Off-Season Travel in Spain’s Basque Country
Is there anything better than traveling off-season and having a region all to yourself? It’s never certain what conditions you’ll face in winter, especially when traveling to places that aren’t tropical (I don’t do tropical often) but the benefits of traveling during periods when very few others are, outweigh the costs of potential rain or freezing temps (for me).
Hotels with empty rooms (and special winter rates), winemakers with time to meet, taste, and tour you around their vineyards without having to juggle 15 other appointments around your visit. Miles of hiking trails empty as far as the eye can see, except for the few locals taking their morning and evening walks.
Add beautiful scenery, ocean views and phenomenal food and wine and it’s my travel heaven! When I’m surrounded by green rolling hills, vineyards, and the sound and sight of the ocean I am in my happiest place. I feel calm yet invigorated. Ready to sprint, hike, jump and revel in my surroundings. I feel at home.
Being from Northern California and from the wine industry, I’ve spent most of my life chasing the off-days or off-season travel to avoid the throngs of tourists that are typical in the areas I’ve been fortunate enough to live in.
Coastal Basque country held everything I could hope for in a place I want to visit again and again. Proximity to the ocean, proximity to a major city and transportation hub (San Sebastian), a culture centered around food, agriculture, wine and hospitality and it’s non-status as a ‘top ten’ must see sights area (except San Sebastian).
Getting off the Beaten Path
Everyone knows about San Sebastian. It’s on the top of pretty much every list recommending places to visit in Basque Country. But beyond world famous spots like San Sebastian with its glitz and glam and Michelin starred restaurants and Pamplona’s running of the bulls (made so famous decades ago in Ernest Hemingway’s novels) much of Basque country is overlooked by international visitors.
It shouldn’t be.
Area recommendation: Getaria and Zarautz
These villages are located an hour or less from San Sebastian (by car or you can take a bus, though you’ll need a car to explore once you’re in this area), on the coast. They are small but idyllic. Fresh seafood and stellar locally produced wines at every restaurant. Vineyard and sea views in every direction. A huge local component in any destination. Small farms, affordable hotels….. friendly people.
Ever fancied doing a part of the Camino de Santiago (watch a short video of my morning hike below)? Go ahead. You can access different routes and pieces of the famous 500+ mile pilgrimage hike all throughout this area. Leave from your hotel or village in the morning, hike for half the day, and end up in a stunning seaside village. Pass vineyards where you can taste the regional Txakoli white wines or farms where you can buy cheeses, oil, vinegar and more.
Take round trip day trips, or opt for having your luggage moved from one spot to the next and hike from hotel to hotel.
Believe me, this is an area that you not only want to know about, but to visit. And, if you like connecting with locals, getting off the beaten path, eating fresh and locally produced artisan products (including lots of wine) and hiking you’ll fall in love with this region. But, my suggestion is, to skip right past those bigger and most famous cities and go straight to a rural farm house or rurally located hotel and plop yourself in the middle of idyllic country landscape or vineyards or seascapes.
You won’t be sorry.
Hotel Recommendation in Getaria:
Hotel San Prudentzio: An idyllic hotel located in the midst of vineyards and with a backdrop of the sea. Wake up every morning with a view of the vines and the ocean in the distance. Take trails from your doorway that lead to the nearby villages, vineyards and farms. This hotel is run by two lovely sisters who’s family has had the hotel for more than three generations.
Breakfast is included in your room. Snacks, food, wine and drinks available on site but there is no full service restaurant (town is 5 minutes down the road by car or 15 minutes walk by foot on beautiful trails). Rates are incredibly reasonable considering the views, location and amenities.
That hotel! I love the modern design and wow, the views. I haven’t considered the Basque Country but with my love of wine and culture, I can see why it would be a good place for me to visit.
Spain is our next destination and we’d love to explore Basque Country! The photos show a stunning and wild nature, we love it š Thanks for the hotel reccomendation!
I visited Spain’s east coast last week and unfortunately I wasn’t very lucky with the weather: it rained almost every day š But I do agree, it is great to see the place without the crowds, get better deals on hotels and more time to talk to local business owners. I haven’t been to Basque country yet so maybe that will be a great destination for off-season next year then! š
You’re right this region of Spain is often overlooked but it does seem to offer loads of stuff to do. I’m not a wine-enthusiast but I would enjoy tasting the different cheeses along the way on the Camino de Santiago (something I would like to do one day). Traveling off-season does have a lot of advantages but I admit I do avoid going somewhere if it’s going to be cold and raining (I have enough of that at home). š
I’m also a big fan of off-season travel! Great for the budget and you have the added bonus of feeling like you almost have the entire destination all to yourself š
hear hear! š
Lydia- where are you from? let me guess… England? š I guess being a Californian with so much sun my whole life, some chilly weather doesn’t bother me. But if I lived somewhere always wet and cold I can imagine I’d like to go somewhere warm when I traveled! š
Sanne-where did you go on the coast?! I’m always looking for more new spots to add to my list š
Jenna- I’m glad! I really couldn’t ask for an area with more of what I want. I also found the tapas and food to be the best in Basque country out of anywhere I’ve traveled in Spain (colorful, high quality and fresh/healthy). in less coastal areas there’s a lot of ham, bread, fried stuff and tortilla espanola for tapas which are ok but not quite fresh or exciting. In Basque country (particularly San Sebastian) you get picked veggies on a spear with crisp peppers and fresh sardines and all sorts of other gorgeous fish or seafood or pickled combination.
If you want a combo city-rural trip a great idea would be to stop for a night in San Sebastian, hit some gorgeous tapas bars and then drive over to the Coastal, tiny village, camino de santiago and vineyard covered areas (like Getaria).
and yes, this hotel was my piece of heaven! It totally made my trip being located like that, in the midst of trails and vineyards and with such a homey feel and friend-like proprietors
I hope you do! I’d love to go back and hike the Camino from Basque Country in Spain to Basque country in France! Such gorgeous views all the way!Plus the food…the best in the country š
Off season travel….just the way I plan. Cheaper and less crowded. Loved your pics especially the view from the hotel. Very peaceful and quaint.
I love red wine so I would not say no to this trip. The gorgeous views and the tranquillity are a bonus. You were also very lucky with those sunny days š
Agnes-well this area is a completely white wine producing region (less than 5% red!) but that is perfect for seafood š
Spain has always fascinated me in many ways. Would love to go there soon. Thanks for sharing amazing photos.
Sounds very nice. I’m not a wine drinker but the atmosphere in this place lures me enough plus its a route along camino de santiago. Spain is always a great travel destination even if off the beaten path.
Hello Brooke, we are thinking of visiting Spain in January 2019 with our 2.5 years old daughter. How much time should we visit Basque Country and is it difficult to drive in it (is there snow)? I’m from Nor Cal and wondering if there are any recommendations for wineries/cheese makers we should visit?
Thank you, HPC
Hi HPC,
good question! š Which airports are you flying in and out of and how much time do you have for the trip? If you do go to Basque County I’d say no less than 3-4 days. But I never stay less than 3-4 days anywhere (and I prefer a week) because I like to explore š And no you should not have any issues with snow in coastal Basque Country.
Here is a post I wrote which includes some recommendations for Txakoli wine producers you can visit in coastal basque country https://www.adifferentkindoftravel.com/tasting-txakoli-coastal-basque-country/
It isn’t super common for people to come to Spain and go to taste at Txakoli producing wineries in this region, but that’s why I love it :). The wines are slightly effervescent dry crisp whites normally drunk as an apertif or with seafood. For red wine, your closest major wine region is Rioja (about 1.5 hours from San Sebastian but keep in mind it will be much colder and there may be snow). So you have a lot of options.
For cheese-absolutely there are cheese producers. There are also bed and breakfast type situations called ‘casas rurales’ where often the owners make their own honey or cheese and so on. To find these guys online though isn’t all that easy. Nor is it easy to get in touch and make appointments, etc. Plus the Euski names on signs and google maps (which shows both the spanish and Euski version of everything and it gets a confusing). You may want to look into doing a gourmet food tour with a company like this one:
https://www.atasteofspain.com/basque-country-la-rioja/
But also, depending on where you are staying, you can also ask your hosts (such as the hotel I mention in this post which is owned by local sisters who are super helpful and knowledgeable) and they will likely be able to help you set up other stuff before you arrive.
Let me know where you end up going! I dream of getting back to this region! š
Hi Brooke!
Trying to plan a trip to Spain and considering exploring Basque Country — but i’m going the first week in February and am worried for what the weather may be. When did you go, and was the weather decent for being outside?
Hi Catherine!
Lucky you! Well my first thought when it comes to where to go in winter in Spain for good weather is always Andalucia. I spent this past January and February in Andalucia (Ronda, Jerez, Sevilla and Malaga) and the weather was nice and sunny a lot of the time (though March turned into a super rainy and cold month ironically!). Basque Country is known for temperamental weather during months when other places are nice (such as getting cloudy or rainy in summer months) but in my own experience I have spent time there in December and I got crisp cool weather and still enjoyed myself immensely.
That said, if you are looking for sunny beaches-Basque country isn’t usually peoples’ top choice in Spain. but if you are looking for a beautiful region with amazing food and drink culture you’ll love it.
I think a good plan would be to plan time in two different regions that way in case the weather sucks in one it will likely be good in the other š
Where you have you already been in Spain?