The route crosses increasingly hilly Basque countryside towards Saint-Palais. The terrain is demanding with the rolling hills steepening as the Pyrenees approach.

Saint-Palais is a traditional Basque market town on the border between Gascony and the Basque Country. The Monday market sells local cheeses (especially Ossau-Iraty), Espelette peppers, and Bayonne ham. Look for the Stele de Gibraltar monument at the edge of town, which traditionally marks the point where the three great French pilgrimage routes converge.

The Basque influence becomes increasingly evident in the red-and-white painted houses and the Euskara language signs.