
Basque Country Vacations
Hiking vacations, road trips & tailormade tours to the Basque Country
Basque Country Vacations
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![]() | Highlights |
Bilbao; San Sebastian; Pamplona; Camino del Norte; Basque Rioja
![]() | Major airport |
Bilbao (can also be Madrid via train to Pamplona)
Good food, good company Market day in Ordizia Golden Guugenheim The oak of Guernica First vineyard view Giants & Big Heads Idiazabal cheese The Bay Running with the bulls Pelota with Xabi
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
Of the many ways to cook cod, the Basque have mastered one that beautifully reflects its culture; bacalao al pil pil. It is simple and honest, with nothing artificial nor overly elaborate. And the slow cooking allows space for the other main characteristic of Basque food… socialising!
Food in Spain is not only about what you eat, but who you eat it with. More than anywhere else, in the Basque country food is an excuse to share.
From Ordizia, Basque Country
In days gone by, for the rural Basque population the weekly visit to the local market was not only to sell and buy, but also to socialise, close deals and learn the latest news.
This joyful ambiance is still felt in today's Basque markets in towns like Gernika, Tolosa or Ordizia. And with colourful peppers, aromatic cheeses and autumnal mushrooms on display, browsing the market is always one of the highlights of any visit to the Basque Country.
From Bilbao, Basque Country
The Guggenheim's exterior has stood the test of time remarkably well. Frank Gehry always said that the dramatic shining silver of the titanium cladding would age slowly and gracefully to exude a more golden glow.
I remember thinking at the time that it would most likely become grubby and neglected-looking. Guess who was right? It wasn’t me. I’ve been seeing the Guggenheim for 16 years and it looks more beautiful each time.
From Guernica, Basque Country
In age, the Sacred Oak of Guernica is not an impressive tree today, the young teenager that he is... But like the Basque culture, the tree has a strong character rooted in is history and its values.
Traditionally, the oak of Guernica was were the Medieval lords of Vizcaya would swear to respect the local rights and traditions, something that has extended along the centuries to represent the freedom and traditions of the Basque culture. It's a symbolism strengthend by the oak surviving the infamous bombing of the village on a market morning of 1936.
From Basque Rioja
I remember walking up and over a forested ridge from Navarre into La Rioja. Literally, as you go over the crest of the hills, the landscape switches and you suddenly look down over sun-soaked vineyards rolling over the sides of the valley below.
It’s a memorable view, made sweeter by the tingle of anticipation for the food and wine waiting in the pretty hilltop town of Laguardia.
From Pamplona, Navarre
Pamplona's Running of the Bulls is no longer the rite of passage that it was for me. Now I prefer watching the Sanfermines de la Mañana, when the tourists are asleep.
Giants dance to traditional folk melodies and Big Heads run behind young children, just as they ran behind me, preparing me for the bulls. Parents still hang their children's dummies around the Europeo giant's sword to show they don’t need them anymore, just as mine did.
From the Aralar hills, Basque Country
The shepherd, his dog and his flock of latxa sheep remains an iconic Basque image. Both the dogs and the sheep are still protected breeds. The dogs still take part in contests and the flocks still pasture in the hills. All to create the local cheeses, of which Idiazabal is my favourite.
It's a beautifully creamy ewes’ milk cheese, reminiscent of Manchego but far smoother and richer. I love it even more when washed down with a refreshing cider.
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
A beautiful sweep of white sands, a turquoise blue ocean, gently bobbing yachts and lush green vegetation all watched over by a dominating statue of Christ.
For a minute I thought I had stumbled back to Rio de Janeiro. But we are still in Spain, in stunning San Sebastián in the Bay of Biscay, looking down the over the Concha beach from Monte Igueldo on a crisp September morning. I can't wait to go and have a look around.
From Pamplona, Navarre
Eight days of terror, every year. Yet in every group there'd be one who kept running - the prestigious corredor. That was me. Because amid the fear, without knowing how, something changes...
Instead of separating from the pack, you begin to run ahead of it. You look straight into the eyes of a 600kg bull, just a metre or so behind you, and sense that they consider you another member of the pack - a human with a magical connection with beasts.
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
Xabier Etxarri is a proud Basque. His knowledge of its history, language and traditions is a gift for all who share his company. As part of my own Basque induction with him, I was once coerced into playing an impromptu game of 'pelota' - a bit of a mix of squash and handball - against him.
We had a good laugh, mainly about my skills, but I believe ever since that day my right hand has always been bigger than my left hand!
Let us introduce you to the people and places of the storied Basque Country, a grand old region of lively produce markets and elegant old towns, of sunny vineyards and lush green hills.

July & August

Summer vacatios
July and August
Whilst most flock to the south for their summer vacations, the unspoilt beaches of northern Spain - the Costa Verde (Green Coast) - are wonderfully quiet and far more beautiful. Temperatures are also much more comfortable up here than down there, even if you have to dodge the occasional drop of rain.
For families looking to juggle beach time with something a little more active, great local food and rich cultural heritage, we can’t really do better than the north of Spain. You have all of that at hand in the Basque Country, but things get even more interesting when you pair a week here with another in the mountains of the Picos de Europa or Spanish Pyrenees.
That’s canyoning, rafting, kayaking and mountain biking to get you all giggling and smiling, with quiet beaches, pintxos bars, fishing villages and lovely family-run hotels to relax and enjoy some well-earned downtime together.


Pamplona’s San Fermín
July
As our very own Pamplona native and San Fermín veteran Xabi tells us, the annual Running of the Bulls festival requires a nuanced approach to do it justice.
In Xabi’s younger days, it was all about the locals, the bulls and a shared tradition. Now it’s a huge cultural event in danger of being swallowed up by tourist runners and drowned beneath an avalanche of social media posts.
Our approach steers you behind the scenes. We try to share local stories, first-hand perspectives from the good old days. We explain the history, the origins and what the festival means today. And we take you to watch the local children ‘cutting their teeth’ as they’re chased by the emblematic ‘Big Heads’ at the sanfermines de la mañana when most of the tourist visitors are still asleep.
Only then does the encierro truly make sense, no matter how Pamplonan it is in our modern world.
Trip idea: Basque Cultures & Cuisines: A Private Guided Journey

