Ainhoa

Ainhoa was founded in the thirteenth century as a staging post for pilgrims heading to Compostela over the passes, and it is laid out accordingly: one long street with houses on both sides, whitewashed with red or green timber, most of them rebuilt after Spanish troops razed the village during their invasion of 1636. Many carry a carved lintel with the date and the name of the family who built them, which is a Basque habit and lets you read the street chronologically. The church has the tiered wooden galleries typical of the region, and a fronton for pelota stands beside it. A stone path climbs to a hilltop chapel above.

History

The curacy of Ainhoa was created in the 13th century by the Premonstratensian priory of Urdazubi, across the present border, and on 27 April 1238 King Theobald I of Navarre bought the tolls levied here on pilgrims and traders bound for Santiago de Compostela, the village then lying on the frontier between Navarre and the English-held Duchy of Aquitaine. In 1250 its lord recognised Henry III of England as overlord, and for long periods the village paid taxes to both sides in return for its privileges. Ainhoa was razed with many villages of the Labourd in the Spanish invasion of 1636 and later resettled; of the village before its destruction only the church and the Machitorénéa house survive (Wikipedia, Ainhoa, Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

What you'll find

• The single street - white Basque houses with red and green woodwork.
• The carved lintels - dated stones naming the families who rebuilt after 1636.
• The galleried church - tiered wooden balconies in Basque arrangement.
• The fronton - the pelota wall in the middle of the village.

When to go

April to October; the village is small and seen in an hour. Summer weekends bring visitors from the coast. The hill chapel walk is best in clear weather.

Practical notes

There is little to do beyond walking the street and the chapel path. Facilities are limited to a few restaurants and shops. The Spanish border traffic passes nearby.

Nearby

Espelette lies north; the Spanish border is a few kilometres south.

Key facts