16 Best Hotels in The Basque Country, Navarra, and La Rioja, Spain

You can live like a medieval lord in this 10th-century bastion, home in the 16th century to Spain's founding emperor, Carlos V—hence its alternative name: Parador El Emperador. Replete with suits of armor and other chivalric bric-à-brac, the place feels like a movie set (and has occasionally been used as one). Many rooms have views of the Bidasoa estuary; upgraded digs add canopy beds and baronial appointments and are worth the moderate extra expense. 

This clean-cut urban hotel steps from the river and Zurriola Beach is a dependable option for families and business travelers. Rooms are bright and modern with charcoal-gray furniture, large TVs, and (in upgraded digs) balconies and sofa beds.

Welcoming hosts run this no-nonsense, budget-friendly inn in a 13th-century family farmhouse overlooking the Bidasoa estuary. Beneath its quintessentially Basque low, wide roofline, rooms are simply appointed with old-fashioned wooden furniture and patterned linens. The property is situated 5 km (3 miles) away from Hondarribia's tourist fray, west of the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

On a bluff overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Urdaibai Nature Reserve just outside of Elantxobe, this rustic family-run inn is removed from the harborside bustle, offering a breath of country life on the Basque coast. The cheerful rooms have terraces overlooking the sea, and two suites are available for families.

Overlooking the San Mamés soccer stadium (known as "La Catedral") and with views of the Nervión River, this former schoolhouse is just a 15-minute walk through the lush Parque de Doña Casilda gardens from the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Guggenheim. Rooms are contemporary in style. The restaurant, El Botxo, serves carefully prepared Basque and international cuisine.

On a mountaintop in the heart of Basque country’s “little Switzerland,” 20 minutes north of Vitoria-Gasteiz and 40 minutes south of Bilbao, this relaxing retreat features breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and an excellent restaurant and spa. Etxegana is an ideal base from which to enjoy the region's natural splendor: hiking, fishing, cycling, and more. Rooms are adorned with rustic woodcarvings and furniture imported from Thailand; numbers 25 and 26 are particularly spectacular.

With rooms overlooking Bilbao from the heights of Artxanda, this Basque farmhouse with cheery interiors and eager young owners offers excellent value. It's surrounded by the green hills and meadows you see from the Guggenheim Museum, so what you lose here in big-city ambience you gain in fresh air and solitude. Nearby asadores—including one next door—are good dining options. You'll need a car to get to downtown Bilbao.

This cheery inn across from the confluence of the Urbión and Najerilla Rivers has spartan wood-trimmed bedrooms with red-checked bedspreads and an excellent restaurant specializing in caparrones (kidney bean stew) and game dishes. The hotel has various lodging and meal options, and friendly staff can advise on area hikes.

This modern property is tucked away on a relatively quiet pedestrian street yet steps from the action on Plaza del Castillo and Calle Estafeta. It's popular with business travelers, thanks to reliable Wi-Fi, a gym, and a sauna. There are suites and triple rooms for families.

This majestic hotel, occupying a reconstructed 17th-century country palace by the airport, is a peaceful country retreat with a 9-hole pitch-and-putt and nearby activities including sand, surf, and sailing 15 km (9 miles) away in Plentzia and equestrian activities in Mungia. Unabashedly Victorian rooms are spacious and appointed with antique furniture, while the decidedly less ornate restaurant, Harria, serves polished Basque cuisine.

Named for the three kings of Navarra, Aragón, and Castile—who, it was said, could meet at La Mesa de los Tres Reyes, in the Pyrenees, without stepping out of their respective realms—this modern glass-and-stone refuge operates on the same principle: come to Pamplona without leaving the comforts of home. Most rooms have a great view of the city.

This four-star near the old quarter has contemporary rooms, a well-trained staff, and a businesslike calm about it. The decor is dated and a bit hodgepodge in spots, but the efficiency—including complimentary valet parking upon request—makes up for any aesthetic shortcomings. The restaurant, Brasserie Zarcillo, with a grill for cooking over coals, has a good wine list.

This tidy 10-room hotel four blocks east of the cathedral stands out for its rock-bottom (by local standards) prices. Rooms are simple yet spacious, and details like fresh flowers in public areas make you feel like you're at a simple country inn as opposed to a city-center hotel. 

Surrender to the slow pace of country life at this family-run hotel perched on a hilltop amid rolling vineyards. The guest rooms may be on the basic side (laminate floors, nothing-special mattresses, astroturfed balconies), but what the property lacks in traditional luxury it makes up for with pin-drop silence, sweeping ocean views, and personalized attention. 

At the foot of Mount Urgull sits this airy newcomer with streamlined modern furnishings and stunning views out over La Concha and the old harbor. With three rooms per floor and flawless soundproofing, the hotel feels a world away from the boisterous street life of the Parte Vieja, which is right around the corner.

The soaring atrium, expansive lobby, and turreted corner rooms lend this dependable seven-floor hotel a grand, conservative air. A recent renovation ripped out all the wall-to-wall carpeting and added chairs and furniture with clean lines, but the bones of the building—gold bannisters, glass elevators, natural-wood door frames—still scream ’90s.