Basque Country in Spring

Towns I visited and enjoyed in that area include Getaria, Zumaia, Santillana Del Mar and Hondarribia. Further west is Cangas de Onis and the Sanctuary of Covadonga in the nearby Picos de Europa park. Each is worth a couple hours but not more than half a day. Zumaia and Getaria are about 4 miles from each other by the back road.

Are you renting a car or depending on public transportation? Without a car, I think Santillana del Mar and the Picos de Europa area--both in Cantabria--are too far, and I don't know about the March weather conditions in the latter. I took a one-day bus tour of the Picos de Europa from Santander, and it didn't even start running until July. The old stone town of Potes is very picturesque, though.

I'd add Zarautz if you decide to go to Getaria and Zumaia. The three villages are very close together.

The fishing town of Bermeo is just east of Bilbao and is interesting, especially if you don't get to Getaria/Zumaia/Zarautz.

I liked Vitoria-Gasteiz very much. It's the capital of the inland Alava section of the Basque Country. The city has a large medieval center perched on a hill and several interesting museums.

Five days is not a great deal of time, given the beauty of the Basque Country. You'll need to be pretty brutal in pruning your list of destinations. Public transportation is not as dense or as fast in that area as in some other parts of Spain. If you don't have a car, you'll need to take a bus (not a train) from San Sebastian to Hondarribia and to Bilbao. There's rail service to Bilbao, but it is very slow (though scenic).

Be aware that the Basque Country is often cool and damp even in mid-summer. Check a good weather website like wunderground.com for day-by-day temperature and precipitation data over the last few years so you know what to expect.

Thank you for the recommendations.

I have been debating whether I should rent a car or take the buses and trains. Based on your recommendations, I am leaning towards a car.

I traveled all across northern Spain by bus and train, but it wasn't always a fast or efficient way to go. The Basque countryside is really pretty, so it would be a shame to be pinned down to the coast because of limited transportation options. I am usually a proponent of buses and trains, but in this case I think it's worth considering a car. I have no idea where you'd need to stash the car while in San Sebastian, Bilbao or Vitoria-Gasteiz, however.

@acraven - Thanks for posting this. I have been leaning towards renting a car and just exploring what seems to be beautiful landscapes. Driving in Basque country seems more manageable than driving in and around the larger cities.