Nive, Stade d'Eaux Vives Itxassou
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 20 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Sun 8 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 27kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 358, fair
- Wed 463, good
- Thu 568, good
- Fri 669, good
- Sat 763, good
- Sun 879, good
- Mon 974, good
- Tue 1076, good
- Wed 1176, good
- Thu 1246, fair
The spot in two facts
- Grade IIits hardest rapid III-
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 58, fair | 6 kn | 14kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 63, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 68, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 69, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 63, good | 5 kn | 10kn | 12°C | 1.2 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 79, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 74, good | 10 kn | 27kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 76, good | 8 kn | 24kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 76, good | 7 kn | 24kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 46, fair | 11 kn | 25kn | 13°C | 17.4 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
- Feb3of 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 Wed 4 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
the spot and its town
Nive, Stade d'Eaux Vives Itxassou on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Nive, Itxassou - Cambo 1.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Nive, Stade d'Eaux Vives Itxassou
A launch on the Nive. Grade II, its hardest rapid III-, on the international scale. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. 8 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.0 km away. The town to stay in is Itxassou. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Nive
- Grade Grade II, its hardest rapid III-, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 8 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.0 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$1,320–US$2,460 each
about US$1,320–US$2,460 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 BIQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$470–US$973 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$74 |
| 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$1,320–US$2,460 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Itxassou
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Itxassou 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 40m
About 17h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BIQ, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → BIQ 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 Itxassou · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Itxassou · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at La Nive à Cambo-les-Bains, 6 km downstream: 5.64 m³/s, very low for November (updated 1 h 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 Tipula 1.0 km
Evasion 64 1.3 km
Ibayak Rafting 1.4 km
Cocktail Aventure 7.3 km
Ur Ederra rafting 7.5 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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.