Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 7 kn gusting 25, Air 17 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Wed 4 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 25kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 39kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 353, fair
- Wed 457, fair
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 761, good
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 958, fair
- Tue 1058, fair
- Wed 1152, fair
The spot in two facts
- Grade IIIits hardest rapid IV
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 4 kn | 13kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 53, fair | 6 kn | 15kn | 7°C | 0.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 57, fair | 5 kn | 12kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 2 kn | 13kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 14°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 61, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 7 kn | 25kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 58, fair | 11 kn | 39kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 58, fair | 20 kn | 47kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 52, fair | 15 kn | 37kn | 17°C | 1.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Nive des Aldudes, Banca - St Etienne de Baïgorry on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More kayaking near here
1 place
- Urrizate 12.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Nive des Aldudes, Banca - St Etienne de Baïgorry
A river section on the Nive des Aldudes, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II to III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away. The town to stay in is St Etienne de Baigorry.
- River Nive des Aldudes
- Grade Grade II to III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,410–US$2,620 each
about US$1,410–US$2,620 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EAS, estimated from distance and season, changing at MAD, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$470–US$973 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$289 |
| Total | about US$1,410–US$2,620 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: St Etienne de Baigorry
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About St Etienne de Baigorry its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 45m
About 17h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EAS, changing at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → EAS on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in St Etienne de Baigorry · GetYourGuideKayak hire in St Etienne de Baigorry · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at La Nive des Aldudes à Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, 3 km downstream: 1.58 m³/s, very low for November (updated 19 min ago). Low: it may be too low to paddle.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River flow in France: Hub'Eau (hubeau.eaufrance.fr), data from the hydrometric services (SCHAPI, DREAL), Licence Ouverte 2.0. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Ur Bizia Rafting 16 km
Arteka 16 km
Uhina Rafting 16 km
Ur Ederra rafting 16 km
Cocktail Aventure 16 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits