Euskadi – Basque Country Grand Tour: a unique, eight-stage journey designed to be experienced without rushing and without fear of wandering off the beaten path
Euskadi – Basque Country Grand Tour: a unique, eight-stage journey designed to be experienced without rushing and without fear of wandering off the beaten path
Euskadi – Basque Country Grand Tour is a unique eight-stage journey designed to be experienced however visitors wish, by public transport or by car, allowing them to feel at home. Every encounter, every landscape, and every flavor is designed to be enjoyed poliki-poliki (“little by little,” in Basque). The journey through the eight stages proposed by the Grand Tour is a beginning, a starting point on a map of emotions to be explored leisurely without rushing, without the fear of getting lost; an invitation to trek with an open mind and a heart ready to let every special moment soak in, allowing oneself to be guided by one’s senses and instinct – from the mountains of the powerful north to the most rugged beaches, passing through UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the most outstanding attractions.
The first stage of the Grand Tour runs along the coast, starting at the Bilbao Estuary and ending at one of the most visited fishing villages, Lekeitio. Let yourself be carried away by a unique experience that perfectly captures the welcoming essence of our destination. Getxo, Sopela, Barrika, Plentzia, Bermeo, and Ea are some of the municipalities you will visit on this itinerary, where you will discover important historical, cultural, and scenic landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao, the Biscay Bridge (a marvel of nineteenth century engineering), the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, and the Tree of Gernika – a symbol of Basque freedoms, located in the garden of the Casa de Juntas (“Meeting House”) in Gernika.
The second stage covers the 86 km that separates Lekeitio from Zarautz. Peaks and valleys. Sailor’s hustle and bustle and solitary farmhouses. The creativity of Balenciaga competing with the whimsical shapes of the Basque Coast Geopark. Sea and mountains. Lighthouses and basilicas. Nature and culture. Green and blue. A route of contrasts that takes you by the hand through a unique and plural land, stopping in Ondarroa, Mutriku, Deba, Azkoitia, Azpeitia, Zestoa, and Zumaia, all the while learning about the legacy of universal figures such as Juan Sebastián Elcano and Saint Ignatius of Loyola… from the prehistoric caves of Deba and the fishing villages to the landscapes sculpted by the wind over a span of 60 million years. The Santa Catalina Lighthouse of Lekeitio, the Basque Coast Geopark, the Loyola Sanctuary, and the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum are some of the must-sees on this itinerary that we recommend completing in three days.
The third stage begins in Zarautz and ends in San Sebastián, passing through Orio, Hernani, Astigarraga, Oiartzun, Irun, Hondarribia, Lezo, and Pasaia. Here you can enjoy traditional cuisine that will take you back in time. This is where you will understand that, for the Basque, eating is more than just providing your body with fuel. Here, gastronomy is a way of living, of relating with each other, of understanding the world. Gastronomy, for us, represents the rituals and customs that we are not willing to lose, a quasi-liturgy that is officiated with the same degree of pleasure in the kitchens at the txokos (private gastronomic societies) as in the great culinary temples. Here, cider is not just fermented apple juice. Cider implies sharing a table and a song at a cider house. Here, txakoli and pintxos –from tavern to tavern– pair perfectly with the colorful houses of Hondarribia’s fishing district. The Chillida Leku Museum, the Arditurri Mines, and Albaola (the Basque sea factory) are some of the milestones along the way. And after all this, who wouldn’t benefit from a walk along San Sebastián’s La Concha Bay to the Comb of the Wind?
The fourth section of the Grand Tour begins in San Sebastián and passes through –among others– Leintz Gatzaga, Tolosa, Ordizia, Segura, Zumarraga, and Oñati until reaching Vitoria-Gasteiz. Explore the stage that connects nature with tradition. Open your eyes. Do you see the meadow overflowing with grass? Look beyond it. To the hermitage that stands on the hill. Put on your boots. Do you notice the dirt and leaves under your feet as you walk down the path? And now tune in your ears. Do you hear the river winding through the valley? Pay close attention until you hear the wind shaking the branches of the beech trees, the oak trees, the chestnut trees, the pines…. What does it smell like? Like the burning firewood of the baserri (“farmhouse,” in Basque) that rises up majestically over the countryside to break the green monotony of the meadow. Like the Tolosa beans that have been cooking for hours over low heat. Like a well-smoked Idiazabal cheese. And it tastes like salt; the salt from the Leintz Gatzaga salt mines. Like Gorrotxategi chocolate. And also like talo, the traditional Basque cornbread, made in true Goierri style. This route is savored slowly so as not to overlook a single nuance, a single detail of that natural beauty that no one has dared to touch, as well as its architectural and cultural wealth: the Historic-Artistic Ensemble of Oñati, the vibrant markets of Tolosa and Ordizia (which have been held for more than seven and five centuries, respectively), and the imposing Sanctuary of Arantzazu.
Measuring 130 km in length, the fifth stage of the Grand Tour begins in the Basque capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and passes through Elburgo/Burgelu, Alegría Dulantzi, Agurain/Salvatierra, Campezo/Kanpezu, Elvillar/Billar, and Elciego until reaching Laguardia. Imagine a poetic combat. A sport played skin against stone. A music that makes its melody with two wooden sticks as the only instrument. Centuries-old roots that extend through the soil to provide flavor to a wine that is unique in all the world. Bertsolaris. Fronton. Txalaparta. Rioja Alavesa. And dolmens among sunflowers, legendary sorceresses, enigmatic paintings that have survived from the Romanesque period…. even the impossible architecture of Frank Gehry that dresses the Wine City of Elciego in titanium. Obviously, there is no room for clichés in this stage. It is a flood of traditions and unique settings in the midst of a sea of vineyards, with essential visits such as the Route of the Painted Churches in La Llanada, the Santa María Cathedral, and the Interpretation Centre for the Basque-Navarre Railway Line Greenway.
What if we could stop time, being in no hurry to get anywhere? Like the sandstone that raised the medieval town of Laguardia. Like the Rioja Alavesa wine that patiently waits to mature. Like the salt of Añana, biding time until the water evaporates so it can be left alone. Like the Salto del Nervión Waterfall, which leaves that river that will ultimately run through Biscay suspended in the air, winding its way to the sea. This sixth stretch of the Grand Tour begins in Laguardia and runs through municipalities such as Leza, Faido/Faidu, and Urkabustaiz until reaching Orduña, inviting you to take a deep breath and stop to admire every corner. Look out from the Balcón de La Rioja (“La Rioja Balcony”) to admire the beauty of the vineyards and mountains. Or descend into the depths of Laguardia, which not only served as a refuge for wine but also for certain conspirators to draw up their war plans at key moments in history. There is no greater wealth than time. So, forget about the clock, take a deep breath, and go on.
The second-to-last stage starts in Orduña and covers 132 km until reaching Bilbao, stopping in Artzinieaga, Balmaseda, Karrantza Harana, Galdames, Muskiz, Santurtzi, and Portugalete. From the simple and robust architecture of the traditional Basque farmhouse to the futuristic forms of Frank Gehry that twist titanium to give shape to Bilbao’s great flagship. From a natural park that reminds us of our past to a technological park where the future is built every day. You are in the section where the rural and urban worlds join hands to provide us with a space of infinite contrasts. Villages that have remained intact since medieval times and town centers that have reinvented themselves to become cosmopolitan cities of the twenty-first century. It is very easy to walk through Artziniega and imagine the people who traveled up and down its cobbled streets in the Middle Ages, or the people of Balmaseda crossing the majestic Old Bridge that unites the two banks of the Cadagua River. However, if those Biscayans were to travel to the present and see what Bilbao is like today, they would not believe their eyes. This is a path that links the past and future.
The last section of the Grand Tour runs between Lekeitio and Vitoria-Gasteiz, visiting Markina-Xemein, Ziortza-Bolibar, Elorrio, Durango, and Otxandio – among others. Legend has it that in the forests of Gorbeia there lived a character of prodigious size and strength. It was Basajaun, lord of the forests and protector of the flocks, who announced his presence by vigorously ringing his bell. And in the Anboto mountain range lived Mari, queen of nature and all the elements that make it up. According to Basque mythology, she watched over all the houses that had an eguzkilore (silver thistle) on their door, protecting them against the evil force of Gaueko (the god of darkness). Of course, there are more legends in the Basque Country. Legends of another kind. Those that were forged within the walls of a fronton court in Markina-Xemein, known as the “University of Basque pelota.” The great figures of jai alai were born there, turning this sport of ours into an international discipline. Can you imagine a route that represents such a variety of history, culture, and stories? The stories of the shepherds of Urkiola, the fishermen of Lekeitio, the Renaissance palaces of Elorrio, and the Santa María Cathedral in Vitoria-Gasteiz. This final stage of the Grand Tour invites you to explore the green “lung” of the Basque Country by visiting the Urkiola and Gorbeia Natural Parks, as well as the Green belt that surrounds the capital, all the while travelling along legendary paths.
Euskadi – Basque Country Grand Tour
