The Pyrenean Experience. A fantastic mountain retreat in the Pyrenees and the base for our guided walking and self-guided walking holidays with insights into local basque culture and gastronomy.
The Pyrenean Experience offers more than walks through stunning Basque mountains; it’s about stories, language, food and warm farmhouse evenings. Guests stay in a 5-room home near Ituren, explore both guided and self-guided walks, and dive deep into local history and traditions that make every week unique.
From the Pyrenean experience
For years our Basque family farmhouse near the Baztan valley in the Spanish Pyrenees has run a limited number of exclusive ‘open-house’ weeks for walkers, linguists and discerning travellers from all over the world. With space for just a handful of guests each week our international ‘house-parties’ offer more than a mere walking holiday in the Pyrenees, or a Spanish language course in Spain, they offer guests a home-from-home and a cultural ‘base camp’ from which to explore these wildly beautiful Basque landscapes.
In a no-man’s land between Spanish Navarre and the Basque Country lie the ‘hobbit-like’ farmlands of the Basque Pyrenees. These tourist-free lands, often known as the ‘Basque Bermuda Triangle’, offer magical walking terrain.
Our Pyrenean farmhouse lies at the heart of these landscapes, surrounded by white villages with medieval church spires and terraced fields; you will think you have stumbled onto a Tolkien screen set!
Cooking lessons, wine tastings, music recitals and history talks enter the plot – perhaps the odd Basque pagan festival too. So join us back-stage to experience a fairytale landscape that you probably never knew was here!
More than just Walking Holidays in the Pyrenees. Each evening winds down with dinners on the terrace and a lively, intercultural – often multi-lingual – meeting of minds. We open our doors for a few weeks a year to a limited number of guests and no two weeks are ever the same!
Check out the website and Facebook pages of The Pyrenean Experience.
- Website: https://www.pyreneanexperience.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pyreneanexperience/
Frequently Asked Questions About Walking & Cultural Holidays in the Basque Pyrenees
Self-guided walking weeks at Pyrenean Experience allow you to explore numerous circular trails directly from the farmhouse at your own pace. Maps, route suggestions, and local insight are provided. Evenings still include social dinners and cultural events. It’s perfect for travellers who prefer flexibility without giving up immersive Basque culture.
Yes — Pyrenean Experience offers Spanish immersion weeks that pair daily formal tuition with beautiful countryside walks. According to the website, guests enjoy terrace-lessons, conversing with locals, and sampling regional gastronomy. It’s a holistic language-and-nature adventure for people who want more than just a walking holiday.
The Total Basque Mountain Experience includes guided and self-guided walks, cultural stories (including smugglers’ and shepherds’ tales), homemade Basque food, and a relaxed, house-party style stay in a 5-room farmhouse. New for 2026: walks along parts of the WW2 Comet Line and a sailboat trip along the Basque coast.
The farmhouse is in a tiny hamlet above Ituren and Zubieta, in the Baztan Valley of the Basque Pyrenees. It has 5 en-suite guest rooms, views over the hills, landscaped gardens, comfortable shared spaces (library, sofas), and a fully stocked kitchen. Guests are encouraged to feel at home from arrival.
Indeed. One-day tours such as “Walking the WWII Comet Line” explore escape routes used during World War II. Safe houses, ravines, border crossings and smuggling paths are visited, with stories brought alive by locals. These tours enrich the walking with history, rather than being just about scenery.
Ideal travellers are those who love walking, culture, language, and meeting new people. If you enjoy rustic landscapes, relaxed schedules, spontaneous local stories, and immersive experiences rather than rigid tourism packages, this is likely to be for you. The atmosphere here is intimate—just 5 rooms—so it’s especially suited for people who don’t mind small group dynamics and unpredictable days.
Natural parks in Pais Vasco
Find more natural parks, wildlife and walking holidays on the index page for Pais Vasco here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/pais-vasco/