South-West route - La Scandibérique

Mountains grow on you!

From Buzet-sur-Baïse to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (327 km) in 8 stages
Departmental roads, country roads and rural tracks, greenways, cycle paths through Dax and Saint-Paul-de-Dax
“Aim for the summit!” trip, advanced level – tarmac and stabilised surfaces, rustic sections of gravel/earth, or grass in places
Practical: Access by train via the stations of Aiguillon, Port-Sainte-Marie, Mont-de-Marsan (and connection at Morcenx), Dax, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Time to branch off!

At Barbaste, you can follow the Baïse cycle route.
EV1 La Vélodyssée at Bayonne, 16 km from Saint-Laurent-de-Gosse (follow the Adour towpath).
Shared route with the Piedmont Pyrenees cycle route (V81 Bayonne-Perpignan) as far as the village of Labastide-Villefranche.

Cyclistes Scandibérique pause dégustation

Day 1 | Buzet-sur-Baïse > Escalans | 54 km

The route starts on bucolic little roads: heading for the Pyrenees ! As you progress, opportunities multiply to discover the local terroirs. Tastings of wine, Armagnac or foie gras are often possible there, but beware of excesses that hamper performance. After passing Mézin, the landscape becomes wilder, and the smell of Landes pines will guide you to Escalans to close this first stage.

Day 2 | Escalans > Mont-de-Marsan | 58 km

Welcome to the lands of the Landes, where the fauna and flora are starting to feel like the South! After Escalans, you will reach Labastide d’Armagnac, a medieval village in the heart of vineyards reminiscent of Tuscany. Then the path leads to the famous Chapelle des Cyclistes (Cyclists’ Chapel) which we strongly recommend visiting. Once in Mont-de-Marsan, you will then have the choice of relaxing at the leisure park, the Marsan swimming lake or the Despiau-Wlérick Museum: there is something for every taste!

Day 3 | Mont-de-Marsan > Dax | 68 km

Now you must leave the almost Spanish atmosphere of the Mont-de-Marsan bullring to continue the journey. On this stage, the religious heritage is very rich and allows many detours worth a look. You can also enjoy a descent by canoe on the Midouze if you have enough energy, before continuing to the town of Dax to recharge in its thermal springs.

Cyclistes Scandibérique route ombragée arbes

Day 4 | Dax > Urt | 55 km

The route continues by bike along the Adour, following the towpaths as far as the village of Saubusse. It is a little corner of paradise, ideal for a break and a drink on a terrace with a view of the former fishing port. After this stop, La Scandibérique continues to the town of Josse, which offers many water activities to catch your breath and relax. You can then head to Urt to enjoy a good local meal.

Cyclistes Scandibérique horizon montagneux

Day 5 | Urt > Saint-Palais | 58 km

The pleasant crossing of the little ports of Guiche, Bidache and Came offers a gentle start along the Adour. Make the most of it, because around halfway through the stage the Pyrenees loom and make themselves felt in the terrain and in already tired legs! You can head towards the Gave d’Oloron valley to add a little Béarn touch to the stage, before reaching Saint-Palais and its Basque architecture, which promises an immediate change of scene.

Cyclistes Scandibérique Pont St Jean Pied de Port

Day 6 | Saint-Palais > Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port | 36 km

A few turns of the pedals will take you straight to the Gibraltar stele, where several historic routes to Santiago de Compostela meet. The religious cultural heritage is very present here, and brings its share of chapels, churches, gîtes, crosses and villages full of history, one after another along the route. After feasting your eyes, head for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port for a final stage, with a well-earned rest and great pride as the reward!

Photo credits: Emmanuel Berthier

Custom route

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41 Buzet-sur-Baïse / Mézin

31 km

2 h 23 min

I cycle often

The Scandibérique route now heads for the Pyrenees, taking you into the historical territories of the young Henri de Navarre, who would become King Henri IV of France from 1589 to 1610. After greenways, you ride along peaceful minor roads crisscrossing the Pays d’Albret area of Gascony, made up of a mosaic of lands. From the fortified bastide village of Vianne to Barbaste and its fortified Moulin des Tours, on to Mézin, a perched village, there are many little southern gems a stone’s throw from the route. Gascon culinary tradition encourage you to sample the spirit Armagnac, Buzet wines, and, if you’re up for it, foie gras. This is a blissful area for a cycling adventure!

42 Mézin / Escalans

23 km

1 h 32 min

I cycle often

From Mézin to Sos, the Scandibérique route runs in part along a greenway beside the Gélise River, the path shaded, the atmosphere quite unspoilt. The private Château de Poudenas with its Tuscan looks is the first curiosity you ride past. After Sos, you cycle along quiet county roads. As you approach Escalans Gabarret, you get closer to the edge of the great Landes Forest, the scent of its pines wafting over to you. Come evening, enjoy succulent local specialities on your stopover to regain your energy.

43 Escalans / Mont-de-Marsan

58 km

3 h 52 min

I begin / Family

Welcome to the county of Landes, a land full of traditions, offering opportunities aplenty to enjoy the place’s conviviality, with many ferias and places at which to savour local specialities. From Escalans, the Scandibérique heads for Labastide d’Armagnac, a medieval village boasting a rich traditional heritage, nestled in the midst of vineyards that produce the oldest spirit in France. Every self-respecting cyclist should pay homage at the Chapelle des Cyclistes before tasting (in moderation, of course!) Armagnac made by a local producer. Cycling on towards Mont de Marsan, enjoy little detours to the village of Bougue and the archaeological site of Castets. At Mont-de-Marsan, the figurative sculptures at the Musée Despiau Wlérick, plus, not far off, but in the midst of forest, Marsan Lake, with its outdoor leisure centre, are two good reasons for prolonging your stay here.

44 Mont-de-Marsan / Dax

68 km

4 h 30 min

I begin / Family

You might think you’ve arrived in Spain earlier than expected along the EuroVelo 3 cycle route, looking around Mont-de-Marsan on a sunny day, what with its bullring and adverts for its flamenco festival! However, the Musée Despiau Wlérick, with its figurative sculptures, the Parc Jean Rameau, and the well-laid-out banks of the Midouze River, with its gentle quays, are southwestern French in feel. Riding on towards Dax, you might explore the local religious heritage, notably at Carcarès-Sainte-Croix and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. For the more adventurous, leave your bikes a while to take a canoe trip down the Midouze, or to enjoy a hike in the Adour’s barthes, wetland meadows characteristic of the areas around Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and Pontonx-sur-l’Adour. If after something more relaxing, in Dax, at the end of this stage, recharge your batteries at the thermal spa baths.

45 Dax / Urt

55 km

3 h 46 min

I begin / Family

A Scandibérique stage offering you the chance to enjoy the thermal pleasures of the resorts of Dax, Saint-Paul-lès-Dax and Saubusse. Following the Adour by bike, riding along towpaths converted into cycle paths, you reach the village of Saubusse. A former river trading and fishing port, it stands in a lovely setting, tempting for a walk or a drink at a water-side terrace. At Josse’s port, you could opt to go out on the river in a boat or a canoe. There’s something for everyone in these parts, with the many outings, traditions and gastronomy on offer, all in striking landscapes carved out by the Adour’s waters and by Pyrenean torrents.

46 Urt / Saint-Palais

58 km

3 h 42 min

It climbs

Continuing beside the Adour and Bidouze Rivers, the Scandibérique cycle route brings to mind the river trading of centuries past, as you ride past the little ports of Guiche, Bidache and Came. Almost half-way along, you’re suddenly made to climb above Came and the Pyrenees Mountains appear on the horizon as ascents and descents follow. The perched villages dotted around display their fine architectural heritage, while typically Basque architecture stands out as you approach Saint-Palais, a picturesque little town that makes a lovely stopover beside the Bidouze. You might push further, into the valley of the Gave d'Oloron torrent, giving you a taste of the different, Béarn culture. Looks change so fast in these parts.

47 Saint-Palais / Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

37 km

2 h 19 min

It climbs

Immediately on leaving Saint-Palais, ride on to Saint-Sauveur Hill, where the Cross to Xibalterre or Gibraltar (the name for St Sauveur in the Basque language!) marks the spot where several pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela (in northwest Spain) meet. All along this stage, you’ll spot many markers for this extremely popular pilgrimage, still much-loved today and rich in heritage. Both cyclists and walkers will appreciate the many related structures dotted along the climbs and descents to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, not just crosses, but chapels, churches, ruined hospices and villages packed with memories, as well as countless gîtes to stop at. The number of walkers and cyclists sharing this track has been growing consistently, showing what a major European route the Scandibérique - EuroVelo 3 is. At the end of the stage, you enter Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port via the Porte Saint-Jacques gateway; the cobbled street taking you down this way makes for a dramatic arrival!