Urt / Salies-de-Béarn

This second stage on the cycle route begins by taking you meandering merrily along the banks of the Adour River and through barthes, Aquitaine’s answer to polders, excellent for bird-watching. From Guiche onwards, a tributary of the Adour called the Bidouze acts as your guide, as you stick to its side to avoid the slopes of the Pyrenean foothills here. The towpath, reserved for non-motorized traffic, leads you through rural parts, mirroring the curves along the canalized river. Almost half-way through this stage, consider a heritage stop at Bidache. Then your ride takes you up to the typical white-washed village of Came, causing you to change gear, as you head towards the old province of Béarn. Castles and watch towers greet you as you enter this historic region associated with feisty local lord Gaston Fébus, who gained control of it in the 14th century, while a much-appreciated greenway enables you to ride easily along the Gave d’Oloron Valley to reach Salies-de-Béarn, both an historic salt-producing town and a thermal spa resort, dotted with architectural delights.

The route

Along the first half of this stage, La Vélosud makes use of dedicated tracks going through the barthes (polders) of Vic de Sus, then, after a short stretch shared with motorized traffic crossing the village of Guiche, you join the comfortable cycle path following the course of the Bidouze River. After the river port of Came, you continue cycling along a network of secondary roads little used by motorized traffic, plus you ride along a few farm tracks. To cross Labastide-Villefranche, you have to share the way with motorized vehicles along the D936 road for 1km before getting back to dedicated cycle paths, notably the cycle path linking Escos to Salies-de-Béarn.

Points at which to take care: 

• In Bidache, to cross the Bidouze River, you need to share the bridge with motorized vehicles to ride from one riverbank to the other.
• At Labastide-Villefranche, you have to cycle along the side of the D936 road used by motorized vehicles to cross the village. 
  Côte de Lalanne: this slope involves a taxing climb on a stretch of dedicated cycle path, so take your time and although this piece is steep, it’s only 500m in length.
• At Salies-de-Béarn, entering town, take care crossing the round-about, then moderate your speed along the avenues shared with pedestrians.

Connections with further cycle routes

In Urt, at the start of this stage, the bridge over the Adour allows you to cross into the neighbouring département (French county) of Les Landes and join the Scandibérique (EV3) cycle route, which guides you northwards through Gascony in the direction of the Canal des Deux Mers à Vélo (V80) cycle route.

In Escos (km 40.3), you can join the Scandibérique (EV3), this time heading south towards the Spanish border, leading cyclists via Saint-Palais and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Also, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, experienced cyclists can join the Route des Cols

Don't miss

• Riverports along the Bidouze: the Bidouze River is a tributary of the maritime Adour River, and is also influenced by the tides. 
• Bidache: the Château de Gramont (dramatic ruins)
• Views over the Basque Mountains
• Labastide-Villefranche: Ordios Chapel; the impressive Château Bijou (18th-century, remodelled in the 20th); the Gaston Fébus medieval tower
• Salies-de-Béarn: the natural Salies salt seam and dedicated Musée du Sel