Trip IdeasBilbao and the Basque Country Places
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Axpe
The village of Axpe, in the valley of Atxondo, nestles under the limestone heights of 4,777-foot Amboto—one of the highest peaks in the Basque Country outside of the Pyrenees. Home of the legendary... (more) -
Bermeo
Bermeo is easy to miss if you don't park and walk through the old part of town to the port.... With the largest fishing fleet in Spain—some 60 long-distance tuna freezer ships of more than 150 tons... (more) -
Bilbao
Time in Bilbao (Bilbo, in Euskera) may soon need to be identified as bg or ag (Before Guggenheim, After Guggenheim). Never has a single monument of art and architecture so radically changed a city—or... (more) -
Calahorra
The birthplace of Roman orator and rhetorician Quintilian (teacher of Tacitus), Calahorra was founded by the Romans 2,000 years ago. You can explore the town's Roman and medieval remains by following the... (more) -
Castro-Urdiales
Behind Laredo, the N634 winds up into the hills, with views of the Bay of Santoña over your shoulder. A short drive, parts of it within sight of the coast, takes you into the fishing village of... (more) -
Comillas
This astounding pocket of Catalan Art Nouveau architecture in the green hills of Cantabria will make you rub your eyes in disbelief. Why is it here? The Marqués de Comillas, a Catalan named Antonio... (more) -
Elantxobe
The tiny fishing village of Elantxobe (Elanchove, in Spanish) is surrounded by huge, steep cliffs, with a small breakwater that protects its fleet from the storms of the Bay of Biscay. The view of the... (more) -
Estella
Once the seat of the Royal Court of Navarra, Estella (Lizarra, in Euskera) is an inspiring stop on the Camino de Santiago.... (more) -
Gernika-Lumo (Guernica y Lumo)
On Monday, April 26, 1937—market day—Gernika suffered history's second terror bombing against a civilian population. (The first, much less famous, was against neighboring Durango, about a month... (more) -
Getxo
Getxo, an early watering spot for the elite Bilbao industrial classes, has rambling mansions, five beaches, and an ancient fishing port. Restaurants and hotels along the beaches here make good hideaways—only... (more) -
Guetaria
From Zumaia, the coast road and several good footpaths lead to Getaria (Guetaria, in Spanish), known as la cocina de guipúzcoa, the kitchen of Guipúzcoa province, for its many restaurants... (more) -
Haro
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The Highlands
The rivers forming the seven main valleys of the Ebro basin originate in the Sierra de la Demanda, Sierra de Cameros, and Sierra de Alcarama. Ezcaray is La Rioja's skiing capital in the valley of the Rio... (more) -
Hondarribia
Hondarribia (Fuenterrabía, in Castilian Spanish) is the last fishing port before the French border. Lined with fishermen's homes and small fishing boats, the harbor is a beautiful but touristy spot... (more) -
La Rioja Alta
The Upper Rioja, the most prosperous part of La Rioja's wine country, extends from the Ebro River to the Sierra de la Demanda. La Rioja Alta has the most fertile soil, the best vineyards and agriculture... (more) -
La Rioja Baja
La Rioja's eastern area is more Mediterranean than Atlantic or Castilian in climate and vegetation, bordering the plains of Navarra, Soria, and Aragón. Its main river, the Cidacos, joins the Ebro... (more) -
Laguardia
Founded in 908 to stand guard—as its name suggests—over Navarra's southwestern flank, Laguardia is on a promontory overlooking the Ebro River and the vineyards of the Rioja Alavesa-La Rioja... (more) -
Laredo
You would hardly know it today, but Laredo was a home port of the Spanish Armada and remained Spain's chief northern harbor until the French sacked it in the 18th century and Santander became the regional... (more) -
Lekeitio
This bright little town is similar to Bermeo but has two wide, sandy beaches right by its harbor. Soaring over the Gothic church of Santa María (open for mass only) is a graceful set of flying buttresses... (more) -
Logroño
A busy industrial city of 130,000, Logroño's lovely old-quarter is bordered by the Ebro and the medieval walls, with Breton de los Herreros and Muro Francisco de la Mata the most characteristic... (more) -
Mundaka
Tiny Mundaka, famous with surfers all over the world for its left-breaking roller at the mouth of the Ría de Guernica, has much to offer non-surfers as well. The town's elegant summer homes and... (more) -
Ondárroa
Farther east along the coast from Lekeitio, Ondárroa is a gem of a fishing town. Like its neighbors, it has a major fishing fleet painted various combinations of red, green, and white: the colors... (more) -
Pamplona
Pamplona (Iruña, in Euskera) is known worldwide for its running of the bulls, made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. The occasion is the festival of San Fermín... (more) -
Pasajes de San Juan
Generally marked as Pasaia Donibane, in Euskera, there are actually three towns around the commercial port of Rentería: Pasajes Ancho, an industrial port; Pasajes de San Pedro, a large fishing harbor... (more) -
Potes
Known for its fine cheeses made of milk from cows, goats, and sheep, La Liébana is a highland domain well worth exploring. The region's main city, Potes, is named for and sprinkled with ancient... (more) -
Puente la Reina
Puente la Reina (Gares, in Euskera) is an important nexus on the Camino de Santiago: the junction of the two pilgrimage routes from northern Europe, one passing through Somport and Jaca and the other through... (more) -
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
This tiny, gemlike hermitage clinging to its rocky promontory over the Bay of Biscay is exactly 231 steps up along a narrow corridor built into the top of a rocky ledge connecting what would otherwise... (more) -
San Sebastián
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San Vicente de la Barquera
Important as a Roman port long before many other larger, modern shipping centers (such as Santander) were, San Vicente de la Barquera is one of the oldest and most beautiful maritime settlements in northern... (more) -
Santander
One of the great ports on the Bay of Biscay, Santander is surrounded by beaches that are by no means isolated, yet it lacks the sardinelike package-tour feel of so many Mediterranean resorts. A fire destroyed... (more) -
Santillana del Mar
This stunning ensemble of 15th- to 17th-century stone houses is one of Spain's greatest troves of medieval and Renaissance architecture.... (more) -
Santuario de San Ignacio de Loyola
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Vitoria
Vitoria's standard of living has been rated the highest in Spain, based on such criteria as square meters of green space per inhabitant (14), sports and cultural facilities, and pedestrian-only zones. Capital... (more)
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