Basque Country: travel guides

The Basque Country, sea, nature and traditions

The Basque Country is an autonomous community in northern Spain with landscapes, culture and cuisine rather distinct from the rest of Iberian Peninsula. For this reason, it is a region well worth discovering on a camping holiday. Euskadi, the Basque name for this region facing the Cantabrian Sea, is an unusual and attractive area due to its strong contrasts between the sea and the mountains, solemn arts and colourful folklore and local traditions, between the warmth of the people and the cool sea breeze and between simple, honest cuisine, pintxos and some of the most famous restaurants in the world. Ideal for beach holidays, with seaside resorts such as San Sebastian and Basque coast stretches perfect for surfing, the Basque Country is also well worth a visit for its cities of art and history, such as Bilbao and the capital Vitoria-Gasteiz.

San Sebastian and holidays by the sea

The most attractive tourist destination by the sea is surely San Sebastian, also known by the Basque name of Donostia, which is set in a white sandy bay between the hill named Urgull and Mount Igeldo. Blending the charm of the sea and the mountains, along with a perfect climate, San Sebastian is among the most popular destinations for Spaniards and foreign tourists looking for a relaxing holiday or surf spot. Ancient and modern at the same time, Donostia runs around the Bay of La Concha and offers the dual appeal of a superb promenade around the famous La Concha beach and an old city centre rich in monuments, all embellished with numerous places to enjoy pintxos and relax. Though San Sebastian is a gem, with many events and festivals, beach bums can also head to other coastal towns for camping, such as the beautiful Getxo and Zarautz, or Zarauz in Castilian Spanish.

Bilbao, city of art and nature

The Basque Country also offers a great diversity of landscapes away from the coast and small picturesque towns as well as cities full of art and charm. While the capital Vitoria-Gasteiz boasts the Cathedral of Santa Maria, or the ‘Old Cathedral’, and the majestic squares of Plaza Virgen Blanca and Plaza de España, Bilbao is all too easy to fall in love with for its relation between the ancient and modern in this beautiful corner of the Bay of Biscay. It can brag of its Casco Viejo, the historic centre, the Guggenheim Museum, the Santiago Cathedral, the Zubizuri bridge, designed by the architect Calatrava, the Atxanda funicular and numerous examples of religious art and churches. Bilbao is also a city with enviable entertainment and nightlife, with a full calendar of events relating to the Aste Nagusia, or Semana Grande in Castilian Spanish, a week of festivities that tourists can enjoy from the first Saturday after the 15th of August’s Day of the Assumption. Nature lovers can also enjoy excursions and visits to the many nature parks and biosphere reserves to be found around the Basque Country.