7 nights in Basque Country, Spain

The old town neighborhoods in both Bilbao and San Sebastián were atmospheric places we stayed on our vacation, and I’d suggest you consider at least staying a night or two in Bilbao. This was one October, with rainy weather, and we didn’t frequent the beach. We did have a rental car, but without one, you’d avoid the expensive pay parking garage in San Sebastián.

We looooooved Getaria. There are beautiful beaches, a lovely harbor with boats, outdoor restaurants with fresh-caught fish grilled outside. We took a side trip to Vivanco Vineyard and wine museum. It was truly an interesting day trip. I'm envious of your trip! Have fun! We stayed in Getaria and Bilbao and took a second day trip to Portugalete to see the hanging bridge. Recommended.

According to one of the guides that hangs out here, he recommends staying in San Sebastian and Bilbao. He might recommend Getaria too, I don't know. We'll have a car, but he said it's easy enough to get around on buses and trains. In San Sebastian, we're staying in an AirBnB, in Bilbao we're staying in a hotel.

If you get to Getaria, go the extra few kilometers to visit Zumaia and see the flysch rock formations. The beach there is nice as is the view from Érmita San Telmo. If overlooks the beach.

There are plenty of sites one could visit in the Logroño area, but getting to many of them without a car would either be difficult or time consuming.

You cannot count on beach weather in the Basque Country even in July and August, so I hope you're not counting on actually getting wet during the "beach part of the trip". That area is rather notoriously cloudy and rainy. Although May isn't one of the wettest months of the year, it still gets nearly 5" of rain, on average, and the climate-summary chart in the Wikipedia entry for San Sebastian indicates 13.4 rainy days during the typical May. The average high temperature is shown as 69.4F.

If doing more than gazing at the beach (maybe through rain) is important to you, keep your itinerary as flexible as possible so you can seize any good opportunity that comes up.

Agree with previous post...do not come to the Basque Country or northern Spain if looking for beach weather. Our weather is very unreliable, quite rainy (we love summer, it´s our favorite day of the year!!), we do get snow and it´s mountains, green valleys and lots of forests. Beautiful landscapes, rocky cliffs...nothing like the "classic" idea of Spain. Laguardia over Logroño, and at least one night in Bilbao, even if just for the Guggenheim from outside (the best view, ignored by most visitors, is from the other side of the river) and the old quarter. And of course, sunny days too, but it´s not always up there...

Based on a wonderful trip in 2019, highly recommend a night in Bilbao, beautiful Laguardia plus nearby Bodegas Baiggori and Chillida Leku. Enjoy!

We spent 4 nites in Getaria and we too loved it. Hike up the coast to Zumaia and took the bus back. Hiked to Zarautz and back. Bus to Donosita for a day. Spectacular coastline. A car is unnecessary, we had one and it stayed parked in Geteria. We much preferred Bilbao to Donosita.

I would suggest staying 2 nights in Logroño if you don't have a car. One night, in either Logroño or Laguardia without a car is doable, but you are conditioned heavily be the bus schedules. Logroño has better connections and you can also get a bus express to San Sebastian.

From Logroño you can get one of several daily buses to Laguardia. There are also several wineries in Logroño you can walk or take a taxi to visit. In Logroño you also have Calle del Laurel and Calle San Juan to go for pintxos.

The winery Lecea has several visit options including ebiking through the vineyards.

Hello. I m reviving this chat as myself and my partner ll be for a week over Xmas (22-29) in Basques country, starting in Bilbao, where I feel that staying for 5 nights it ll allow us time to visit the city and to do day trips to the West and to the South (Rioja, Laguardia). Should we stay the whole seven days there and day trip to Getaria and St Sebastian as well, or better to stay over night in St Sebastian for 2 nights before we return to Bilbao, from where we fly bank home?

Interested in answers to the OP questions about the Rioja and electric bikes