We will be flying in and out of San Sebastian, spending 2 weeks there in late June/early July. We have never been to the region and are interested in the food, wine, natural beauty and culture. We are spending a week in san sebastian as a base and will see Bilbao. We are looking for trips, excursions from san sebastian and other areas to visit within a 3 hour drive based upon experiences others have had. We are thinking about spending a day or 2 in Rioja (or less likely Bordeaux) for a bit of wine education. We have recently done the hill towns of Provence and had a lovely time, following the markets and exploring new towns. Is there a good area for doing something similar in Northern spain? There was so mouch written about Provence by RS and others it was easy to resarch but so little written about Northern spain that goes beyone the major sites. Thanks for your help!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Bordeaux won't fit your time limit since it's closer to four hours from San Sebastian - - maybe not city center to city center, but it sure is when you figure you'll probably go past Bodeaux itself to Pauliac or St Emilion. For a really good drive when you go to Bilbao, get off the freeway just short of Zarautz and go the rest of the way along the old coastal road. You'll be forced inland a couple of times, but this will eventually set you up for a stop in Guernica which is the rallying place for all things Basque. From there, it's going to depend on timing, but the drive up to Bermeo is pretty good as well. If you continue this route through Mungia and Berango, you'll be set up to hit the Nervion just opposite of Portugalette. The suspended ferry across the river (it's skeleton looks like London's tower bridge in profile and was designed by one of Eiffel's henchmen. Ride across for next to nothing or just stop to look. If you ride across and continue on in to Bilbao, you'll be on the same side of the river as the museum. The best places to eat in Bilbao are in the Old Town, across the river at the lower end of the Gran Via. Pamplona is only an hour south and worth the jaunt. Logrono is the capital of what used to be Rioja province, so I assume that's where the wine region centers. It's history goes back for seven evers and it has more good places for grub than you can shake a stick at, so that's where I'd camp for that excursion.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
I forgot - - Guernica has a really good market. Burgos, if you could work it in enroute to or from Rioja has a good cathedral, but most people don't even go there. The city itself is no hangdog place either. Vitoria is another place often skipped and I don't know why. Maybe catch Burgos on the way down and it on the way up - - or work it into the Pamplona excursion. You're not going to have time to get into the best part of the Pyrenees. If you're determined to get into France, take a look at Biarritz.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
On the French side, St. Jean de Luz and Bayonne on the Ocean are within your three hour range. St. Jean Pied de Port, where the Camino starts, shouldn't be much more than 1 1/2 hours. On the Spanish side, Burgos is just about at your limit of three hours, so anything closer than that should be in. Vitoria, Haro and Logrono are all supposed to be wine centers. Pamplona is about an hour. There are also some stops along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela that may interest you. Bilbao is within reach, Santander is supposed to be 2 hours and 19 minutes from San Sebastian. I use viamichelin.com to get directions and a sense of time to different destinations (but always allow extra time).
Posted by
Arlington, VA, USA
123 posts
I would also recommend Burgos. Beautiful cathedral and lovely city.