Spirit Experiences: half-day, full-day, and even multi-night sailing trips along the Basque coast
Spirit Experiences: half-day, full-day, and even multi-night sailing trips along the Basque coast
“Do not abandon the coast… leave the high seas to others” warned the poet and philosopher Virgil. If the author of the Aeneid lived in the Basque Country today, he would certainly “leave the high seas” to captains Ian Wood and Jon Wood, two individuals who are very well versed in the secrets of the briny deep and owners of the “Spirit” sailboat, a vessel measuring more than 12 meters in length and manufactured in La Rochelle by Dufour Yachts.
The Spirit is based out of the strategic Hondarribia Marina, the point that connects the Basque coast with the Basque-French coast. From this port –or from any other port where their clients are located– the Woods make boat trips lasting half a day, the full day, and even several nights, as the sailboat has three double cabins and two bathrooms for overnight outings.
This father and son team has been organizing private sailing trips for couples, families and friends, and even solo travelers for five years. The sailboat is equipped with all kinds of comforts: towels, warm clothes, books, magazines, fishing and snorkeling equipment, a kitchen, a barbecue grill, and a dinghy to access remote coves. What’s more, last year they created their own luxury fragrance to surprise guests with an exhilarating aroma in their cabins.
Spirit Experiences –the name given to the company by the Woods– offers outings to suit all tastes: “Magical Sunsets in the Basque Country,” consisting of a two-hour outing to enjoy the sunset from the sea; “Ancient Roman Port,” where one can visit the Bay of Txingudi and the Basque Corniche; “A Voyage of Discovery” sails the coast between San Sebastián and Hondarribia on a four-hour route; “The Voyage of Juan Sebastián Elcano” takes travelers by sailboat and on foot (accompanied by an expert guide) to the places where Elcano, the first man to circumnavigate the world, was trained; “Discovering the Wines of the Basque Country” and “Discovering Basque-Atlantic Wines” consist of two unique enological experiences led by a sommelier in which the best wines from both regions are tasted on the high seas; and “Taste Pleasures,” “Culinary Ecstasy,” and “From Pintxo to Pintxo” are experiences designed for the most Epicurean. In “Culinary Ecstasy,” customers enjoy a sublime in-season menu that is prepared by a chef and includes dishes such as: glazed cheek, tandoori, and Jerusalem artichokes puree; hake with clams and a ginger and rosemary infusion; and rice, red mullet, garlic confit, and lemon-lime aioli. “From Pintxo to Pintxo” offers essential tapas such as: gilda; hake brandade with black garlic; foie nigiri with unagi sauce; crunchy blood sausage with Tolosa beans; and oxtail ravioli with light cauliflower and potato cream.
They also design personalized experiences to suit their customers’ tastes: stops in remote coves, a cruise along the entire Basque coast for several days, a marriage proposal in a discreet bay under the glow of the setting sun, a personalized menu created exclusively by the chef and paired with wines selected by the sommelier, etc. Not even Virgilio himself would be able to resist sailing the Mare Nostrum with Spirit Experiences!
Spirit Experiences
Tel.: +34 638 515 313
