Please help us design an itinerary with ideas on places to see, where to stay and eat in Northern Spain/Basque Country.
We are a family with 2 well traveled kids, age 10 and 14, planning a 2 week trip to Spain this June.
20 years ago, we visited the south, Madrid and Barcelona, but have never been to Northern Spain.
We love nature, views, villages, architecture, museums, dining and foodie adventures.
We plan on renting a car to be able to explore the country side.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
1439 posts
Awesome that you’ll have a car because the beauty of the Basque Country can really be experienced with a car. I would base in historic Hondarribia which faces across the river to Hendaye, France. You can take a ferry and be in France in 20 minutes. You can take a bus and be in downtown San Sebastián in 30 minutes.
We took a car for a drive to the French Basque villages of Sare, Ainhoa and Espellette before crossing the border and stopping in the village of Urdax with its monastery and subterranean caves. Also in this area is the Cave of Zuggarramurdi.
The forest here is beautiful and you can go inside the “Cave of Witches.” During the nearby Logrono witch trials that started in 1609, the Spanish Inquisition said this cave was used by witches to hold their rituals.
We drove past Pamplona to Olite where there’s a stunning castle that towers over the town. This is “The Palace of the Kings of the Kingdom of Navarre of Olite,”. and its origins date back more than a thousand years. It’s anlso called the “Royal Palace of Olite.” Because the castle is a Parador today, you can overnight at the Royal Palace of Olite.
Posted by
Bilbao
648 posts
As you´ll have a car, I would stay on a west to east (or the other way) itinerary. For example, you could stay in Bilbao (or nearby Getxo, Plentzia, beautiful seaside towns) and from there visit Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Mundaka, Gernika, Ea, Elantxobe, Lekeitio..., and also the south of the Basque Country, with quaint Rioja Alavesa wine region as the main focus. Then you can stay around Donostia-San Sebastian (or Getaria, Zumaia, Deba, Hondarribia) and visit those towns and the French Basque Country too. Inland from Bilbao, Elorrio and Durango. Inland from D-SS, Tolosa, Oñati, Arantzazu, Loyola...Food is fantastic any place in the Basque Country, and just take into account that this area tends to be rainy...and also green and mountainous, it´s not the typical idea of Spain.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6567 posts
I’ll simply add to look at places to visit between the places where you’ll be lodging. Many people simply look at things to see in the towns not realizing there are plenty of locations between them that are equally interesting. Since you will have a car you can take advantage of visiting some of them.