Dates & Prices 2027
Pyrenean Experience Dates & Prices 2027
Holiday Calendar
Please forgive me.
This year, the doors of my home, Iaulin Borda, open for just a select number of walking holidays (fewer than other years), even though their eccentric, idiosyncratic nature appears to ratchet up – not down! After almost 3 decades – and some 2000 guests – I become ever more doolally, and I am, quite simply, curious to explore other dimensions to my life before it is too late!
The publication of my memoir, ‘In the Footsteps of Smugglers – My Life on a Basque Mountain,’ by Bradt in 2024, has also brought changes, as well as considerable interest in my research into the history of smuggling and resistance in the Basque Pyrenees, with notable reference to the WW2 escape route, the Comet Line (Le Réseau Comète). As a result, we now incorporate a half-day Smuggling and Resistance Comet Line Tour into our Basque Mountain Experience Walking Holidays. You will find the dates below.
Note: As I diversify, various family or interest groups are starting to rent our beloved Iaulin Borda. With its 5 ensuite bedrooms, glorious terraces and views, situated at the heart of a traditional Basque community, Iaulin Borda offers a wonderful getaway in an area where village fiestas, walks and wild swimming opportunities can be discovered at every turn.
Holiday Dates 2027
(Total Basque Mountain Walking Weeks and Spanish Immersion Courses)
Prices: 2200 euros per person (sharing a room). Absolutely everything included (see below for details).
| AUTUMN 2026 | |
Monday 5th - 12th October (FULL) HOUSE PARTIES 2027 | Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-Guided/Guided Walking Holiday
|
| Wednesday 26th May - 2nd June | Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-guided/Guided Walking Holiday |
| Friday 18th - 25th June | Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-guided/Guided Walking Holiday |
Monday 13th - 20th September | Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-guided/Guided Walking Holiday |
| Monday 4th - 11th October | Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-Guided/Guided Walking Holiday |
| (On occasion we organise private tailor-made weeks for small groups.) | |
(On occasion, we organise private tailor-made weeks for small groups.)
Total Basque Mountain Experience Walking Holidays (Details)
These all-inclusive, exclusive weeks offer a mix of guided and self-guided walks, cultural events, unlimited food, wine and Basque cuisine, as well as spontaneous adventures and misadventures along the way.
Highlights
Guided Walks & Excursions:
a) Introduction to the Basque landscapes of the Pyrenees, culture, values and ethos of the mountain shepherds of Ituren. (Based on my book ‘In the Footsteps of Smugglers’).
b) Walking in the footsteps of the WW2 Comet Line escape route over the Pyrenees, passing the final French ‘safehouses’ where Allied airmen and refugees hid away on the final day before being smuggled into Spain..
c) Lunch at a hidden Michelin-recommended restaurant near our house. It lies on a beautiful spot on the river – so bring your swimming costumes for an after-lunch dip.
d) Extensive set of maps and notes to explore – treasure-hunt style - any of the 15 self-guided walks that circle my home, Iaulin Borda.
e) Music, local festivals, spontaneity and bonhomie.
f) Miscellaneous adventures and misadventures.
See the full description of the Total Basque Mountain Experience Self-Guided Walking Holidays
Prices
2027 2200 Euros (ALL included)
*per person based on 2 people sharing **
My home can receive a maximum of 8/9 guests.
The price includes absolutely everything:
A double/twin en-suite room at our beautiful privately-owned farmhouse.
We provide you with full continental breakfasts, a lunchtime buffet/sandwich service and delicious, freshly-cooked evening meals with wine. We also invite you to join us for a gourmet lunchtime meal at a Michelin-recommended restaurant. Unlimited wines, beers, snacks etc. are free on the house and available all day. The fridge is yours!
Single-person supplement (limited single rooms) 500 euros
Spanish Language Immersion Courses
Price 2250 euros per person. Price includes full-board accommodation with own/en-suite bathrooms at our family farmhouse. NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT. (We have just 5 rooms so our groups are always small and personal.) 5 full, 3-course meals and 6 light lunches/dinners. Unlimited beers, wine at the house etc.. A unique 5-and-a-half-day walking and cultural programme with ongoing professional Spanish immersion teaching and conversation throughout all activities. ALSO ten hours of formal Spanish lessons and grammatical tuition by a highly qualified teacher. On a free day, midweek, guests often venture off to explore the nearby towns of San Sebastian/Hondarribia or Pamplona. We also offer a free pick-up from the local bus which arrives in our nearby village of (Santesteban / Doneztebe) from where we are happy to pick up our guests.
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
See the full description of the Spanish Language Immersion Courses
In 2021 The Times voted our Spanish Immersion Courses among the 'Top Ten Learning Holidays Worldwide'.
Other available options:
MORE INFORMATION
Please ask us for further information and a levels sheet.
TAILOR-MADE WEEKS
We also organise tailor-made weeks for individuals and groups all year round.
HOUSE TO RENT
Sometimes our guest house is free to rent. It has 5 en-suite bedrooms and open-plan kitchen/dining room/living rooms/terraces/wifi etc.