The Basque Coast: a soul-nourishing feast for the senses

Sapphire seas and emerald cliffs beguile in this uniquely captivating corner of Spain. Golden sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, surreally stunning coves and picturesque seaside villages... An unmissable highlight of any tour of the Bay of Biscay area, the Basque Coast is not only a landscape photographer’s dream; it also boasts some of Spain’s most highly-rated food scenes and a rich cultural tradition. 

Once the preserve of seafarers and fisherfolk, this wild and beautiful land has been a balm to heat-weary kings and queens, the homeland of great explorers and a muse for writers, fashion designers and major filmmakers.

Let’s take a look at some of its most dazzling treasures.

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Bermeo)

Here, fans of Game of Thrones will be transported to one of the series’ most iconic settings: Rocadragón, ancestral home of the Targaryens. A breathtaking island scoured by wind and sea, it’s crowned by a hermitage consecrated to St John the Baptist. To reach it, you’ll need to cross a stone bridge and brave a vertiginous spiral of 241 steps. The diminutive church dates back to the tenth century, although it has been rebuilt on several occasions, beleaguered by fire and pirate raids.

Lekeitio and the Island of Garraitz

Sandwiched between the sea and the mountains of Otoio and Lumetza, this enchanting fishing village is clustered around a well-kept historic core awash with genteel summer residences and traditional tavernas plying visitors with Txakoli. A ribbon of sea separates the village from Isla de Garraitz (known in Spanish as Isla de San Nicolás), reachable on foot at low tide. This heavily forested island was once both a hideout for pirates and a religious retreat, and offers fabulous views of the bay. 

The Zumaia flysch

One of the Basque Country’s most intriguing natural phenomena. The term flysch refers to a repeated sequence of sedimentary rock strata, laid down in cycles over millions of years — and Zumaia has one of the most extensive formations in the world. Embedded in the Itzurun cliffs, this unique landscape is a UNESCO Global Geopark. It too has featured in Game of Thrones, where its otherworldly beauty forms the perfect backdrop for a dramatic dragon flight. 

San Sebastián

One of Northern Spain’s most beautiful and sophisticated cities. It was Queen María Cristina who put San Sebastián on the map towards the end of the nineteenth century. An impressive collection of fine period buildings — such as the Gran Casino, now the seat of the City Council, Victoria Eugenia theatre, the funicular railway station and Hotel María Cristina — paint a decorous picture of Playa de la Concha’s early tourist heyday. In the intervening century San Sebastián has blossomed into a true global city, famed for its eponymous film festival and a multitude of high-profile cultural events, including a jazz festival and Spain’s longest-standing celebration of classical music, the Quincena Musical.

Zarautz

Queen Isabel II chose this breezy former whaling port to wait out the heat of summer on the central plain. Its beach, stretching almost 3 km along the coast, is the longest in the Basque Country, attracting surfers from all around the world, and forms a suitably impressive setting for the Pro Zarautz International Championship.

Getaria

Getaria is a thoroughly charming medieval walled town, the birthplace of the first sailor to circumnavigate the globe: Juan Sebastián Elcano. Small but delightfully formed, Getaria is now a popular hotspot for fine Basque cuisine, well known for its Txakoli bars, beaches and layered history. It’s also the gateway to Monte San Antón, aka el Ratón de Getaria: a much-visited mountain formation said to resemble a mouse. A museum dedicated to Cristóbal Balenciaga is another not to be missed sight.

Vizcaya Bridge

Suspended 61 metres above the Estuary of Bilbao is the world’s first hanging transporter bridge constructed using twisted steel ropes. The bridge, now a World Heritage Site, was designed in the late nineteenth century to connect the towns of Getxo and Portugalete. 

Bilbao

When you’ve ticked off the Guggenheim and its trusty companion Puppy, the world’s biggest floral sculpture, you’ll find that the Basque capital has more than one trick up its sleeve. This dynamic city is bursting with things to see and do, from sampling mouthwatering pintxos in the tavernas of its Old Town to riding the funicular railway to take in the exhilarating views from the top of Monte Artxanda. Those partial to the quaint and quirky will love Calle Ronda, the darkest street in the city and the birthplace of author Miguel de Unamuno. From here, you can explore the rest of the Old Town, scouring the paving stones for the star that marks a vantage point towards the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Begoña.