Sare

The much-prized and picturesque village of Sare, described by author Pierre Loti in his Ramuntxo as a virtually autonomous Eden, is built around a large fronton, or backboard, where a permanent pelota game rages around the clock. Not surprisingly, the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) offers a permanent exhibition on Pelote Basque (July and Aug., daily 9-1 and 2-6:30; Sept.-June, daily 3-6). Sare, with its colorful wood-beam and whitewashed Basque architecture, was a busy smuggling hub throughout the 19th century. Sare's chief attractions are colorful wood-beam and whitewashed Basque architecture, the 16th-century late-Romanesque church with its lovely triple-decker interior, and the Ospitale Zaharra pilgrim's hospice behind the church.