The Basque Country & Northern Spain holidays

Who is the Basque Country best for?

Basque Country holidays are for anyone who wants to discover a fiercely independent part of Spain that’s not typically Spanish in nature. This is a region that simply explodes with beauty: wild windswept beaches; picturesque mountains; valley after valley of emerald foliage that disappears into the horizon; exciting, ever-changing cities; and hushed, traditional villages that dot the hills and hang onto craggy cliffs. Besides the draw of eye-wateringly beautiful landscapes, there are countless reasons to come calling to this incredible part of the world: watch the fog lift on rolling green hills; hike the mountains and be at one with the elements; learn an ancient language with long-lost roots; dive into flawless Spanish cuisine and admire the beautiful Romanesque architecture that exists in abundance.

What can you find in the Basque Country that you won’t find elsewhere? The Basque Country is filled with all manner of treasures. Immerse yourself in the local culture and you'll quickly discover that the people of the Basque Country are warm and welcoming with a passionate regional pride and a fascinating dialect, far removed from other European languages. Delve into nature and you'll come face to face with the unique landscapes of the Basque: mountain ranges, hills, beaches, forests, thriving pastures, fierce rivers and glittering lakes – the sheer scale of nature here is overwhelming. Stay long enough and you'll find that the events calendar is never empty. From music, film and food festivals to folk fests and regattas, and even the hair-raising bull run of Pamplona, plan your trip well and witness a whole host of electrifying spectacles. For a quiet getaway, spend your time touring the small, untouched villages and coastal towns or, for a faster-paced adventure, burrow into the busy urban jungles. From the architectural heavyweight, Bilbao, to the Michelin-studded San Sebastian, there is culture sewn into the very fabric of this beautiful region. The Basque Country is also renowned as the gastronomic heartland of Spain, and the cities offer everything from superb restaurants to simple tapas bars. Indulge in a txikiteo (tapas crawl) and sample the delicious local cider and busy nightlife. We have selflessly visited the best restaurants and tapas bars in order to recommend the best in our detailed dossiers on the region.

Experiences in the Basque Country:

Every August the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz puts on its dancing shoes and lets rip with five days of music, food, celebration and activity for one of the city’s most important events – the Fiesta de la Virgen Blanca. Celebrating the city’s patron saint, festivities are kicked off in the centre with the descent of Celedon through the air holding an umbrella, a not-too-dissimilar picture from Mary Poppins. And so begins the event, which sees dance, arts, food and sport fill the streets in an explosion of colour and merriment.

San Sebastian

San Sebastian (known as Donostia in Basque) has a scenic position at the foothills of the Pyrénées, close to the French border. Set around a sheltered bay, the town became a fashionable coastal resort in the 19th century and has a relaxed, small-town feel, with wide streets and elegant buildings. There are several good beaches, including the golden sweep of La Concha that arcs around the edge of the bay, and good surfing on Zurriola Beach next door. There are also plenty of good, simple eating houses, and the narrow streets of the Parte Vieja, or old quarter, have one of the greatest concentrations of bars in Spain.

Bilbao

Bilbao, the larger of the two cities, has been transformed in recent years by an ambitious programme of urban renewal that has rescued it from post-industrial decline. The most striking symbol of this revival is the famous Guggenheim Museum with its shimmering titanium shell, moored like a ship on the banks of the Nervión River. Outside the museum is Jeff Koons' equally iconic, kitsch floral sculpture of a giant puppy. The Guggenheim is by no means the only show in town, however. There are other good museums, notably the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Mercado de la Ribera - the largest covered market in Spain - good shopping and a cityscape further transformed by new architecture from the likes of Norman Foster and Santiago Calatrava.

The Basque Hinterland

Away from the cities, we highly recommend exploration of the rest of the Basque country, with its extraordinary language, long history and proud local culture. We can create self-drive itineraries that include places such as the salt marshes, sea cliffs, forests, beaches of the UNESCO protected Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve; the town of Ordizia for gastronomic markets and cheese tastings and the fishing village of Ondorroa to see the tuna boats being unloaded and the vibrant fish market. Thanks to our little Basque book of contacts we have access to superb local guides who can real insight into Basque culture and arrange access to San Sebastian's famous (and famously secretive) gastronomic societies. Needless to say, we can also book tables in the best of the very good bunch of restaurants.

The Rioja Wine Region

Further south lies Rioja, one of the world's most famous winemaking regions. Original Travel can arrange vineyard tours and wine tastings at some of the most famous producers, but there's also an extraordinary place to stay in the Gehry inspired and designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal, surrounded by the vineyards of that particular famous winemaker.