The Basque Country, beyond the obvious
The landscape is spectacular: green hills rolling towards the Atlantic, vineyards overlooking the sea and elegant towns beside sweeping beaches. But its beauty is only part of the attraction.
What keeps drawing me back is the strength of its identity. Food, wine and tradition aren’t presented for visitors; they remain part of everyday life. The pleasure lies in finding your way into that life, rather than simply observing it.
That takes trusted local relationships. The guides, hoteliers, cooks and winemakers I work with tell me what’s changing, introduce me to interesting people and draw my attention to places I might otherwise overlook. I then decide which of those discoveries belong in the journeys I create.
When the region feels most itself
The appeal isn’t a promise of perfect weather—this is still northern Spain, and rain is part of its character. It’s the rhythm of the place during those months: warm enough to spend time outdoors, but removed from the intensity of high summer.
The cooler months have their own appeal. Pintxos bars return to their local routines, restaurants feel less hurried and everyday Basque life becomes easier to see.
There isn’t one perfect time to visit. There is only the right time for the way you want to experience it.
Look beyond San Sebastián
But it is only the beginning.
Along the coast, Getaria brings together many of the things I love about the region: fishing boats in the harbour, vineyards climbing the hills and restaurants cooking the day’s catch over open coals. There is very little fuss, because the quality of the ingredients speaks for itself.
Then there is Getxo, near Bilbao. One of my local guides first encouraged me to visit, and it has since become one of my preferred bases in the region.
We once arrived on a Sunday evening in pouring rain and found every bar absolutely pumping. The pintxos were excellent, the prices were local and the atmosphere was irresistible.
What I loved most was that nobody appeared to be performing for visitors. We had simply stepped into local life already in progress.
That is exactly the kind of experience I look for.
Food is the way in
But experiencing it properly isn’t about working through a list of famous names.
Every pintxos bar has its own rhythm, character and specialty. Knowing which door to open is useful; understanding what makes the place matter is far more interesting.
That is why I often arrange for first-time visitors to spend an evening with one of my local experts. The experience isn’t simply a tour of places to eat. It’s an introduction to the culture through the people who know it intimately.
A list can tell you where to go. The right person can help you feel that, for an evening, you belong there.
The importance of the right base
For one traveller, that might mean being close to San Sebastián’s old town and wandering home after an evening of pintxos. For another, it might mean waking beside the coast near Bilbao or spending a few slower days in a fishing village.
I don’t believe in recommending a hotel without understanding the journey around it. The right choice depends on what you want to feel when you wake up, how you like your days to unfold and what should be waiting when you return each evening.
That is the difference between booking a good hotel and choosing the right place to stay.
Travel with us
Limited to eight guests, this intimate 11-day journey travels from San Sebastián through La Rioja to Bilbao, with exceptional food, wine and locally connected experiences along the way.
Is the Basque Country calling?
Tell me how you like to travel, what draws you to northern Spain and what you hope to experience. I’ll help you understand whether the Basque Country is right for you—and, if it is, how we can make it personal.
MOMENTS FROM THE BASQUE COUNTRY
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