Km 0
The Greenway runs from Doneztebe (Santesteban) to Endarlatsa. We suggest following the route in this direction so as to benefit from the gentle descent alongside the Bidasoa.
The start of the route is easy to find, in a park on the outskirts of Doneztebe, on the left bank of the Bidasoa. Next to a bridge there is broad concreted promenade with benches for people to sit on. Care need to be taken as the promenade is not only open to pedestrians and cyclists but also serves as an access for motor vehicles to a number of nearby properties. While motor traffic is subject to a speed limit, it is as well to be on the alert
.
Km 7
The route passes through dense overhanging woodland and three tunnels, 15, 70 and 90m in length respectively, before arriving at Sunbilla, 7 Km from our starting point. The Bidasoa runs through the middle of the town and a magnificent medieval bridge links the two sides. We recommend that you visit this town, as well as the towns of Baztán, Bertizarana, Malerreka, and the Cinco Villas (the Five Towns, comprising the small towns of Arantza, Igantzi, Lesaka, Etxalar and Bera), with their typical stone houses and windows adorned with flowers.
After Sunbilla, the Greenway enters a section in which the mountains begin to press in on the river. The concrete pavement ends 2 Km from the town and gives way to a dirt track, although the surface is still of a good quality. This section includes a 208m curved, unlit tunnel: we recommend carrying a torch. The Bidasoa is never more than a few metres from our route. Every so often there are small dams feeding hydroelectric power plants. “Fish ladders” have been built so that these dams do not prevent fish from swimming upstream
.
Km 15
On the opposite bank to the busy main road, the Greenway makes its peaceful way through meadows and woods to Bera (Vera de Bidasoa), without passing through any intervening towns or villages. At Km 15 some isolated ruins mark the site of the former Igantzi (Yanci) railway station, now home to tons of wood chips from a nearby sawmill.
The trail now heads towards the Cruce de Lesaka (Lesaka Crossroads, Km 21) passing through another tunnel (the Onbordi tunnel) which is 160m long and is equipped with lighting. The Cruce de Lesaka area, previously home to Lesaka’s railway station, has been affected by the arrival of a service station and a truck park, though the impact on the surroundings is partly offset by the presence of a pleasant restaurant.
After the Cruce de Lesaka, and after passing through another tunnel (120m long, curved, and also equipped with lighting) we find ourselves once again on tarmac. An old fountain and a fortified bunker that once stood guard over the banks over the Bidasoa (accessed via a small tunnel leading directly off our Greenway) provide interesting distractions as we make our way through areas of great natural beauty. The route takes us past a number of footbridges spanning the river before we reach a point where the trail intersects the Bera bypass. We need to join the bypass on its service road, and travel some 100m in a northerly direction until we reach the turn-off for the town. We need to take this turn-off, but immediately, before reaching the bridge, we make a left turn that takes us back on to the old railway track
.
Km 22
At Km 22 we reach the town of Bera, home to the Baroja family of writers and publishers. The town centre of Bera, situated on the far side of the medieval San Miguel bridge spanning the Bidasoa river, is of outstanding beauty; every balcony and window is adorned with flowers.
Three kilometres later we are back on a dirt track and enter one of the most spectacular sections of the line: the run into Endarlatsa. Here the Bidasoa river narrows once again, and the steepness of the escarpments forces the railway line into a series of tunnels. A total of five tunnels were built in all, the longest of which is a curved bore 195m in length. Another is open on the side giving on to the river, creating a curious but somewhat hazardous viewing balcony over the Bidasoa. At Km 28 we reach the Endarlatsa bridge. From here until the mouth of the river the Bidasoa marks the border between Spain and France and so the main road crosses over to the Spanish side of the river and runs parallel to the railway line. This bridge is where we suggest you end your journey. For a few more kilometres it is still possible to discern some parts of the former railway line, but repeated encroachments on to the route make it impracticable. Irún is just 10 Km away, but if you want to get there you will need to go by road and take the utmost precautions. If you still feel like doing some more kilometres we recommend that you press on to Hondarribia (Fuenterrabía), a seaside town with a splendid historic town centre.
|