fact, along with the coastal town of Biarritz, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is probably one of the most famous postcards of the Basque region! With its narrow and steep cobblestone streets, its old bridges crossing the Nive river and its citadel built out of pink sandstone, you’ll find in “Saint-Jean” a photogenic place where to relax, base yourself to visit the area or start a 900km walk across Spain!

After spending 2.5 months in the town, petsitting for a local family, I can absolutely attest there are a few things to do and see whether you are only passing by or planning holidays in the region. In this blog post, I will share all the things you need to know about Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port such as how to get there, where to stay, eat and what to do in and around.

BEST WAYS TO GET TO SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT

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Saint-Jean-PIed-de-Port is located in the South West of France, in the Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine within the department 64 Pyrénées-Atlantique. Only a few kilometres from the French-Spanish border, the closest and largest towns to Saint-Jean are Pamplona in Spain and Bayonne (near Biarritz) in France. Whether you land or project on passing through Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Madrid, Paris or any other city in Europe, you will more than likely have to transit via one of these two towns. There is, indeed, no airport in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. To get to the village you’ll have to either take a train, a bus or a car.

The best and most direct way to get to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is, of course, to fly to the closest airport “Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne” (BAB) Airport, then rent a car and drive one hour towards the Pyrenees. You can also look into BlaBlaCar, a car ride-sharing service very popular in France.

However, because most of the visitors in the area visit Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port for the famous “Camino de Santiago de Compostella” (St-James’ way), I have detailed below the only 2 ways to get there with local transportation.

SAinT-JEAN-PIED-DE PORT From Biarritz or Bayonne

There is a train (TER) operated by SNCF that links Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on a daily basis. It can happen the train isn’t running for some reasons, however, the SNCF will more than likely operate the journey by bus from the train station instead. If you come from Biarritz, you can either take a city bus (n°. 14) or a train to Bayonne. There are no direct ways to go to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port from the town of Biarritz.

If you arrive at the Airport of Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne, take the bus 14 (€1.20 – 1 hour / 2€.20 – 24 hours) operated by the company Chronoplus. It will drop you off at Bayonne Train Station.

• Train Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: 4 per day – 58min | 7h42 | 11h59 | 14h52 | 18h30 | Price min: €5-10 pp one-way.
• Train Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Bayonne: 4 per day – 58 min | 6h05 | 8h51 | 13h02 | 16h1 | Price min: €5-10 pp one-way.

Tips: If you are a minimum of 2 travellers, you can get a “Tribu” discount of 20% directly on the SNCF website, reducing the price from €10.10 to €8,60 – Also, about one month prior to the journey, you can find €5 deals “Petits Prix” (small prices) – As always, book your train ticket in advance as the SNCF increase the prices when you get closer to the departure date.

>> READ : What to do in Biarritz, complete guide

SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE PORT From Spain

The unique direct way to get to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port from Spain is to take a bus in Pamplona. The company ALSA (also under the name Conda) operate a line 2 to 4 times a day depending on the season. The cost is €22 per person online and at the Pamplona bus station. If you come from Madrid or Barcelona it is best to transit via Pamplona. For those coming from San Sebastian or Bilbao, you can choose between passing through Biarritz or Pamplona. Time and budget-wise, it will be quite the same.

• Bus Pamplona to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: 2 to 4 per day – 1h45min | 10h* | 12h* | 14h30 | 18h30 | Price min: €22 pp one-way
• Bus Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona: 1 to 3 per day – 1h45min | 11h45* | 13h45* | 19h15 | Price min: €22 pp one-way

* These buses are only running during summer. If you plan to then take a bus to the following stages such as Estella or Puente de la Reina, you might need to leave a day earlier outside of summer as the last bus will leave Pamplona at 8:30 pm (before the bus from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) arrives.

Tips: If you are a group, the company has prices for 4 to 8 people, reducing the cost per head down to €18-20. Buses leave from the bus terminal right next to the Citadel on Calle Yanguas y Mirada. Note that the bus terminal is underground.

Spanish Basque country: 7 best places in THE Spanish Basque region you can’t miss!

What to see and do in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

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Like many of France’s small medieval towns and villages, the main things to see are found within the remaining fortifications that once protected the historical centre. Other than the narrow cobblestone streets lined by pink shist houses, old door lintels written in Basque and the beautiful red or green half-timbered balconies and shutters, you’ll get to see an incredibly well-preserved fort, few middle-age gates and bridges as well as ramparts, a little church and a Bishop’s Prison…

Wander the streets, watch the Pilgrims preparing to leave on the French Way and capture the essence of the place while sipping a glass of the local cider or wine.

Saint-James’ door | The “Saint-James” door is located up the main pedestrian road “rue de la Citadelle”. This Unesco World Heritage monument is the historical entry for the Pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela and coming from Saint-Jean-le-Vieux,

City ramparts | Before the door, to the left, a small trailhead to the city’s ramparts. It takes about 15 min to walk along the fortified wall which leads to the square right by the tourism office. If you pass the Saint-James’ door as if you were leaving the town, you’ll find on the left a little platform overlooking the northside of the village.

Citadel | Before the gate, to the right, a ramp climbs to the Citadel, a 17th-century military base, modelled on the strongholds of the architect Vauban. It is now being used as a secondary school for the local kids and can only be visited during the summer holidays. Any other time of the year, you can take the paved road anyway, towards a monumental arch and an orientation table from where you’ll have one of the most beautiful panoramas of the valley and the surrounding mountains. I recommend visiting as the sun sets behind the lush rolling hills.
>>>> Citadel – 1h guided tours: Mondays and Wednesdays at 2:30 pm – Only during July and August – Meeting point; St-James’s door – Cost: €3 (free for kids less than 10 yo)

Church Assumption de la Vièrge | From there you can either go back the way you came from or take a very narrow stairway of 269 steps ending at the door behind the Church nearby the famous bridge crossing the Nive. This Church is after Bayonne Cathedral, the most important Gothic building in the French Basque Country. Its construction has been attributed to the King of Navarre, Sanche the Fort, in commemoration of the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. The pink sandstone facade of the Arradoy is decorated with a 14th-century Gothic entrance.and some stones are carved with marks from Stonemasons.

Door Notre-Dame | The door “Notre-Dame” passes under the bell tower and opens on the Pont-Neuf (bridge). With its heavy studded wood doors and locking bars, it is the city’s best-preserved gate. Above, you can see the statue of the virgin in its niche. It is a copy of the original, which was hidden during the wars of religion and disappeared since. Right next to the bell tower was once found a shelter for Pilgrims passing through the town and heading to Spain.

Rue d’Espagne quarter | Cross the bridge to enter the “Rue d’Espagne” area which corresponds to the extension of the city outside the first enclosure. In this street, the House of the States of Navarre is one of the best-preserved.

Bishop’s prison | Back in the main street passed the church, shops and restaurants, head towards the Pilgrim office. About 20 m up, you’ll find the Bishop’s Prison which has nothing to do with this misleading name. Its appellation combines indeed two distinct historical facts: the presence of bishops from the Bayonne diocese during the Great Western Schism and the use of the building as a penitentiary house from the end of the 18th century. It currently hosts an exhibition about the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage.
>>>>> Opening hours: From April to November, every day except Tuesday from 11 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:30 o to 6:30 (July & August – every day from 10:30 am to 7 pm) – Cost; €3 (-14 yo: Free)

City train | Jump on the little city train and learn about the town. The comments are unfortunately only in french but you’ll get to visit the town differently. It is perfect for families! The little train leaves from outside the “Mairie” across from the tourism office on the street “Rue du Trinquet”. The tour lasts 40 min and costs €5,5 per adult, €2,5 for kids between 7 and 12 and it is free for children below 7 years old. It runs from April to November from 11 am to 1 pm and from 2:30 pm to either 5:30 pm, 6:30 or 7:30 depending on the month.

Basque Font | Look for the old inscriptions (“lintels”) on the houses’ facades. These can almost be found on every single house of the old town. Most display the name of the owner and the construction year but a few are very unique, such as the famous bakery inscription on which it can still be read the wheat price as of 1789.

Pelota Basque | Every Monday the local teams of “bear hand” basque pelota play each other at the Trinquet Garat (Road Place du Trinquet – from 3 pm – Cost: €15). During the summer months, you can also watch an indoor match of Cesta-Punta. It is very impressive how fast the ball is thrown at the wall and caught by the players with their “Chistera” (Every Wednesday evenings -Jaï Alaï).

The “Way” | Walk around the cobblestone streets to find the different spots where the movie “The Way” was filmed. In 2010, Martin Sheen illustrated himself once again with this critically acclaimed movie about the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. The movie takes place at the beginning in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it is quite easy to find the wooden bridge he crosses on his first day (which is not the one that pilgrims are supposed to take!), but also the house of the policeman that is, in reality, the Municipal Pilgrim hostel!

Other typical villages | Visit the other “France’s most beautiful villages” in the area such as Aihnoa, Sare, La Bastide-Clairence, Cambo-Les-Bains, etc. These villages aren’t too far from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and can easily be reached by car; For more information, check out this itinerary or this dedicated article.

Shopping | Go Window shopping to buy souvenirs and local products; The pedestrian centre is filled with shops selling craft products, souvenirs, local cider, wine, candies (macarons and cannelé), as well as typical colourful fabric, or traditional shoes from the south of France called “Espadrilles”. You’ll also find a small outdoor sports shop to buy anything you may have forgotten for your walk or hike!

Taste local food | Every Monday the local producers gather at the weekly market. You can taste and buy products such as honey from the Iraty forest, local ham and goat cheese, delicious basque cakes, pepper from Espelette and a lot more. The market is open all day from 8 am to 7:30 pm but it is best to visit in the morning – square “place du Trinquet”.

Visit the Irouléguy vineyard | Only 30 min walk from the city centre of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is one of the small vineyards of Irouléguy, nationally recognized for its delicious and fruity wine. You can walk up through the wine and enjoy the incredible views over the village and the Pyrennes in the background.

Go for a hike | Thanks to its location, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is ideal for hikers and walkers with pilgrimage routes such as the Camino Frances or cross-country paths passing by the city (GR10 – GR65). If you can’t commit to long distances or multi-day hikes, you can still enjoy the countryside with day trips and day walks to Roncesvalles, Ispoure, Mt Baigurra, Iraty Forest, etc. For more details about these hikes, check out this dedicated article!

WHERE TO STAY IN SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT

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WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN SAINT-JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT

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Café Ttipia | A lovely restaurant and bar right on the main road but with nice views over the Nivé river. They serve local food such as duck leg (Canard confit), veal with mushroom and foie gras, etc. Portions are well served and the waiter is always cordial and smiling. Top tip: order the cider of the house. Delicious and cheap!

Café le Navarre | A nice address to enjoy the last rays of the sun with an Apero (appetiser drink). Order a sangria beer or a soft drink and chill at their terrasse. They also have a restaurant where they serve fresh local trout for €11.

Hurrup Eta Klik | A local restaurant where you can try a good Axoa (veal with pepper) and taste delicious cider! They have a pilgrim menu too.

Au coup’ Faim | snack bar with sandwiches and crepes. Well served and good.

Artizarra | Bakery where you can buy Macaron, chocolate and the traditional Basque Cake (Gâteau basque) made out of almond and fresh cherry or whipped cream.

Cannelé du Pays Basque | A cannelé is a speciality of the region of Bordeaux that is made out of eggs, milk and Rum! It is absolutely delicious and this small shop sells sweet and savoury ones. You can try apple cinnamon, wild mushroom, bacon, etc.

More content to prepare your trip to FRANCe

You are planning a trip to the Basque Country and wish to read more about it? You will find on Tales From The Lens some great content to help you out.

PREPARE YOUR VISIT | Things you Should know before visiting the Basque Country
MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWNS | Take a day trip from Saint-Jean to visit the most beautiful towns of the French Basque Country
GET AROUND BY CAR | Road Trip Itinerary to visit the Pays Basque
HIKING THE BASQUE COUNTRY | Best hiking trails – day trips and multi-days
CITY BREAK | The best things to do in Biarritz, France
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE SPANISH SIDE | 7 places to visit in the Spanish Basque Country

TRAVEL RESOURCES | Our best tips to prepare any trip
ESSENTIALS PACKING | Our long term and outdoor travel packing list

And this is a wrap. I loved so much my time in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It is such a nice place with lots of Pilgrim and day tourists. The energy is so great! If you liked this article or have been to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and want to share tips or share your experience, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below I answer all of them! I am looking forward to hearing from you.

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