Hello,

My husband and I are in our mid-sixties and have been renting apartments for a couple of weeks in France and Italy over the past few years. We love the “slow travel” component and Larry, my husband, speaks French, Italian, and Spanish- I speak French. We tend to make day-trips in all directions, preferring to travel an hour or less each day. That way, we feel we can absorb the ambiance of the community. We love big towns and small villages, museums, classical and folk art, gardens, etc. In the past, we have located ourselves near villages so that we can leisurely eat dinner and not have to worry about driving after drinking. In general, I think we love just soaking up the region, taking long walks, eating well, talking with locals and tourists alike, etc.

This September, we are interested in renting a villa or apartment in northern Spain with some British friends who will join us at the rental. In the past, we’ve traveled to southern Spain- Madrid, Seville, Granada, Costa del Sol, etc. We have talked about renting in somewhere either near Barcelona, up the Mediterranean coast or on the Atlantic coast. The other couple would love to have access to the sea, and I do not want to be in the mountains- I hate those scary roads. . We have little sense of what area would be a good base for a week or two. As an artist, I would love to visit Barcelona and Bilbao, but we could possibly do that on either side of the rental if we chose the Atlantic for our rental stay.

I would appreciate some ideas from those of you who know Northern Spain. I would love suggestions for both regions to stay in (or, even, actual villages) and agencies or people to contact to arrange this rental. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give us.

-Margret

Have you considered San Sebastian; it is close to many beautiful coastal villages which can be accessed by car or local train, Bilbao is an hour away. Lots of recent posts here about it.

My Spanish speaking nephew suggested San Sabastian- it does sound wonderful and I'll check on the Forum. Do you know any house rentals or agencies? I'm fine in France or Itaky, but seem at a loss in Spain. www.slowtrav.com doesn't have many listings.Thanks,

M

If you staying in the north, I would stay near Santander. That way you can travel east and visit the Basque country including San Sebastian, west to Galicia, and south to Castile and Leon.

Earlier this year I was researching apts in SS with friendlyrentals.com

For genuine Casa Rurals ie village houses look through
www.toprural.com

Have you checked out Maribelsguides.com for Spain info? She has a wealth of suggestions for the area .

I would also suggest marvellous San Sebastián as your base; the best city beaches in Europe, fantastic food and a culture that people take great pride in. Lots of charming villages along the coast towards vibrant Bilbao with the famous Guggenheim museum. If you go the other way you're soon in France and places such as St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz. All within 60 mins driving from San Sebastián. Just inland is Hernani with the museum of Eduardo Chillada, the most famous Basque sculptor.
http://www.museochillidaleku.com/index.php?L=3

The article "A different kind of Spain" gives you an idea of San Sebastián and the region: http://marshlands.blogstream.com/

"There is dining that features more Michelin starred restaurants per mile than Paris, New York, or Vienna. There is a culture brought Woody Allen to the city’s Film Festival last year, brings Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan to this summer’s Jazz Fest, and embraces Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum just down the coast in Bilbao. There is the zest for life that drew Ernest Hemingway to nearby Pamplona and was immortalized in The Sun Also Rises.

San Sebastian’s setting on the coast is a panorama reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro - a horseshoe bay of blue water whose entrance is guarded by Mount Igueldo, a wide sandy beach circling the bay, green mountains extending all the way to the water, and a statue of Christ on Mount Orgull overlooking it all. At the back of the bay lies the city, clad largely in white, perched on the beach and the slopes heading up into the mountains".

18 Michelin stars in San Sebastián, but the best food experience might just as well be strolling around for the delicious pintxos/tapas served in every bar in this food-crazy town and really take in the atmosphere.

Reagrding apartments I also can recommend friendlyrentals. But you should also check the apartments options at Isabella Bed & Breakfast, up to six people and located in the very nice Antiguo area of San Sebastián with lots of local flavour, two minutes walk to the superb Ondarreta beach and a 20 min walk along the famous La Concha beach promenade to the city center and the Parte vieja/old town:
http://www.roomsisabella.com/

reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ia_Basque.html

Maribel mentions some rental homes and apts in her guide for the Pais Vasco,San Sebastian and Hondarribia. www.maribelsguides.com

Thanks, everyone, for your kind help.

The San Sabastian area sounds wonderful and I've written our friends about it. Larry and I were in southern Languedoc last fall, and while there, spent a day in Collioure-it was quite lovely, full of artists, though a bit touristy- we had a great lunch. Is the Costa de SOl similar and would it make a nice destination or is the San Sabastian area prettier and a more diverse location?

The southern region of Andalucía - with cities such as Cádiz, Sevilla, Málaga, Córdoba and Granada just to mention some - is as fascinating as it gets, but the Costa del Sol is very touristy. If you would stay along the coast, I would recommend west of Gibraltar towards Cádiz and Huelva or east of Málaga towards Nerja and Almuñécar.

I like Nerja very much (pop 20 000), although there are lots of tourists it has retained a local character and is still very much a Spanish city. Great base for excursions to Granada with La Alhambra, Córdoba with the Mezquita and Málaga with its great Andalusian atmosphere.

For "eating well, talking with locals and tourists alike" it would be no better way to go about than to set out for a tapas tour. Great tapas scene in Nerja:
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjatapasguide/

The Feria de Nerja is celebrated the second week in October, then the city is turned almost completely upside down.
http://www.nerjatoday.com/fiestas/nerja/nerja-feria/

Thank you, Kimhe. What about the Costa del Brava? Is that touristy as well. So far, I'm still leaning towards San Sabastian.

The Costa Brava has some nice areas. Look at Begur. Again, www.maribelsguides has lots of info on this area.

another suggestion

http://www.spain-select.com/

I definitely think you should stick to San Sebastián, and I can almost guarantee that you will not regret. If you go, I strongly recommend the nearby fishing village of Getaria for an extraordinary fish and seafood lunch. Had without doubt the meal of my life there in 1996. Elkano and Kaia Kalpe are the most famous restaurants, but all of the places in the harbour area are excellent (and quite expensive).
http://thepauperedchef.com/2007/12/elkano-in-getar.html

Or - this I've done many times - walk over the hill along the coastline a couple of hours to have lunch in pictoresque litte Pasajes San Juan/Donibane (the bus will take you back in 30 mins). Donibane has got several excellent waterfront restaurants, some of them with great value lunch menus.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/eurore...s/san-juan.htm

Some photos of Donibane: http://www.etxekar.net/donibanepaseo.html

Note that the 58. edition of San Sebastián's prestigious film festival is taking place between 17-25 September 2010.
http://www.sansebastianfestival.com/in/index.php

The first two Sundays in September, the season's best performing regatta teams will compete for the Bandera de La Concha prize. The whole city/region is watching and the finishing line is just by the beachfront in La Concha bay.

If you decide for San Sebastián and the Basque region, I would recommend Cadogan guides (4th edition, 2008):
http://www.amazon.com/Bilbao-Basque-.../dp/1860114008

I'm still waiting to hear from our friends, but, for me, I'm sold on this region- it sounds perfect. If we stay in the San Sabastian area, where would you chose to stay- in San Sabastian, itself or somewhere nearby? What region of town should we look at? I'm a light sleeper and so we tend to try to pick places that aren't too nosiy at night, so where a house is located can be important. Would you stay in the town itself or again, in a house in the countryside nearby? I love the ideas of short walks places and the various small vilaages nearby sounds wonderful. And, as an artist, I want to go to Bilbao.

Thanks, again.

If you like walks short or long, I recommend The Sunflower Guide to the Basque Country. If you want to learn about the fascinating history of the Basque region check out Mark Kurlansky's Basque History of the World.

No one has mentioned this, but are there still any issues these days with the Basque Separatist movement, and if so, where? Are there places we should avoid going to? Thanks.

I'm getting excited- sure hope our British friends like the idea. Thanks again.

As a tourist in the Basque country, you should not worry about ETA for your own safety. Their most violent attacks with large number of civilian casualties/injuries have been carried out in other Spanish regions, the last major attack of this order was in a Barcelona supermarket in 1987.

ETA's attacks on Basque soil (and in general) have been very directly aimed at certain politicians, police/military personell, business leaders and some academics. Here is a recent up-date from The Guardian's Madrid correspondent Giles Tremlett where he writes about how the political wing of ETA now makes an historic call for the organisation to lay down arms.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...eek-end-terror

During more than 20 years of both living in and visiting San Sebastián and the Basque Country very frequently, I've never personally experienced anything unpleasant apart from the armed Basque police (Ertzaintza) turning up to control youth disturbances (the so-called kale borroka) and the occational demonstration, mostly related to the imprisonment conditions of alleged ETA symphatizers/collaborators. Demonstrations against ETA terror draws huge crowds in all of the Basque Country.