Located in the heart of the Basque Country, in the small town of Hasparren at the foot of Mount Ursuya, halfway between the ocean and the mountains, just 20 minutes from Bayonne and 30 minutes from Biarritz, Maison Gamboia was conceived as a discreet, welcoming space for sharing, a place where accommodation, creativity, and connection intertwine. The six bedrooms and studio showcase the work of local artists, designers, and artisans. They are furnished with handcrafted objects and works of art, each a collectible piece. Every window offers a view of the orchard and the forest.

In a quiet location close to the town centre, less than 500 metres from the house, you can have a coffee at the market while listening to Basque songs, taste the breads and pastries made with local flours from the Ogi Bihia bakery, taste the cheeses from the surrounding farms at the Zarea shop, discover the selection of the wine cellar-grocery store Les Vins de Vincent , play pelota at the fronton or the Berria trinquet, take a walk in the forest surrounded by pottoks and sheep, visit the art deco chapel with its unique paintings, mosaics and stained glass windows, have lunch at the Komeiteko Borda inn and dinner at Elizaberri Etxeberria , or at the Maison de Pierre.

Stories of a house in the Basque Country

Ganboi, Gamoy, Gamoya, Gamboya— the Gamboia House takes its historical name from the Basque word meaning "river bend." The earliest records date back to 1656 with Johannes de Gamoy. Families of tanners, shoemakers, carpenters, and basket weavers then succeeded one another, eventually becoming the owners of a family of leather shoemakers. The Etchevers factory was located just behind the house and was one of the twenty or so thriving factories in Hasparren until the 19th century. Then, in 1958, two sisters, Marguerite Dabbadie, a shoe factory worker, and Amélie Dabbadie, a nurse, bought the house and moved in with their parents.

Maison Gamboia has always been inhabited by families who have lovingly cared for the property. In 2022, during the renovation, we took our turn, wanting to preserve the spaces, work with local artisans, and prioritize durable materials: wood, terracotta, and linen. The walls now showcase the works of the artists invited each year. The objects and furniture were sourced from flea markets and antique shops in the surrounding area. In the garden, we kept the orchard and created a vegetable garden, a permaculture space dedicated to herbs, edible flowers, medicinal plants, and dye plants.

Maison Gamboia is located in the small, hilly town of Hasparren. Its steep streets are lined with half-timbered houses, former Basque farmhouses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The poet Francis Jammes, a close friend of Paul Claudel and Anna de Noailles, lived in one of these houses. Nearby, you'll find hiking and cycling trails with views of the Pyrenees mountain range. You can go paragliding on Mont Baigura or rafting and canoeing in Bidarray, as well as swim in the mountain springs and rivers. The town is close to the thermal baths of Cambo-les-Bains, home to the Villa Arnaga, the former residence of writer Edmond Rostand, and not far from the artisan village of La Bastide Clairence and the prehistoric caves of Oxocellaya. In 30 minutes, you will reach the Way of St. James from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or the southern Basque Country "Spanish side" via Ainoha or Sare, some enchanting villages with many legends.

Inviting people to create and meet

The Gamboia House welcomes both artists in residence for research and creation, travellers on stay, schools for workshops in the garden, and residents invited to discover readings, exhibitions, and performances.

Maison Gamboia hosts the cultural programming of the association La Réciproque. This association connects artists and designers with craftspeople, historians, and researchers, and organizes research and creation residencies, educational workshops, conferences, and exhibitions. Active in the Basque Country and the wider Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the association develops projects with schools, businesses, cultural institutions, community groups, and local residents. Alongside its residency programs, La Réciproque invites visual artists to create seasonal installations in Maison Gamboia and also organizes events with musicians and dancers.

We also entrust you with the keys to the house for your celebrations with family, friends, or colleagues, and invite our community connected to the visual, performing, literary, and culinary arts, as well as crafts, design, and subjects related to landscape and botany. Imagine encounters with artists, performances with musicians and dancers, film screenings, or even book presentations by writers, philosophers, or publishers. In the garden, vegetable patches mingle with edible, medicinal, and dye plants, inspiring culinary experiences with our chefs, naturopaths, and phytotherapists. Outdoors, our guides and botanists, specializing in wild flora and fauna, will lead you on hikes, trail runs, or walks among springs and streams in the Basque mountains.

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