There’s certainly enough to keep you going in the Basque Country for a week or two, with plenty of downtime and the freedom to set your own pace.

If you want to mix and match bits of it with other regions, or have the luxury of more time to explore beyond the Basque Country, let’s finish by looking at where else your travels might take you.

One enticing route leads east, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, from the Basque Country to Catalonia, along the length of the Spanish Pyrenees mountains.

You'd start and end in two resolutely distinct regions, where Spanish is not the lingua franca and where history, cuisine and culture have developed along very different lines to the rest of the country. In between, the Pyrenees rise from green pastures and peaceful beech forests up to high alpine mountains, glacial lagoons and pine forests. On Catalonia's Costa Brava, they sink into the sea at a rocky headland forever associated with Salvador Dalí, who made his home here.

All told it's a journey of three weeks or so, which looks something like this: Bilbao to Barcelona: Pyrenees Drive & Explore Vacation.

Looking west, the mountains and meadows of the Picos might be calling if walking is your priority. Our Picos de Europa Inn to Inn walk takes you across the national park, following the soft clang of cowbells from open spring meadows and thick forests up to the high peaks and out along the beautiful Cares Gorge, one of the most famous paths in Spain.

A week exploring the Picos on foot, followed by another exploring the Basque Country by vehicle, makes for a tempting combination.

Or for something grander in scale, take a look at Our Ultimate Northern Spain Drive & Explore Vacation.

Finally, for a complete contrast, we could also link the Basque Country with Andalucía. Down here, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you'd entered another country. The contrasts are stark, with the two seemingly bound together by the Spanish flag and constitution more than cultural commonalities. Sherry, flamenco, dancing horses and Moorish palaces are all Andalucían by origin. Just as with pintxos, vintage Riojas and the Basque markets, all are best enjoyed at source.

Tying these two regions together can be done as a two-three week vacation, or as part of a longer journey on Spain's Greatest Road Trip: A Month of Wonders.

Let us know if that sounds interesting.