Excursion 1: Day Trip to the Pyreenes
This excursion takes us across the border to southern France. No matter you choose hiking or white-water rafting, you will immerse yourself in the scenic Pyreenes and visit first the charming town of St. Jean Pied de Port.
St Jean Pied de Port
St Jean Pied de Port (literally meaning "Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass" in French) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills. Just 8 km (5.0 mi) from the Spanish border, the town is also the old capital of the traditional Basque province of Lower Navarre.
The town has traditionally been an important point on the Way of St. James, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, as it stands at the base of the Roncevaux Pass across the Pyrenees. Pied-de-Port means "foot of the pass" in Pyrenean French. The routes from Paris, Vézelay and Le Puy-en-Velay meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it was the pilgrims' last stop before the arduous mountain crossing.
In 1998, the Porte St-Jacques (city gate) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the sites along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
The town has traditionally been an important point on the Way of St. James, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, as it stands at the base of the Roncevaux Pass across the Pyrenees. Pied-de-Port means "foot of the pass" in Pyrenean French. The routes from Paris, Vézelay and Le Puy-en-Velay meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it was the pilgrims' last stop before the arduous mountain crossing.
In 1998, the Porte St-Jacques (city gate) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the sites along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
Hiking
The hiking route follows the 'Route Napoleon,' which is the 1st section of the Camino Frances (French Way.) The French Way is the most popular route of the Camino De Santiago (Way Of St. James) - the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, marked by the “Scallop Shell” along the way. The entire hiking route (about 10 kilometres or 6.2 miles) is in the Pyrenees on the French side of the border with Spain. We start from St Jean Pied de Port, passing orchards, country houses and Alpine style meadows, and finish at the Refuge Orisson. Check out the slideshow below.
Rafting
The orange dot in the map below is where our white-water rafting begins - it's where we will change to a wet suit provided by the rafting company, which is in southern France . The lighter green color in the map is Spain. See further below for some sample photos from our previous rafting trips.