- French Basque Country
- Makes its own cider
- Txotx season
Eztigar cider house
240 route d'Arlakondo, Beltxu, 64120 Saint-Just-Ibarre
History and atmosphere
About Eztigar cider house
Eztigar is a cooperative of apple growers in Saint-Just-Ibarre (Donaixti-Ibarre), a small mountain village in Lower Navarre between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Mauléon. It began in the mid-1990s, when a group of local people set out to revive the growing of cider apples in the French Basque Country (Iparralde), where the old orchards and many local varieties were disappearing. The cooperative was founded in 1996 and, since 2006, production and sales have been handled by the company Segida.
They grow around ten native varieties, such as anisa, eri sagarra, ondo motxa, gordin xuria, mamula and peatxa, and handle each one separately at harvest time. Some of the orchards are certified organic and the rest are farmed under integrated, low-input methods, with no treatments or herbicides. From these apples they make dry and sweet cider and apple juice.
The shop is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00, except in September and on public holidays. You can wander round the orchard on your own and finish with a free tasting; guided tours must be booked. In July and August there is also a cider bar serving products from other producers in Oztibarre, such as cured meats, sheep’s milk ice cream, gâteau basque and yoghurt.
Sources: Official website, Sagardoa (Basque cider route).
From tree to bottle
Eztigar’s own house cider
As well as a cider house, it’s a cider maker: it makes its own cider, and what’s served at the table comes from its own cellar.
- Making cider since
- 1996
What you can buy
What it offers
Services and facilities
Services
At the table
Facilities
Visits and sales
Getting there
Reviews
What people think of Eztigar cider house
Nobody has reviewed Eztigar cider house yet. Have you been? Tell us about it.
Only people with a confirmed account can leave reviews. We cannot check every visit: we watch out for fake reviews and publish both the good and the bad ones. How they work
Location
How to get to Eztigar cider house
240 route d'Arlakondo, Beltxu, 64120 Saint-Just-Ibarre Open in Google Maps-
By car
Look up the address in your satnav. In season, cider house car parks fill up early on Saturdays.
-
By bus
Some bus routes run near the area. Check the timetable before you go, especially for the way back.
-
As a group
Many cider houses arrange a coach for groups: ask when you book.
