Mendive: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

On the Plateau d’Iraty-Cize in Mendive, the landscape has been shaped over thousands of years by water, pastoralism and forestry.

Renting a holiday apartment in Mendive can be part of your travel planning.

Culture

The Saint-Sauveur d'Iraty Chapel in Mendive has a Romanesque foundation documented since the 12th century. A Stations of the Cross surrounds the outside of the chapel; the final station is a monumental cross dating from 1805.

Saint-Vincent-de-Dax in Mendive is mentioned in the architectural inventory of the canton as one of the examples of preserved Romanesque portals. The Erreka Idorra interpretation trail conveys the historical uses of the forests of Irati: these include the production of masts, oars and charcoal; the trail also features scenes from an open-air museum. It is 8.9 km long, takes around four hours and has an elevation gain of 315 metres.

Trails and Landscape

Three circular hiking trails begin on the Plateau d’Iraty-Cize in Mendive. The Chalet de Cize is an information point and a themed site dedicated to pastoralism. At the chalet, visitors can learn about the lives of transhumant shepherds and taste their cheese. The “Terra Aventura – Artzaina eta ardiak” geocaching trail also runs across the Plateau de Cize in Mendive.

The Zurzai circular hike begins in Mendive, is 8 km long, easy and takes around 2 hours and 45 minutes. In its first half, it follows a mountain stream where hikers can observe Pyrenean brook salamanders and other amphibians. The tour ends with the discovery of cromlechs, protohistoric remains that bear witness to the very early settlement of the Basque mountains. Moorland areas lie along the route at the Col de Zurzai pass; there, on the circular hike, you can see sundews, carnivorous plants characteristic of these habitats.

The Okabe hiking route from the Plateau d'Iraty-Cize in Mendive is 15.2 km long, takes around six hours and has an elevation gain of 535 metres.

Getting There

From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the route to the Plateau d’Iraty-Cize passes through the Ergaraï Valley in the municipality of Mendive and along the D18. The drive from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to the Plateau d’Iraty-Cize takes around 35 minutes.

Other Destinations

Also Ledeuix, Bilhères, Iholdy, Orsanco, Buros, Irissarry, Eysus and Lucq-De-Béarn are linked as additional destination towns.

Pyrénées-Atlantiques