BASQUE COUNTRY

PINTXOS IN SAN SEBASTIAN, WHERE SMALL IS BIG

San Sebastián, this small but gorgeous seaside city boasts Belle Époque architecture, a profound cultural heritage and arguably the best cuisine in the Basque Region. It has the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the world, but even the quality of the everyday food is sublime. A walking pintxos tour reveals the best of the local gastronomic essence. Be ready for the most genuine experience . We will tell you stories and explain the singularities of this way of eating. We will recommend the best pintxo at each place and the best wine to pair among our preferred bars.

ASADOR EXPERIENCE

Asadores are traditional grill houses in the Basque Country, with coal being the greatest taste-enhancer. Cooking over an open fire is now experiencing a new wave and it is the most ancestral cooking method too. You shouldn’t miss trying some good grill! This will be the icing on the cake of a first memorable day.

SAN SEBASTIAN

Enjoy a lovely promenade across this fascinating small city. Shaped by the river Urumea and later up by the hills, the city expanded when the walls were demolished 1863. The first expansion of the old town stretched out to the river’s mouth, on the old quarter called Zurriola, which now shows a dynamic commercial activity, recently boosted by the presence of the Kursaal Congress Centre by the beach. The arcades of the Buen Pastor Square were fashioned after the ones of the Rue de Rivoli, with the Maria Cristina Bridge being inspired by the Pont Alexandre III that spans the Seine.

You will stroll across some of the most centrally located highlights and we’ll explore some of the historical food and wine shops.

MARTIN BERASATEGUI***

He is the only chef with two restaurants awarded with three Michelin stars: Restaurante Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, and Restaurante Lasarte in Barcelona. In total he holds now 8 Michelin stars. Martin Berasategui is a legend and he played a crucial role in the Basque cuisine’s revolution in the 1980’s and contributed to develop a Basque nouvelle cuisine capable to establish the Basque Country as one of the world’s leading gastronomic regions.

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ & HONDARRIBIA 

Let’s cross the border for the first tim to discover the flavors of the neighboring French Basque Country. In the morning depart towards the French coast. From Hendaia take the winding coast road -the Corniche- to the small town of Saint Jean de Luz, where we’ll visit its bustling and colorful market, stop by one of the best cheese masters, who serves Michelin star restaurants in the area. You won’t miss the first producer of the famous “French Macarron”, the cookie that became famous all over the world before heading to Hondarribia.

As stated by The New York Times in July 2010, “with its abundant variety of local produce, a daily influx of fresh seafood, and what has become a critical mass of new talent, the tiny town of Hondarribia has emerged as one of the best places to experience the region’s ambitious cuisine, and without the parading crowds of San Sebastian, just 13 miles away”. The castle is Hondarribia’s most notable monument. Built in the 10th century by the kings of Navarre, it provided strategic fortification against periodic incursions by the French.

After strolling around, our stomachs will feel hungry and it is time to get ready for an exceptional lunch.

SOCIEDAD GASTRONÓMICA

Access to one of the most persuasive experiences a gourmet could ever dream of: enjoying a meal at a Sociedad Gastronómica. These members-only clubs play an important role and serve as meeting places where people of all social classes, known as cuadrillas, go to cook, eat and socialize.

Backt to San Sebastian, enjoy on your own pace.

BIARRITZ & ESPELETTE

The French city of Biarritz, 20 kilometers from the Spanish border, is ideal for a cultural and gastronomic break. From its medieval past as a small fishing village, Biarritz preserves in its coat of arms an image of its original inhabitants, the reckless whale hunters. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that this town reached its greatest splendor by becoming a summer resort of Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenia. Far from the luxury of that time, Biarritz is today a much more popular summer resort.

Stroll across the bustling Les Halles market, before continuing the serpentine roads towards Espelette, a little town swinging around small chili peppers.

ITHURRIA*

Xavier Isabal leads Ithurria’s cuisine, keeping the Michelin star for over 40 years. Located in Ainhoa, one of the most beautiful villages in France dotted with red and white houses, Ithurria is settled in a sublime house steeped in history.

GETARIA

Home town of the prestigious couturier Balenciaga, this is the land of Txakolina, the bracing, refreshing, often fizzy white wine that is enjoyed throughout Basque Country. In restaurants and pintxos bars, on terraces overlooking the Cantabrian Sea or in dark, rustic wood-and-stone cellars, you can’t help but notice Txakolina everywhere. Wine production was a way of life for centuries in Basque country through the end of the 19th century but phylloxera wiped out the vines around the turn of the 20th century, and the industry was slow to recover. Now, with the food revolution in Basque Country, txakoli is living a survival process and quality prevails. Let’s visit a winery and enjoy it in full while overlooking the sea.

ELKANO*

Down, the legendary fishing town of Getaria is home of one of the best seafood cuisines. And undoubtedly the main attraction is the whole chargrilled fish – specially the turbot – which is grilled in special crafted metal fish baskets. This technique was conceived by Pedro Arregi from Elkano – who passed away in 2014 being the business now run by his son Aitor Arregi -. He pioneered the respect for the local produce and for his environment.

GUGGENHEIM BILBAO

Arrival to Bilbao and check-in before a private visit to the iconic Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Afterwards, free evening to explore the city on your own.

RIOJA

La Rioja turns out what most people have in mind when they think of Spanish wines. Enjoy a great day among vineyards around one of the best wineries in an exclusive private-guided tour. The region produces wine since ancient Roman times. Taste terrific wines and discover small charming villages from Middle Ages. It’s no accident that when phylloxera hit Bordeaux in the late 19th century, French winemakers chose Rioja as a location to make wines for the French market.

Not only will you have a chance to access one of the most remarkable wineries in exclusivity, but also you will try astonishing new style wines that express a sense of place. Winemakers are making wines that reveal the terroir of the region, village, estate, and, increasingly, the vineyard. A pairing lunch is foreseen at the winery.

BILBAO

Bilbao’s cuisine has lived for too long and unfairly under the shadow of San Sebastian’s overwhelming international reputation. However, the capital of the Basque Country is home of a grand cuisine that has nothing to envy San Sebastian. We propose a light dinner that emphasizes of some of the most precious local produces.

LIVE COOKING

Visiting the Ribera Market is a must; it is a massive paradise of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, mushrooms, cheese, sausages, cured meats, and fresh meats and game in season. The space is located next to the river, in the Casco Viejo neighborhood, which is Bilbao’s oldest, medieval part of town. Enjoy strolling around before entering a private kitchen atelier to start preparing the freshest and yummiest home meal!

STARRED FAREWELL DINNER

Be ready to enjoy a seductive and cozy last dinner in Boroa* a 15th century farmhouse  with scrupulous respect for its original architecture, where Jabier Gartzia – great defender of Bilbao’s cooking, awarded with a Michelin star since 1999 – follows the ancient lineage of a noble and bourgeois society from the 19th century that laid the foundation of the cocina vizcaína (Bilbao cuisine).

END OF JOURNEY

Following breakfast, private transfer to Bilbao airport or train station at your appointed time, or continue your journey if you decided to extend your trip.