Regional cheese and cream stores Vélo Pays Basque

115 farms, shepherd's huts, cheese dairies, maturing cellars and direct sales outlets open their doors to you all year round for a tasting, a visit to the sheepfold or the workshop. Ferme Etchearria in Ossès is one of the leading producers of ewe's milk cheese. Between rearing its 200 mother ewes, processing according to ancestral rules of manufacture and maturing with scrupulously enforced specifications, direct sales at the farm and presence at markets.

Five generations of know-how in cheese production and beyond. On the cheese road, come and meet Tote, who proudly opens the doors of his farm for a tasting and a tour of the workshop (sheepfold, ripening room). The farm's organic ewe's milk cheeses are highly acclaimed here: ripened ewe's milk tomme, mamia (maman) made from curdled milk... and all thanks to 150 Manech ewes living on 24 hectares. These products can be found on the main markets of the Basque country, in creameries and gourmet restaurants.

20 years already for the cheese dairy, which won^1st prize in the Lyre d'Or competition (Paris Salon de l'Agriculture and Salon du Fromage) in 2010. A fine showcase for cheeses from France and beyond, from the mildest to the strongest, awaits you. An artisanal creamery and pasta section, hams, foie gras, smoked salmon, olive oils, ready-made meals, Poilâne bread... And a range of spices and peppers from around the world. Now, exclusively at the Anglet address, a Distri Fromage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with 40 possible choices. Fine vintages all year round, depending on the season.

Renovated into a fully-fledged cheese dairy, this cayolar situated at an altitude of 1,000 meters above the Holzarte Gorge in Larrau, on the cheese route, enables four breeders from Mauléon, Moncayolle and Barcus to produce one tonne of cheese a year, i.e. around 400 pieces of pure ewe's milk cheese, labelled Ossau-Iraty. All around is a 60-hectare area where flocks graze in summer pastures, fed on dry fodder, hay and cereals. All the more reason to enjoy your cheese on site, in an exceptional setting surrounded by ewes.

Specializing in the production of ewe's milk cheese, Fromagerie des Chaumes was conceived in 1958 by a Dutch family in Jurançon to produce Edam, then bought out in 1967 by the Bongrain group, which launched Fromagerie des Chaumes and Fromagerie des Chaumes. The Mauléon site sells cheeses signed Etorki, Esquirrou AOP Ossau iraty, Brebiou, Chaumes, Saint-albray... All soft cheeses made in Mauléon.The store offers a warm welcome and product tasting. Enjoy!

Cheese remains the signature of the Enautenea farm. The farm has grown with the seasons since the ^18th century. A beautiful space has been created in the old cowshed to showcase the product, a store and a very large tasting room for groups. A tasting session (the axoa is a must) with a tour of the farm and its animals, with all the stages from production to maturing. In addition to cheeses, you'll find sausages, pâtés, preserves, jams and more.

A cheese museum? Better than that... World vice-champion cheesemaker Christophe has become the Basque region's benchmark in the profession in just a few years. His small, but very large, cheese shop at the foot of the cathedral will take you on a journey through the seasons. His homemade Tarta de Queso and a host of reworked cheeses, including truffle, chili, lemon and pistachio, will tantalize your taste buds. A rare and committed selection of cheeses from small-scale production and great traditions will take you to another dimension.

Directly from producers in the Basque country and beyond, Cathy's cheeses invite you to travel. A wide range of ewe's milk cheeses, blue cheeses, bries with truffles, roquefort du berger, reblochon and other fine cheeses, such as a genuine Aubrac Aligot. Also charcuterie and other delicacies such as chorizo, saucisson, ham, pâté basque and a delicatessen with fine references: boudins, goat cheese cookies, piment d'Espelette, piperade... Cathy is the ambassador of these craftsmen and producers.

In Hendaye, Mélody proposes in her store Gasnetxe (House of cheese in Basque), a beautiful selection of farmhouse cheeses from the French region, artisanal yogurts, gourmet desserts and a delicatessen that has nothing to envy to the famous institutions of the Basque Country. Each season, you will discover different cheeses from different regions, such as the Gaperon, a speciality from Auvergne, the tourteau from Poitou... but also Corsican cheeses such as the Basterga, the Moliterno which is a sheep's cheese, veined with black truffle from Sardinia.

Elgarrekin Farm invites you to discover its goat farm. Me, Grenadine, Gribouille and my 89 girlfriends arrived on May¹, 2010 at the age of 3 months in a goat farm fitted out for our well-being. Our feed is partly produced on the farm. You have a choice of cheeses: fresh, creamy, or matured in the form of crottin, pyramid or log. There's sure to be one to your liking. Don't hesitate to try our goat's tomme. You'll find this traditional know-how on the markets of Saint-Palais and Bayonne.

Located in Esnazu, high above the Aldudes mountains, the farm has two passionately-practiced activities: breeding Manex Tête Noire and Tête Rousse ewes, and producing farmhouse PDO Ossau-Iraty cheese. Farmhouse sheep cheeses made from raw PDO Ossau-Iraty milk, with the particularity of maturing in wet cellars, which is atypical in the valley. Visits are organized by appointment to better understand the different stages of production. In the opinion of gourmets, this is undoubtedly one of the best Basque ewe's milk cheeses that you can also take home.

On the stall, you will find a wide range of cheeses from the most traditional to the most original, where the best cheesemaking regions and artisans are represented, so that everyone can find cheese to their taste every day, whatever their mood. The best cheeses are sold directly, as well as all the specialties of the famous Irati ecological cheese factory. The House offers charcuterie/cheese platters. Made in the Basque Country" is the brand's ethic, with local milk collection and organic maturing techniques.

The Basque Country has one of the finest cheese-making regions in France. This unique know-how has been handed down from generation to generation. Ossau-Iraty is one of the most emblematic PDO cheeses to symbolize this richness. And it's in the small village of Larceveau that Fromagerie Istara has been cultivating this pastoral tradition for almost 60 years, notably with the famous "P'tit Basque". The Fromagerie boutique invites you to taste and take away these gustatory "nuggets" considered among the world's best cheeses. An unmissable stopover.

A cheese signature in the bustling Docks district, focused on gastronomic excellence, with fishmongers, delicatessens, butchers, bakers, caterers, greengrocers, restaurants... The crèmerie des Docks confirms this level, offering a wide choice of Basque and other cheeses, fresh produce and a delicatessen that mirrors the terroir! You'll find Bleu des Basques, Ossau Iraty ewes direct from local farmers, Bries and Camemberts, and more. A real range of cheeses, with a cellar too.

Pantxika's love of cheese is evident in her store, where the motto is "La patronne est une crème et n'est là pas que pour faire son beurre". A fine selection of cheeses, almost exclusively farmhouse cheeses made from raw milk: truffle brie, brillat-savarin, roquefort, bleu basque, and more. All names evocative of tastes and know-how, they take us on a voyage of discovery through the terroirs of France (over 1,200 varieties), Italy and Spain. She also prepares sharing platters for your corporate and family events.

Claire, young and passionate, raises alpine goats and makes her own cheeses - crottins, bricks, logs, little palets... - And here, no intensive breeding; the 50 adorable goats and kids are pampered and fed mainly with hay and pastures from the family farm. Don't hesitate to make a small detour during your visit to the Basque Country, and come and watch the milking and visit the goat farm - and taste the cheeses. A great moment for young and old with these beautiful ladies who are just waiting for your caresses!