Basque Coast with Biarritz and San Juan de Luz
The charm of the sea, the natural beauty and the glamor of the French Atlantic coast come together with a delicious gastronomy. Between the blue of the Cantabrian Sea and the intense green of the northern mountains, our Route crosses the heart of the Basque Country will leave you with memories for a lifetime.
El encanto del mar, la belleza natural y el glamour de la costa atlántica francesa se unen con una deliciosa gastronomía. Entre el azul del Mar Cantábrico y el verde intenso de las montañas del norte, nuestra Ruta cruza el corazón del País Vasco y te dejará recuerdos para toda la vida.
The Basque Country offers you more than 246 kilometers of coastline dotted with beautiful marine enclaves such as Hondarribia, Zaraut, Zumaia, Lekeitio, Getaria and Bermeo; traditional farmhouses close to the vineyards where Txakoli (local white wine) is grown; unique natural environments such as the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, the beautiful Oma forest or the Basque Coast Geopark; places that feed the spirit such as Gernika - Lumo or the spectacular Hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Throughout the Route you will enjoy a road dotted with spectacular viewpoints from where unique views can be appreciated.
Day 1 - City of origin - Bilbao
Departure of the flight from the city of origin to Bilbao and collection of the rental car. Industrial, artistic, avant-garde, gastronomic, urban, renovated... Bilbao welcomes us with open arms. Its joie de vivre, its fabulous gastronomic universe, its excellent museums and its surprising naturalness in combining its past of blast furnaces with art nouveau jewels, baroque and contemporary monuments and buildings signed by the most famous architects in the world make the city a unique place. Do not miss its iconic Guggenheim Museum, the work of Frank Gehry; the lively Abandoibarra promenade, shared by tourists, locals, runners and families; the imposing Isozaki towers and its busy Azkuna Zentroa, an old wine warehouse converted by Philippe Starck into a genuine meeting place...
In this first stage of the trip we will discover a welcoming Bilbao that invites you to navigate its estuary and cross its Bizkaia Bridge or Suspension Bridge, declared a World Heritage Site; to stroll through its lively Casco Viejo and tour its bustling “Siete Calles”; to sit in front of extensive and appetizing bars of pintxos while you toast with some txikitos (small glasses of wine); to go shopping in its authentic shops of a lifetime... If you have time, we recommend you visit Getxo. The Old Port, the Sports Port and Getxo Aquarium are some of its most attractive places of interest. In the late afternoon, discover the most authentic city from the viewpoint of Mount Artxanda and its fun nightlife. Accommodation in Bilbao.
Day 2 - Bilbao - San Sebastián
We leave Bilbao behind to continue this route with a taste of the sea. On the way to San Sebastián, the green landscapes that flank the highway await us. After driving just over an hour we arrived at our destination. Romantic and stately, San Sebastián surprises us with its elegant atmosphere, one of the most beautiful bays in Spain, the photogenic La Concha beach and its vibrant cultural agenda structured around the Kursaal and the recently opened Tabakalera Center, which has earned it the appointment of European Capital of Culture 2016... Buildings such as the Hotel María Cristina, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, the Town Hall or the La Perla Spa remind the traveler of the splendor of the belle époque when this city was the summer destination of the most select of European royalty and aristocracy.
San Sebastián is a city to walk around, eat well, relax and enjoy life. Known as the pintxo capital of the world, its Old Town is dotted with traditional restaurants and traditional taverns where you can live an authentic gastronomic experience. And this is only the beginning of the journey. You choose whether to explore the bay by boat in summer, visit its famous Aquarium, see how the waves break on the Paseo Nuevo, discover the bravery of the Cantabrian Sea contemplating Eduardo Chillida's "Comb of the Wind", dine in front of the sea with the dim light of some candles... Accommodation in San Sebastián.
Day 3 - San Sebastián - Pasaia (Albaola) - Hondarribia - San Juan de Luz - Biarritz - San Sebastián
With the morning light, we begin a beautiful stretch by car to the towns of Pasaia and Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia), two jewels of the Basque coast that dazzle the traveler with their authenticity, seafaring air and their magnificent gastronomy full of nuances and flavors. We continue to the French Basque Country, specifically to the towns of San Juan de Luz and Biarritz. Here we get to know the most select of the French Atlantic Coast made fashionable in the 19th century by the Empress Eugenia.
Located about 40 kilometers from San Sebastián, Biarritz entertains us with six kilometers of beaches dotted with surfers; famous spas where you can escape from the madding crowd; the idyllic Grande Plage and the luxurious and historic Hotel du Palais; the golden mile of Avenue Edouard VII; the chocolat chaud from the historic Café Miremont, the incredible panoramic views from the Pointe Saint Martin lighthouse... We return to San Sebastián via the highway. Accommodation in San Sebastian.
Day 4 - San Sebastián - Zarautz - Getaria - Zumaia - Mutriku - Ondarroa - Bilbao
We embark on one of the most photogenic stretches of the Euskadi coast. From the car, we admire a rugged and unique coastline that smells of salt, dotted with beautiful wild beaches surrounded by sharp cliffs, cobbled farmhouses lost in the greenery of the mountains, picturesque fishing villages with an interesting history... And, among stop and stop, we savored the excellent gastronomy of the area. Already in Zarautz, three and a half kilometers of coastline await you, a paradise for surfers from all over the world, a lively historic center and interesting Gothic and Renaissance buildings.
After a brief drive through a beautiful road over the sea -considered one of the best roads in the world, according to a list made by an important car rental company- we arrive at Getaria, an old whaling town that saw the birth of to Juan Sebastián Elcano, the first sailor to circumnavigate the earth 500 years ago, and who today captivates travelers with its historic port, its renowned fish grills and the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. From Getaria there is an almost mythical route, the "Calzada de la Costa", which will take us to the fishing village of Zumaia, forever linked to the painter Ignacio Zuloaga, and to the beaches under the amazing Flysch cliffs... After driving through green valleys where txakoli vineyards grow, we return to the coast to explore towns with an authentic Basque flavor such as Mutriku and Ondarroa. Accommodation in Bilbao.
Day 5 - Bilbao - Gernika - Reserva de la Biosfera Urdaibai - Bosque de Oma y cueva de Santimamiñe - San Juan de Gaztelugatxe - Bermeo - Bilbao
We begin today's attractive stage visiting Gernika - Lumo, a symbol of the freedoms and peace of the Basque people, where we will visit the Casa de Juntas del Señorío de Vizcaya, with its symbolic tree, the "sworn" church of Santa María and the museums of Euskal Herria and of Peace. We continue our Route by car and nature surprises us again.
This time with a protected space that covers 12 kilometers of extensive sandbanks. It is the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. A delight for the senses. (We recommend reaching the coast through the beaches of Laga and Laida). A unique natural environment that is complemented by the magical Oma Painted Forest, the work of the artist Agustín Ibarrola, and the Santimamiñe cave (Kortezubi), declared a World Heritage Site. Late in the day, we visit Mundaka beach, internationally famous for its left-hand wave, one of the ten best waves in the world, and from where we observe the Urdaibai Reserve in all its fullness and enjoy the views from the spectacular hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. And participating in the lively atmosphere of the fishing port of Bermeo. Accommodation in Bilbao.
Day 6 - Bibao - City of Origin
Arrive at the airport with enough time in advance to return the rental car and flight back to the city of origin. Arrival. End of trip and our services.
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