BasqueCountry
5
Day Itinerary •
Spain
The Basque Country is unlike anywhere else in Spain. An ancient culture with its own language, its own food philosophy, the world's highest concentration of Michelin stars per capita, and a coastline of dramatic cliffs, hidden fishing villages and ancient geological wonders. Five days barely covers it. This route covers the full sweep of hidden Basque Country. San Sebastian's secret hilltop views and real pintxos bars, Bilbao's 700-year-old medieval quarter, the dramatic rock island of Gaztelugatxe, the ancient flysch cliffs of Zumaia, the forgotten Basque capital of Vitoria, the finest wine villages of Rioja Alavesa, and the sacred forests and biosphere reserves of the interior.
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 and the Atlantic. The climb takes 20 minutes and is completely free. Arrive at sunrise for golden light over the bay. Drive: 15 min walk to Parte Vieja
MIDDAY
PARTE VIEJA, THE REAL SAN SEBASTIAN
The old town contains the highest concentration of Michelin stars per square metre on earth. But the real experience is the pintxos bars. Skip the tourist-facing bars on Calle 31 de Agosto and head to Calle Fermin Calbeton where locals line the bars from midday. Bar Txepetxa for anchovies, Bar Zeruko for creative pintxos, Bar Gandarias for classics. Drive: 10 min walk to La Bretxa
AFTERNOON
LA BRETXA MARKET AND THE SAN BARTOLOME QUARTER
The Mercado de la Bretxa is San Sebastian's real food market, partly underground with the original 1870 facade preserved above. Buy Idiazabal cheese and local txistorra sausage. Then explore the San Bartolome quarter, the oldest part of the city, almost entirely missed by tourists despite containing the finest 18th-century architecture in the Basque Country.
š HIDDEN GEM
The Peine del Viento sculpture at the western end of La Concha beach is best at dusk when 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.
š½ WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Bar Kursaal Excellent coffee and the finest croissants in San Sebastian. | Lunch: Bar Txepetxa, Parte Vieja The most celebrated anchovy bar in Spain. Order the pintxos with every 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 are the original 14th-century streets, still buzzing with local life. Find the Plaza Nueva, a stunning neoclassical square 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
A magnificent 1929 Art Deco building on the banks of the Nervion river and the largest covered market in Europe by floor area. Three floors of fresh produce, pintxos bars and local food stalls. Eat at the market bar 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. Walk to the Zubizuri footbridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, then take the funicular up to Artxanda hill for the most spectacular panorama of Bilbao. The funicular costs just 1.30 euros each way and the views over the surrounding mountains are extraordinary.
š HIDDEN GEM
The BegoƱa neighbourhood above the Casco Viejo has a network of outdoor escalators connecting the old town to the hilltop, passing through terraced gardens with extraordinary city views. Free, always open and walked almost exclusively by locals.
š½ WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Bar Bilbao, Plaza Nueva The finest breakfast spot in Bilbao inside the neoclassical arcade. Packed with locals on weekends. | Lunch: Mercado de la Ribera bar Fresh pintxos, local cider and the best people-watching in Bilbao. | Dinner: Restaurante Mina, Bilbao One Michelin star at an accessible price. The tasting menu showcases the finest Basque produce. Book ahead.
DAY 3
THE BASQUE COAST
MORNING
GAZTELUGATXE, THE ROCK ISLAND HERMITAGE
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 Dragonstone in Game of Thrones. Arrive by 9am to beat the crowds. Pre-booking is required via the Basque Government website. Drive: 30 min drive to Getaria
MIDDAY
GETARIA, THE FINEST FISHING VILLAGE ON THE BASQUE COAST
A tiny medieval fishing village on a rocky headland, 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 beneath the nave. Eat the freshest grilled fish at a harbourside restaurant where the catch comes off the boats directly onto the grill. Drive: 20 min drive to Zumaia
AFTERNOON
ZUMAIA FLYSCH, THE CLIFFS THAT CHANGED SCIENCE
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. Walk the coastal path from Zumaia to Deba for the most dramatic views. Free to visit and one of the geological wonders of Europe.
š HIDDEN GEM
The walk from Zumaia to Deba along the GR-121 coastal path takes 2 hours above the flysch cliffs with the ancient rock faces below and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. Completely free, moderately strenuous and virtually unknown outside the Basque Country.
š½ WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Bermeo 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. | Dinner: Itsas Gain, Zumaia Outstanding seafood restaurant overlooking the harbour. Fresh catch, local wines and views over the bay.
DAY 4
VITORIA-GASTEIZ AND RIOJA ALAVESA
MORNING
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, THE FORGOTTEN BASQUE CAPITAL
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the actual capital of the Basque Country and one of the most underrated medieval cities in Spain. The almond-shaped old town on a hill contains extraordinary Gothic architecture, an intact medieval street plan and almost no tourists. The Catedral de Santa Maria is a 14th-century masterpiece currently being restored and open for fascinating hard-hat tours. The Plaza de la Virgen Blanca is one of the finest squares in northern Spain. Drive: 10 min walk around old town
MIDDAY
EL PORTALON AND THE MEDIEVAL MERCHANTS QUARTER
El Portalon is the finest surviving example of a 15th-century merchant's inn in Spain, a beautiful timber-framed building that has operated continuously since 1430. The surrounding streets of Cuchilleria and Herreria contain the medieval workshops of the city's craft guilds, many of which are still occupied by artisan workshops. The Artium Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the finest in northern Spain and entry is free on certain days. Drive: 20 min drive to Rioja Alavesa
AFTERNOON
RIOJA ALAVESA, THE BASQUE WINE COUNTRY
The Rioja Alavesa is the Basque share of the famous Rioja wine region, producing some of Spain's finest reds in a landscape of dramatic limestone cliffs, medieval villages and cutting-edge wine architecture. Drive the wine route through the villages of Elciego, Laguardia and Labastida. The Frank Gehry-designed Hotel Marques de Riscal winery in Elciego is extraordinary even from the outside.
š HIDDEN GEM
The Salinas de Anana are a set of ancient salt works just 20km west of Vitoria, where salt has been harvested from natural springs since prehistoric times using a system of wooden channels unchanged for thousands of years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the strangest and most beautiful landscapes in the Basque Country. Entry approx 5 euros.
š½ WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Moderno, Vitoria Historic cafe in the old town serving excellent coffee and traditional Basque breakfast pintxos since 1914. | Lunch: El Portalon, Vitoria Lunch inside a 15th-century merchant's inn. Traditional Basque cuisine in one of the most atmospheric dining rooms in Spain. | Dinner: Restaurante Ikea, Elciego Not the furniture store. Outstanding traditional Basque restaurant in the Rioja Alavesa village. Local lamb and Rioja wines.
DAY 5
GUERNICA AND URDAIBAI
MORNING
GUERNICA, THE CITY THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD
Guernica was bombed by Nazi aircraft in 1937 in an act of deliberate civilian terror that inspired Pablo Picasso's most famous painting. The rebuilt city contains a powerful peace museum, the ancient Oak of Guernica under which Basque leaders swore their democratic rights for centuries, and the assembly house where the Basque parliament still meets. A profoundly moving and historically important place that receives far fewer visitors than it deserves. Drive: 20 min drive to Urdaibai
MIDDAY
URDAIBAI BIOSPHERE RESERVE, THE WILD HEART OF THE BASQUE COAST
The Urdaibai is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of extraordinary beauty, a tidal estuary surrounded by ancient oak forests, hidden beaches and medieval hermitages perched on clifftops. The Cueva de SantimamiƱe contains cave paintings from 14,000 years ago. Walk the forest path from Gernika to the Kanala beach through protected woodland that has barely changed in centuries. Drive: 30 min drive to coast
AFTERNOON
MUNDAKA AND THE WORLD'S BEST LEFT-HAND WAVE
Mundaka is a tiny fishing village at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary that surfers from around the world travel to for what is considered the finest left-hand wave in Europe. Even non-surfers find the spectacle extraordinary. The village itself is beautiful, with a harbour, old quarter and the finest txakoli wine bar on the Basque coast. End the trip watching the Atlantic swells roll into the estuary at sunset.
š HIDDEN GEM
The hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe's lesser-known neighbour, the Ermita de San Pelayo in the Urdaibai reserve, sits on a clifftop above the sea accessible only by a 30-minute forest walk. No visitor facilities, no entry fee, no crowds. Just a medieval stone chapel on a cliff with views over the Atlantic biosphere. One of the most peaceful places on the Basque coast.
š½ WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Guernica town centre Simple local cafe breakfast before the peace museum opens at 10am. The museum is deeply affecting on an empty stomach. | Lunch: Arboliz Baserri, Urdaibai Outstanding farmhouse restaurant in the Urdaibai biosphere. Local produce from surrounding farms, spectacular valley views. | Dinner: Casino Mundaka The most beloved bar-restaurant in Mundaka. Fresh fish, cold txakoli and sunset views over the estuary. Perfect final evening.
Where To Stay
San Sebastian, Night 1 Hotel Parma, boutique hotel steps from La Concha beach. Approx 110 to 170 euros per night. Bilbao, Nights 2 to 3 Hotel Iturrienea Ostatua, charming hotel in the Casco Viejo. Approx 80 to 130 euros per night. Vitoria or Rioja, Nights 4 to 5 Parador de Argomaniz near Vitoria or a rural bodega hotel in Laguardia. Approx 90 to 160 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