Spain: Rioja & Basque Coast

The Spanish Basque country & Rioja offer great sights, but the greatest treasures are found in this region’s culture where food and wine play a huge role. For this reason I have chosen to work with local partners who will accompany your party in its sensory discovery. Your local hosts will get you into the right places and have you meet the right people. They will introduce you to the cultural protocols and traditions so you don’t miss out on anything, you avoid faux-pas and get the 1st class treatment of a welcomed guest.  Many experiences can be enjoyed as day trips from the French side you might want to use as your home base or you might decide to stay put in San Sebastian, Bilbao or in the country side of La Rioja for a couple of days.

Feast on wine, food, architecture & art

Thanks to the informed insight of your local guide,  get deeper into the local culture:

• Go for an insider tour of lively San Sebastian. It could be a foodie walking tour with special tastings at the local market, shops or bars. Savour local pintxos ( the Basque word for Spanish tapas) and find out what to do and not to do at pintxos bars, hanging out among locals.
• Sit down for a gourmet dinner at places that have earned San Sebastian the title of best city in Europe for gastronomy according to the New York Times. Many Michelin starred restaurants to choose from.
• Attend a Basque cuisine or pintxos cooking class,  or a wine tasting session taking you around the Spanish country in an exceptional wine cellar
• Hang out in a cider house in the country side with locals, where conviviality and informality reign to enjoy simple and tasty local products
• Head into the countryside to visit artisan producers of classic Basque ingredients and produce. Meet them in their farms or at authentic village markets
• Explore the coastal fishing villages between San Sebastian and Bilbao, go through the Txaculi wine country, savour fish dishes along the way, plan your stops at local producers as per the season
• Head out for a day to La Rioja, where the most famous Spanish red wines are produced. Immerse yourself in its wine traditions at family-run properties where your guide has secured exclusive guided tours and tastings. Medieval and fortified  Laguardia opens its underground tunnels converted into cellars. Santo Domingo de la Calzada reminds you of the pilgrims’ life en route to Santiago de Compostela.  Feel the 21st century in the landscape, observing creations by cutting edge architects, but also by visiting wineries with the latest techniques in viticulture and oenology. 
• More temptations for the eye come next as you head to Bilbao for the Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, a stop not to miss. Do spend time exploring the city by food, its river banks leading you to the old quarter, its many restaurants and pintxos bars.
• For those who enjoy  jazz and film festivals, consider a San Sebastian visit in August for jazz and in September for films. Both events offer top notch quality programming and are high profile events at a European scale

Find out how Expérience Authentique can make it happen for you…