Bilbao East to Hondarribia and West to the Picos

The old part of Hondarrbia up on the hill is nice for maybe a couple hours; mostly because it isn’t very large. There is very limited parking on the hill and it’s mostly for residents. That time of year there should be plenty of parking at the beach. Rather than walking up the hill, there is an elevator (Behatokia) behind the Parador. The lower town is worth wandering for about the same amount of time. We visited Gertaria (active fishing port) and Zumaia and enjoyed both. Zumaia has a small chapel, San Telmo, where one can get some nice photographs of the unique flych rock formations. A better view of the rocks can been seen from the beach. In Picos de Europa park, we enjoyed the Sanctuary of Covadonga and the nearby town of Cangas de Onis.

Thank you for these ideas!

The old stone town of Potes, in the Picos de Europa area, is drop-dead gorgeous. It is touristy, but if you wander the back streets you'll have good photo ops.

The interior capital city of Vitoria-Gasteiz has a large medieval district on a hill (escalators assist the climb). Very untouristy when I was there in 2016. The stored-value card used for public transportation in Bilbao works in Vitoria-Gasteiz (at least as of the time of my trip).

Hondarribia has two sections. The medieval quarter is up on top of the hill, small , hotels, restaurants. The other area is the Fisherman’s Quarter filled with colorful buildings and restaurants, pfamous tapas places. We spent a week here and loved it.
There is a tiny ferry, Navette Marie-Louise , that crosses the Bidasoa river from Hondarribia to Hendaye, France, 2€
The French Basque villages up in the foothills nearby are so charming, among them are Ascain, Ainhoa, Saré, Espellette. Each town has it’s own pelota court.
I highly recommend that you all read Michael Kurlansky’s “The Basque History of the World”, very readable, before going to visit their land. It will give you a greater understanding of who the Basque are, their culture, and history which predates the creation of either Spain or France. maribelsguides.com are extremely useful for these areas of Spain and France.

This is all such good information and I really appreciate your responses!

hey hey syartist
aloha from fellow "hawaiian" from big island hamakua coast.
one of my best friends is french basque with family still there, near st jean pied de port. and loves the area. here are a few people, places and things that may whet your whistle.
francethisway.com (click aquitaine scroll to pyrenees-atlantiques) a guide to area villages
bascovino.com you may have to call or email them
itxassou: small village home to france's famous black cherries, shops for locals products like jams jellies brandy
esplette: small village home to red peppers. shops with products chili powder, pepper jelly/jam, roam thru cute village with peppers hanging from homes, maybe have lunch
ascain: countrysides with fruit trees, making apple wine, cider, juice, brandy, liquers, eating basque food, tours open to public. txopinondo.com
saint-etienne-de-baigorry: small village out in the country, churches, a castle, home to a chocolate factory (laia.fr)
rhune.com small train takes you for a ride up the mountain
tuktuk-paysbasque.com tours around the area for a fun time
biarritzbylocals.com check out tours that are offered.
well known surfing area, walk around the town, stop at les halles marketplace, have lunch or a drink
bayonne is well known for it's ham and chocolates. visit the halles marketplace for a fun and interesting time looking, ooohing and aaahing.
pierre-ibaialde.com artisan of jabon (ham)
terreetcotebasques.com look under each heading and see if something you are interested in
atelierduchocolat.fr factory outside of bayonne to watch and learn history. walk along rue port-neuf into shops for small tastings. you may find the famous goody in the marketplace also.
bayonne-tourisme.com look at the different headings or eskoguide.com
travelswithmaribel.wordpress.com is a blog she writes about this area
this is more than a novel!! haha (it's the portagee in me) hope someone in group speaks french or "google translate" this is the french side of basque region, others will give you the spain side. you'll have so much fun, be prepared, do your "homework and research", no stressing, lots of smiles and laughs. so much to see and do, not enough time. buy picnic food, always carry a corkscrew and stop along the way in the countryside to breathe the fresh air, have a DD, driving/drinking laws are very strict
make sure who ever is driving gets IDP (international driving permit), coincides with your driver's license per driver. here we get it at AAA, (same day $25 and 2 passport size photos) read the laws and rules of france driving.
we will be on the other side of france, annecy 6 nights and paris 8 nights last week of september for my third visit. cheers and okole maluna
aloha

Aloha fellow "Hawaiian" Thanks for the great insider tips!! Most appreciated. In addition, your tip about the International Driving Permit is most timely. I think we're going to have to plan a return trip for a longer stay next time on the French side....so many wonderful places to explore, see, and grind!
Our car rental does not allow driving in France but believe we can take a bus or train from Hondarribia to St. Jean-de-Luz for a day visit. Yes, okole maluna! Susie

hey hey syartist
sorry read bilbao as bayonne. hope you can at least get to that area. maybe stop at the tourism kiosk in center of town and find someone that does a tour. anyway have fun.
aloha

We're going to have a great time and your suggestions are just fueling another visit on that side of the border, so MAHALO!

We stayed in San Sebastian last October at the newly opened Hotel La Sala Plaza: not easy to find as it sits behind the old City Hall in the Old Town area which is mostly closed off to traffic (except for local). Your GPS might have trouble finding it. It faces the marina and bay, is surrounded in this area by great tapas bars and restaurants.

Thanks so much; will look for that area and those amazing pinxtos while in SS!

Don't know the dates you will be in San Sebastian. The international San Sebastian Film Festival begins on Sept. 20-28. https://www.sansebastianfestival.com You can get tickets online beginning Sept. 15, I think. Great fun. It's one of our favorite places and we'll be there for 6 days (our third time there) after 2 nights in Hondaribbia and 4 in Saint Jean de Luz, France. And, of course, pintxos are the highlight of any trip to SS. Have a great time.