Family Visit in the Basque Country
THE GUIDED FARM TOUR IN FRENCH : Free guided tours and tasting
Available all year round.
Free tour & tasting • Guided tour in French • English guide booklet provided • No booking required for fewer than 10 people • Approx. 1 hour • Wheelchair accessible • Free parking
Planning your visit at another time of year?
💡 Good to know before your visit
- Tours still take place when it rains.
- Dogs are welcome if kept on a lead.
- The tour is suitable for families.
- A producers’ shop is available on site.
The guided tour is conducted in French. If you are an English-speaking visitor, we will give you a short guide booklet in English at reception to help you follow and understand the guide’s explanations throughout the visit.
Free Espelette Pepper Farm Tour & Tasting
Discover how the famous Espelette Pepper PDO is grown and produced on our family-run farm in the Basque Country, followed by a tasting of our artisan specialities.
Please note: the guided explanations are in French. An English guide booklet is available free of charge at reception to help you follow the tour.
Discover the secrets of growing Espelette Pepper PDO
— approximately 30 minutes
Discover every step involved in transforming a simple seed into Espelette Pepper PDO.
Depending on the season, you will walk through our fields or enjoy an immersive indoor presentation. You will discover the history of Espelette pepper, how it became established in the Basque Country and the different stages involved in growing it.
We explain harvesting, stringing the peppers, drying and grinding, as well as the requirements of the Espelette Pepper PDO specifications. The explanations vary according to the season and the plant’s growing cycle.
😋 Taste our Espelette pepper specialities
— approximately 30 minutes
The tour continues or concludes with a tasting of our artisan specialities.
You will taste our sauces, condiments, jams, jellies and other Espelette pepper recipes. Along the way, we share tasting tips, recipe ideas and practical advice straight from the producer.
You will also learn how to use Espelette pepper in your cooking without overpowering the natural flavours of your food. This accessible food and farm visit is a great option if you are looking for things to do in Espelette or would like to visit a working farm in the Basque Country.
Groups of 10 or more must book in advance
Planning a visit for a group? Use our dedicated booking form to arrange your visit.
Accepted payment methods: credit and debit cards, cheques, cash and Eusko.
L’Atelier du Piment is featured on Michelin’s
“La France des savoir-faire” map.
**Booking required for groups of 10 or more.
A fun family activity in Espelette
Looking for a family-friendly activity in the Basque Country? Take on the challenge of The Maze at Atelier du Piment!
The Maze: a Fun Family Activity in Espelette
Looking for a family-friendly activity in the Basque Country? Discover The Maze at Atelier du Piment, a fun self-guided trail through our Espelette chilli pepper fields.
With the English-language “Ramuntxo’s Games” quiz booklet, children and adults follow the trail, solve puzzles and discover how PDO Espelette Chilli Pepper is grown, harvested and produced.
Free • Around 30 minutes • No booking required • Quiz booklet in English
Available from July to the end of November, during the chilli pepper growing season.
Explore the chilli pepper fields as a family
Complete The Maze at your own pace. Along the way, games and puzzles reveal the story of Espelette Chilli Pepper. It is a simple outdoor activity combining a family walk, games and a behind-the-scenes look at our farm.
Finish with a free tasting
After The Maze, head to our farm shop for a complimentary guided tasting. Discover our Espelette chilli pepper specialities, including chilli jelly, mustard, Gorritchup®, jam and chilli purée.
Free
Around 30 minutes
Not required
English quiz booklet
July to the end of November
During farm shop opening hours
14:00-18:00
Trail available from July to the end of November.
Exclusive Tours & Gourmet Experiences
Looking for a more personal experience? We offer premium guided tours tailored to your group.
Conducted in English
- Privilege Tours – Groups of 10 or More
Our Privilege Tours are designed for groups of 10 people or more who would like a more exclusive visit. Enjoy a personalised guided tour of our family farm, discover the story of PDO Espelette Pepper, and share a gourmet tasting in a relaxed setting. 10€ / pers.
- Private Gourmet Tours – Up to 10 People
For smaller groups, couples or families, our Private Gourmet Tours provide a truly exclusive experience. Enjoy a private guided visit, premium tastings and dedicated time with our team to discover the flavours and traditions of the French Basque Country.
These tailor-made experiences are available by reservation only.
Price: from €200 to €400, depending on the size of the group and the selected experience.
Please contact us for a personalised quotation.
Extend Your Visit in Our Farm Shop
Discover the flavours of the Basque Country.
After your tour and tasting, take some time to browse our farm shop. You’ll find our full range of products made with PDO Espelette Pepper, along with a carefully selected choice of Basque specialities from trusted local producers.
PDO Ossau-Iraty sheep’s cheese, Basque cured meats, PDO Irouléguy wines, foie gras, honey, artisan jams, chocolates and many other regional delicacies await you. Take home an authentic taste of Basque gastronomy.
Our team will be happy to help you choose the right products, whether you’re looking for cooking ideas, food pairings or a gourmet gift from the Basque Country.
💳 Farm Shop: We accept credit and debit cards, cash, French cheques and Eusko, the Basque local currency.
Si votre site s’adresse principalement à une clientèle américaine plutôt que britannique, je peux également adapter la traduction (par exemple avec Farm Store au lieu de Farm Shop).
14:00-18:00
Seasonal Workshops
Discover PDO Espelette Pepper in a different way with our hands-on workshops, held during the French winter and spring school holidays.
At L'Atelier du Piment, we invite you to get hands-on and experience the work of local pepper growers through fun, family-friendly activities ( conducted in French).
Depending on the season, you can take part in one of two workshops:
🌱 Seed Sowing Workshop (Winter school holidays)
🌿 Transplanting Workshop (Spring school holidays)
Each workshop lasts around 30 minutes, takes place indoors, is conducted in French, and every participant leaves with their own young pepper plant.
These activities are perfect for families, children who enjoy nature, and anyone who would like to discover life on a working farm in the French Basque Country.
It's a great way to understand the entire growing process, from seed to finished product.
Group bookings are also available throughout the year by prior arrangement. Please contact us to organise a workshop for your group.
-BY BUS: Line 46 – TXIK TXAK network: check timetables: https://itineraires.txiktxak.fr/
BY CAR: Atelier du Piment – 625 Elizaldeko Bidea or 625 chemin d’Elizaldea – 64250 ESPELETTE
With the Waze app, follow this link: https://waze.com/ul/hezwyx4zk4
We are located:
20 minutes from Bayonne
25 minutes from Biarritz
35 minutes from Saint-Jean-de-Luz
BY BIKE: Bike racks are available in our parking area. You can rent bikes all along the coast and in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle at https://noaadventure.com
Feel free to call us at +33 5 59 93 90 21 to find out the next tour times, or visit the “VISIT THE ATELIER” page on our website:
https://www.atelier-du-piment-espelette.fr/visites/
The Discovery Tour in French is free.
Rain is essential for our chillies and makes our Basque country so green! If it does rain, we'll be delighted to welcome you to the Atelier. We have no problem adapting our visits to the weather, as our greenhouses allow us to receive our visitors comfortably under cover. So don't hesitate!
The visit to the Espelette farm always ends with a tasting of chilli in all its forms: sauces, condiments, sweet and savoury flavours to awaken your taste buds to a crescendo.
Depending on the time of year you visit the Atelier du Piment, our tours change.
In fact, from Fébruary to April, when the land is at rest, we offer a commented video tracing the different stages in the production of PDO Espelette chilli peppers and their origins. These explanations will end with a tasting of chilli in all its forms: sauces, condiments, sweet and savoury flavours to awaken your taste buds to a crescendo!
From May onwards, we'll be delighted to welcome you and take you on a tour of the farm and the processing area. From the plot of land on the farm in Espelette, the guided tour gives you the chance to find out more about the history of the spice, and to understand the different stages involved in its production and processing. Our guides like to adapt their explanations according to the plant cycle of the chilli pepper. Depending on the time of year you visit us, you can discover our greenhouses where our "red gold" is drying, understand how our ovens work, or observe the chilli flowers or our beautiful carmine-red fruits as they grow before harvest.
For each month of the year, there's a key stage for you to comment on, before finishing with our tasting of home-made products.
Allow around 1 hour on our farm (discovery tour + tasting).
We have a parking space reserved for disabled people (in front of the shop). The visits begin at the edge of the plot and the path leading to it is made of pebble but is relatively flat to be "carrossable" (armchairs, strollers, etc.).
Our toilets are wheelchair accessible.
Yes, we have a large on-site car park.
Of course it is! It's very important to us to pass on our trade and know-how to future generations. Our tours (explanations + tasting) are suitable for all ages. Please allow an hour for your visit.
Pets are welcome on the farm, provided they are kept on a lead.
Yes, on foot, the path is safe (pavements) and takes about 15 minutes.
If you park in the car park at the entrance to the village, a footpath (family trail) will take you directly to the Atelier du Piment.