Things to See and Do in the Basque Country

Now world-famous for its Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao has much, much more to offer. This formerly industrial city has undergone a real renaissance without losing touch with its maritime history. There is a lovely old town full of lively tapas bars, and the new town boasts fantastic shopping, grand old bars, buzzing clubs, and theatres. Or catch Norman Foster's ultra-modern Metro and visit the nearby beaches and seaside towns like Getxo or Plentzia. And then there's the food…

San Sebastian set on its beautiful conch shaped bay with its 'belle epoque' architecture and lovely old town should be on any visit to the Basque Country. There's always something going on in San Sebastian; Santo Tomas in December the Tamborrada in January, a fine jazz festival in July, fiestas in August and Spain's top film festival in September - and if not, you can just enjoy the best pintxos (tapas) in the world or a stroll along the beach.

Capital of Alava and administrative capital of the Autonomous Basque Country, Vitoria is a pleasant city to visit. Its Cathedral is undergoing a lengthy restoration and makes an interesting visit especially for those interested in architecture (as Ken Follet discovered – you’ll find a life-size statue just nearby). Plenty of Basque-style eateries, great shopping and some delightful squares and boulevards make for a nice day out.

From Hondarribia on the French border to Muskiz, west of Bilbao, the Basque coast is littered with fine sandy beaches, some protected like San Sebastian, some with world-class surfing like Zarautz or Mundaka. There are beautiful historic fishing ports such as Mutiku and Lekeitio, and the magnificent flysch rock formations at Zumaia. All along the Basque coast, there are plenty of great seafood restaurants, so you know you are in for a real treat.

Forming the link between the coastal sierra and the Pyrenees to the west, the Basque mountains offer great walking for all abilities, from gentle coastal walks to 1500m mountains. Routes are generally well marked and assessable - a great way to work up an appetite for the famous Basque cuisine.

The beautiful sandy estuary which forms the Urdaibai Nature Reserve, with world-class surfing in Mundaka at its mouth and historic Gernika at its tail is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spots along the Basque coast. Declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve, this is a haven for a host of migratory birds and other rare wildlife - and it's got fantastic beaches too!

In recent years, ospreys (Aguilas Pescadoras) have been brought from Scotland as part of a project to reintroduce the species into the area.

Visit Frank Gehry's world-famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, considered by many the one of high points of 20th-century modern architecture.

For art lovers, there's also the Bellas Artes just across the road and for aficionados of modern architecture the Rioja Alavesa, just an hour away is a veritable treasure chest.

Try the museum’s own restaurant – there’s a Michelin one-star but also a bistro which serves good Basque cuisine at surprisingly reasonable prices. Closed on Mondays.

At the southern extreme of the Basque Country, the Rioja Alavesa forms part of the Rioja wine region and produces some of its finest wines. Visit the medieval walled town of Laguardia, with the church of Santa Maria de los Reyes with its fine polychromatic portico, or nearby pre-historic dolmens at El Sotillo or La Hechicera. At the other extreme, Santiago Calatrava’s Bodega de Ysios at the vanguard of modern architecture.

Recent years have seen the area develop one of the world’s finest collections of modern architecture, unusual for its setting amongst vineyards, not least Frank Gehry of Guggenheim fame’s Riscal building in nearby Elciego. Museum at Briones, and if spending the day, try the ‘Enobus’, similar to a city tour bus, but covering the whole region.

The world-famous Basque cuisine, with its emphasis on the best ingredients and made famous by the wealth of Michelin stars awarded in recent years is enjoying a boom.

Whether you just pop out for a few pintxos (tapas) or visit one of the local gastronomic temples, you're in for a real treat and, in spite of the accolades, Basque cuisine can still be surprisingly affordable.

Home to the Tree of Gernika, a symbol sacred to the Basques as a symbol of their historic democracy, where councils were held and Castillan kings would come to swear to uphold the Basque ‘fueros’ and ancient laws, Gernika is perhaps more famous for the horrific bombardment suffered in 1937 at the hands of the Hitler’s Condor Legion, later immortalised by Picasso. Nowadays, it’s not the prettiest of towns (though there are some pieces by Henry Moore and Eduardo Chillida), but it does occupy a superb natural setting in the Mundaka Valley at the entrance to the Urdaibai Nature Reserve and is well worth a stop on the way to the coast.

The Puente Colgante is a transporter bridge built at the turn of the last century as a transporter bridge to allow tall ships to pass to the docks in the city. Still in use and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the bridge is well worth making the short trip from Bilbao centre, and visitors can take the lift to the upper span from where there are splendid views of the estuary.

Overshadowed by the ‘Guggy’ and overlooked by most visitors to the city, the Bellas Artes has one of the best art collections in Spain outside of Madrid. With pieces by Velázquez, El Greco, Zubarán, Goya and Picasso as well as leading Basque artists and top-flight temporary exhibitions, it’s certainly worth a visit.

Just outside the Parque de Doña Casilda is also a very agreeable place to escape from the city hustle and bustle. 

Famous for hosting the world surf championships, Mundaka, at the entrance to the Urdaibai Nature Reserve is a delightful seaside town with charming little lanes to mosey around and a pretty little fishing port.

Catch the tube from the centre of Bilbao and within half an hour you can be riding the waves in Getxo, Sopelana, Plentzia or Gorliz - sandy beaches, great waves and lovely seaside towns to wander around afterwards.

Take a trip along the coast to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a pretty hermitage atop a tiny rocky islet, linked to the mainland by an ancient stone bridge.

For the very best views, try paragliding at Sopelena, there are three or four companies which operate from the cliffs above the beach.

From the impossibly vertical Elantxobe through to Ondarroa and on into Gipuzkoa the eastern Vicayan coast offers a string of lovely fishing ports to discover. Perhaps the best and most popular is Lekeitio with its fine beaches, fishy restaurants by the harbour and colourful tuna boats bobbing at anchor.

Inland from Bilbao, the source of the Nervión river makes for a great excursion with truly spectacular views. Head for the spa town of Orduña and on towards Burgos up and over the mountain pass of the same name. Just beyond the pass you’ll find the Monte Santiago Nature Reserve. You can drive into the park. Go on as far as you can and then it’s about half an hour’s fairly flat walk to the falls (don’t miss the Loberas, ancient wolf traps). There are nice picnic areas or you can sit on the cliffs and enjoy the spectacular views. 

NB Unless you go when it’s wet or just after snow the falls are almost always dry or at best a trickle but the views are well worth it anyway.

A fairly non-descript seaside town Zumaia boasts a hidden gem. The flysch rock formations over Playa Itzurrun, the main town beach, are not only stunning to look at but they are of major geological importance, holding the key perhaps to the Dinosaur extinction. There’s a flysch visitor centre near the beach and you can take a boat ride to see the rocks from the sea – highly recommendable!

The Museo Zuloaga, on the way out to Getaria is also recommendable.

Birthplace of Juan Sebastian Elcano, first man to circumnavigate the globe (completing Magellan’s mission), Getaria is today renowned as the place to eat fine fish and seafood in the Basque Country, but beware – it doesn’t come cheap!

Try the local Txakoli (crisply acidic young white wine) or a pintxo or two in the old town; take a walk on the ‘Ratón’, the mouse-shaped peninsular or enjoy the lovely beach. Fashionistas, don’t miss the Museo Balenciaga, dedicated to the works of the famous Basque haute-couture designer.

A busy summer resort with a vast expanse of beach, popular with surfers and families alike. Zarautz has a wonderful ‘malecón’, promenade, and a very nice old town just back from the beach where you’ll find some wonderful bars serving good Basque pintxos.

A great spot for a day on the beach, but not easy to get parked in the summer months.

At the mouth of the Rio Bidasoa which forms the natural border with France at the Bay of Biscay Hondarribia, also known as Fuenterrabia, must be one of the Basque Country’s best kept secrets. Both the walled medieval Old Town and the fisherman’s quarter down towards the harbour are excellently preserved and offer plenty of bars to sample the local pintxos. There is a nice fishing harbour and a sandy beach as well as great coastal walks at the foot of mount Jaizkibel. A little known fact is that Hondarribia was used as the setting for the opening scenes of Papillon, supposedly set in France!

Birthplace of San Ignacio de Loyola (Loiola), founder of the Jesuit movement, the Sanctuary of Loyola is an important place of pilgrimage with its Baroque Basilica made all the more impressive by its almost rural surroundings. With Aranzazu and Zumarraga’s ‘Antigua’ this makes up the ‘Route of the Three Temples’ a nice way to explore the valleys and interior of Gipuzkoa.

See the reconstruction of a 16th-century whaling ship at the fascinating Albaola Foundation in Pasajes San Pedro. The whaling industry was once the keystone of the Basque economy and is fundamental to an understanding of the region’s history and culture. Pasajes, a wonderful natural port, just east of San Sebastian, was once Spain’s main ship building centre, nowadays somewhat in decline but a trip across the harbour on the little ferry is still well worthwhile and there are some nice bars and restaurants for a pintxo or something more substantial. On the same side as the Albaola Bar Muguruza is very authentic and highly recommendable!

Strategically placed upon a small hill looking out over the plains, the historic walled town of Laguardia is the perfect base from which to explore the Rioja wine region. Populated since Neolithic times, as the local remains and dolmens prove, the town became particularly important in the Middle Ages when the kings of Navarra built an important palace / fortress there to defend against the Moorish and Castilian invaders.

In the 15th century, Laguardia passed into Castilian hands and was incorporated into Alava. This began a period of peace and the development of the wine industry with bodegas directly underneath the streets and houses. Today Laguardia is a pedestrian town, as vehicles cannot enter the town walls due to the risk of these cellars caving in!

The town itself is perfectly preserved and a joy to wander around. There are several bodegas, the fortifications and don’t miss the well-preserved polychromic archway in the church of Santa Maria. There is a good selection of bars and restaurants and interesting shopping especially for those with an interest in wine.

Nearby there is plenty to explore with several dolmens and a Bronze Age settlement within a short drive. There are, of course, a wide selection of vineyards nearby some of which have employed the world’s best architects. For walkers there are plenty of trails in amongst the vines just below the town or for the more adventurous there are the nearby Cantabrian Mountains and the Natural Park of Izki with mountains in excess of 1000m.

In the far east of Alava, bordering with Burgos, Valderejo Nature Park offers a glimpse of Spain’s interior within easy reach of the Basque capitals. No visit would be complete here without trying the local lamb. There is an important mountain biking centre at the campsite in Angosto.

Small villages of La Rioja Alavesa, nothing outstanding but worth moseying around, plenty of stone built palaces and interesting churches. Look out for local fiestas.

If you’re in the Rioja you’re probably a wine fan and you’ve probably already seen your share of wine museums, or worse still been dragged around by a friend or partner whose enthusiasm exceeds your own… - Dinastia Vivanco Wine Culture Museum is very different!

Opened by the King of Spain in 2005 this is surely one of the world's best wine museums. Not only are there the expected artefacts associated with the making, tasting and drinking of wine, and the educational videos and displays regarding the history and modern practice of viniculture but also a wealth of treasures associated with the culture of wine from Baccus to the present day and from all over the world.

If you can, allow a few hours and enjoy lunch in their renowned restaurant and don’t miss Briones, one of the prettiest villages in La Rioja.