We love walking in nature, being able to witness the changing seasons, watching the intense shades of green in spring and summer turn to the reddish, golden tones of autumn. It was one of the reasons why we fell in love with Kostoenea: having the heart of nature right on our doorstep. You never get bored, because there are so many paths to discover, on foot or by bike.
The Way of St. James coastal route passes just 10 minutes from the house, climbing up to the Hermitage of Guadalupe where you can connect to the hundreds of paths that the Jaizkibel Mountain Range has to offer along the coast between Hondarribia and San Sebastián. There’s another route up to Guadalupe very close by known as “El Calvario”. It’s very popular with the locals and passes by the Hermitage of Santa Bárbara, which is part of a Way of the Cross, whose Calvary, with three large stone crosses, is located in front of the hermitage.
On Hondarribia Town Council’s website, they suggest 9 routes around the town and surrounding area, all of which are signposted so you won’t get lost. It’s a very sustainable way of enjoying nature as you don’t need a car, you can leave the house directly on foot or by bike to explore the area.
Kostoenea is located on the southern slopes of the Jaizkibel Mountain Range where all the hiking routes have views over to France, the coastline and the Bay of Txingudi. The northern slopes can be accessed after walking up to Guadalupe, and have impressive views of the open sea and paths leading down to the rocky shore, with small coves where you can go for a swim.
For the real mountaineers out there, we’ll talk about some of the highest mountains in the area in another post.