BasqueCountry
3
Day Itinerary •
Spain
The Basque Country is unlike anywhere else in Spain. An ancient culture with its own language, its own food philosophy, and a coastline of dramatic cliffs, hidden fishing villages and world-class surf breaks. It also contains the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita of anywhere on earth. This 3-day route goes well beyond the Guggenheim. Discover San Sebastian's secret hilltop viewpoints and the pintxos bars locals actually use, explore Bilbao's extraordinary old town that predates the Guggenheim by 700 years, and follow the Basque coast to a rock island hermitage, ancient flysch cliffs and hidden fishing villages that look unchanged since the Middle Ages.
Best Time To Visit
April to October (year-round is possible)
Getting There
Fly into Bilbao (BIO) or San Sebastian (EAS)
Getting Around
Rental car recommended for coastal routes
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 140 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
SAN SEBASTIAN
MORNING
MONTE URGULL, SAN SEBASTIAN'S OVERLOOKED SUMMIT
While tourists crowd the Monte Igueldo funicular, almost nobody climbs Monte Urgull, the forested hill rising directly above the Parte Vieja. The summit is crowned by the Castillo de la Mota and a giant statue of Christ, with 360-degree views over La Concha bay, the old town rooftops and the Atlantic coastline. The climb takes 20 minutes and entry is completely free. Go early for golden morning light over the bay. Drive: 15 min walk down to Parte Vieja
MIDDAY
PARTE VIEJA, THE REAL SAN SEBASTIAN
The old town of San Sebastian is a compact warren of narrow streets containing the highest concentration of Michelin stars per square metre of anywhere on earth. But the real experience is the pintxos bars. Skip the tourist-facing bars on Calle 31 de Agosto and head to Calle Fermín Calbetón where locals line the bars from midday. Bar Txepetxa for anchovies, Bar Zeruko for creative pintxos, Bar Gandarias for the classics. Drive: 10 min walk to La Bretxa
AFTERNOON
LA BRETXA MARKET AND THE FORGOTTEN OLD QUARTER
The Mercado de la Bretxa is San Sebastian's real food market, housed partly underground beneath a modern building with the original 1870 facade preserved above it. Buy Idiazabal cheese, local txistorra sausage and Basque cider to take home. Then explore the narrow streets of the San Bartolome quarter, the oldest part of the city, almost entirely missed by tourists despite containing some of the finest 18th-century architecture in the Basque Country.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Peine del Viento, Eduardo Chillida's wind combs sculpture at the far western end of La Concha beach, is best experienced at dusk when the waves crash through the steel combs and spray dramatically into the air. Free, always open, and one of the most powerful pieces of public art in Spain. Walk the full length of La Concha beach to reach it.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Bar Kursaal Brilliant breakfast spot near the river. Excellent coffee and the finest croissants in San Sebastian. | Lunch: Bar Txepetxa, Parte Vieja The most celebrated anchovy bar in Spain. Order the anchovy pintxos with every possible topping and a glass of txakoli. | Dinner: Bodegon Alejandro
DAY 2
BILBAO
MORNING
CASCO VIEJO, THE BILBAO NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
The Guggenheim gets all the attention but Bilbao's extraordinary medieval old town predates it by 700 years. The Siete Calles (Seven Streets) are the original streets of the 14th-century city, still perfectly preserved and buzzing with local life. Find the Plaza Nueva, a stunning neoclassical square completely unknown to tourists, lined with pintxos bars on Sunday mornings. The Catedral de Santiago de Bilbao is free to enter and hauntingly beautiful. Drive: 10 min walk to Mercado de la Ribera
MIDDAY
MERCADO DE LA RIBERA, EUROPE'S LARGEST COVERED MARKET
The Mercado de la Ribera is the largest covered market in Europe by floor area, a magnificent 1929 Art Deco building on the banks of the Nervion river. Three floors of fresh produce, pintxos bars, fishmongers and local food stalls. Eat at the market bar on the ground floor for the most authentic Bilbao lunch experience. The stained glass windows and iron structure are extraordinary. Drive: 20 min walk to Guggenheim area
AFTERNOON
BILBAO BEYOND THE GUGGENHEIM
The Guggenheim exterior is worth seeing but skip the expensive entry and instead explore the Abandoibarra waterfront area it regenerated. Walk to the Zubizuri footbridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, for the finest views of the river. Then take the funicular up to Artxanda hill for the most spectacular panorama of Bilbao, the surrounding mountains and the river valley. The funicular costs just 1.30 euros each way.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The neighbourhood of Begoña, climbing steeply above the Casco Viejo, contains one of the best-kept secrets in Bilbao. A network of outdoor escalators and staircases connects the old town to the hilltop neighbourhood, passing through terraced gardens with extraordinary views over the city. Free, always open, and walked almost exclusively by locals.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Bar Bilbao, Plaza Nueva The finest breakfast spot in Bilbao, inside the neoclassical arcade of the Plaza Nueva. Packed with locals on weekend mornings. | Lunch: Mercado de la Ribera bar Eat at the market bar on the ground floor. Fresh pintxos, local cider and the best people-watching in Bilbao. | Dinner: Restaurante Mina, Bilbao One Michelin star at a price that makes it accessible. The tasting menu showcases the finest Basque seasonal produce. Book ahead.
DAY 3
THE BASQUE COAST
MORNING
GAZTELUGATXE, THE ROCK ISLAND HERMITAGE
Gaztelugatxe is one of the most dramatic landscapes in Spain. A tiny hermitage on a rocky island connected to the mainland by a winding stone bridge and 241 steps carved into the cliff. Used as a filming location in Game of Thrones (Dragonstone), it was extraordinary long before the TV series discovered it. Arrive by 9am to beat the crowds. The views along the Basque cliff coast are among the most spectacular in the country. Drive: 30 min drive to Getaria
MIDDAY
GETARIA, THE FINEST FISHING VILLAGE ON THE BASQUE COAST
Getaria is a tiny medieval fishing village on a rocky headland, the birthplace of Juan Sebastian Elcano who completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522. The village church is built partially over the road, which passes through the building beneath the nave. Eat the freshest grilled fish of your life at one of the harbourside restaurants where the catch comes off the boats directly onto the grill. Drive: 20 min drive to Zumaia
AFTERNOON
ZUMAIA FLYSCH, THE ANCIENT CLIFFS THAT CHANGED SCIENCE
The Zumaia flysch cliffs are one of the geological wonders of Europe. A 60-metre wall of alternating rock layers representing 50 million years of earth history, with the exact geological boundary marking the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs visible as a thin dark line in the rock face. Walk the coastal path from Zumaia to Deba for the most dramatic views. The cliffs are free to visit and the walk takes around 2 hours.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The walk from Zumaia to Deba along the GR-121 coastal path above the flysch cliffs takes 2 hours and is one of the finest coastal walks in Spain. The path runs along the cliff top with the ancient rock faces visible below and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. Completely free, moderately strenuous and virtually unknown outside the Basque Country.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Bermeo Stop for coffee and a pintxo in Bermeo fishing village on the way to Gaztelugatxe. Arrive at the cliffs before 9am. | Lunch: Elkano, Getaria One of the most famous fish restaurants in Spain. Grilled turbot straight from Getaria harbour. Book weeks ahead. Worth every euro. | Dinner: Itsas Gain, Zumaia Outstanding seafood restaurant overlooking the Zumaia harbour. Fresh catch, local wines and views over the bay.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
San Sebastian, Night 1 Hotel Parma, boutique hotel steps from La Concha beach. Approx 110 to 170 euros per night. Bilbao, Night 2 Hotel Iturrienea Ostatua, charming hotel in the Casco Viejo. Approx 80 to 130 euros per night. Budget Option San Sebastian: Pension Kursaal from approx 50 euros. Bilbao: Pension Iturrienea from approx 45 euros.
Top Tips
1. Book Gaztelugatxe entry in advance via the Basque Government website, it sells out in summer.
2. Pintxos bars in San Sebastian open at 12pm and again at 7pm. Eat standing at the bar like a local.
3. Book Elkano restaurant in Getaria at least 2 weeks ahead, it is one of the most sought-after in Spain.
4. The Artxanda funicular in Bilbao costs just 1.30 euros each way and gives the finest city panorama.
5. Basque restaurants take lunch very seriously. The set menu del dia is always the best value option.
6. Txakoli wine is the local Basque white, slightly fizzy and poured from height. Order it everywhere.
Total Budget
100 to 170 euros/day