You will be addicted to your tent …

Discover Pays Basque

The Camping Hiriberria in Itxassou is my next family holiday’s destination, come with me! I already know the Basque Country with its beaches and large seaside resorts, so let’s now explore the hinterland and discover the marvels hidden inland. Itxassou is a town full of History and well located to explore all different directions.

Bring out the folding chairs, here we come!

Real camping on a pitch

Camping? Yes, proper style! With a tent (and nice neighbours to help us to put up the tent, as it is the first time…), foldable equipment requiring some intellectual contemplation (like with a pushschair) and lots of good humour. At the Hiriberria camp site 70% of the pitches are empty, so you need to come with a caravan, a campervan or camping equipment.

A real camping

Come with your camping equipment

Itxassou is located in the heart of a beautiful region

What we are looking for, during these few days away, is a friendly environment. Sharing, meeting new friends in a secure and welcoming environment for our children (9, 7 and 4 years old) to be free for a few hours per day (and not only at wine o’clock time). This is why we enjoy tent camping, with the shared amenities

(kitchen, covered living area, bathrooms…) we often escape our pitch , to meet with the other guests and there are many occasions to make some new friends. There is no room in the tent; we install the table outside, sharing with pleasure the corkscrew or wire salad shakers with our neighbours. The children are soon

invited by new friends to storm the playground and the heated swimming pool, large and bright is our HQ, during the holidays.

The swing

Playground for the children

New friends

Could you loan me your corkscrew?

The bottom of the swimming pool

The swimming pool could be covered if needed

The HQ of the family

The camping Hiriberria is young friendly family run business. Ixabelle, a young Basque woman, passionate about outdoor activities and who really knows many historical and cultural anecdotes of the region, is delighted to welcome you. Ixabelle is a young mum, and we often see her walking with her son; she took us for a stroll to Cambo-les-Bains Itxassou. Put on your trainers, because Ixabelle will no doubt take you on the trails she likes. The beauty of the landscape, the feeling of being active … you are going to enjoy your holidays.

Discovery of the region

Camping also offers the advantage of being governed by the rhythm of the sun. Unless your tent is equipped with lights, from dusk, everyone goes into their sleeping bag. We wake up early and after enjoying a good breakfast, there are so many visits to towns, villages and outdoor activities offered by the region. Bad luck, it’s raining! Well, it is quite common here and usually short-lived (the sun comes and goes many times during the day!). This is why the landscape is so verdant! But despite that, we put on our raincoats and head to the fantastic Krakada bakery, which happens to be a landmark for cherry products (Basque cake, jam, coulis …), as well as an interpretation centre on local life.

The Krakada shop

The interpretation centre

Like a small museum

We carry on our stroll with a walk in the splendid gardens of the Thermes de Cambo-les-bains. Our campsite neighbours are spa patients in this balneo centre. They enjoy the treatments during the day and come to the sleep at the campsite to enjoy the swimming pool and their new friends (us!) the rest of the time.

Spa entrance of Cambo-les-Bains

The spas are greeny

Relaxing in the spas

It is raining again, so we go to visit the Chocolate Museum in the beautiful shop Puyodebat, still in Cambo-les-Bains. Ohhhh, the chocolate wall at the entrance… The museum is very interesting, we come to understand the importance of the chocolate in the Basque culture. A tasting will delight your taste buds, there is something to please every palate: from the purest chocolate (and therefore at times bitter) to its various aromas flavours and melting cacao butter … Personally, I enjoyed the one with pepper! The shop beside the museum, offers the opportunity to do some shopping for local products.

Taste delicious chocolate

Learn more on the history of the chocolate

We go back towards Itxasssou, to see the Saint-Fructueux Church. The weather is too bad to do the Pas de Roland hike nearby, next time! We go for a last tour towards the Itxassou aerodrome. The view is really beautiful (we will back when it is clear), there are hiking departures and the possibility to try the gliders.