Destinations > Europe > Spain > Spain
Destination:
Spain
- Overview
- Basics
- Getting Ready
- Itinerary 1 - Northern Spain
- Trip Extension - La Rioja
- Itinerary 2 - Biarritz, San Sebastian and Bilbao
- Itinerary 3 - Southern Spain
- Explore By Area - Andalucía
- Marbella
- Granada
- Jerez de la Frontera
- Sevilla
- Madrid
- Toledo
- Barcelona
- San Sebastian
- Biarritz (France)
- Bilbao
- Pamplona
- Key Events
- Contacts
Itinerary 2 - Biarritz, San Sebastian and Bilbao
While I’d been hearing about Biarritz and San Sebastian for years, it wasn’t until this past summer that I had the chance to visit the area. My family joined a large group of four other families for a surfing and dining holiday. Our goal was to introduce our family to beginner’s surfing and enjoy the fine local restaurants, both on the French and Spanish/Basque side.
San Sebastian has the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, so you can understand its appeal for me. We also made a day trip to the legendary Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and toured some of the charming coastal towns in the area. Alternating between surfing days and eating/touring days is the perfect plan for this region. I recommend booking your reservations at least a month ahead for surfing lessons and restaurants.
It was a marvelous trip – the kids had a blast surfing, and the adults got to satisfy their passion for contemporary art and phenomenal cuisine. The meals were some of the best I’ve ever had! Food is at the center of the culture here, and showcases the extraordinary regional produce and seafood. San Sebastian is famous for their sophisticated, Basque-style tapas called pintxos, which should be sampled at every opportunity.
topSurfing, Art and Cuisine
You will be picked up at the train station or airport and transferred to the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz.
Depending on your carrier, you might choose to fly into Biarritz or Bilbao. Some of our friends arrived in Biarritz by train, as they had been on a cycling trip in the Loire valley. We flew into Bilbao, a 1.5-hour drive from Biarritz, and stopped in Getaria for lunch at Kaia Kaipe on the way. If you have time, you might also visit the Cristobal Balenciaga Museoa in Getaria.
1 hour Quicksilver surfing class booked for children in the morning. (Exact time depends on the surf and tide.) Afternoon childcare services will be provided by the hotel, if required.
Adults can go into San Sebastian today for a tour and lunch, or can stay in Biarritz and relax at the hotel. San Sebastian is a 45-minute drive from Biarritz.
Dinner at Chez Albert restaurant in Biarritz, walking distance from the hotel.
After breakfast, depart hotel for Fuenterrabia, Spain, with two expert guides. On the way, stop at villages such as San Sebastian, Socoa, Bidac, and Petari, if desired. Discuss with your guide if you would like to stop in Getaria to visit the newly opened Cristobal Balenciaga Museoa. We recommend bringing everyone’s passports for border crossings.
Explore Fuenterrabia, about 14 miles from San Sebastian and a 30-minute drive from Biarritz. Fuenterrabia (aka Hondarribia) was described by Victor Hugo as the “silhouette of a town of gold, with a sharp bell tower, in the depth of a blue gulf.” Stroll through the old town and fishing port.
In the evening, return to Biarritz. Dinner at Legalion Restaurant, walking distance from the hotel.
After breakfast, depart for Saint Jean de Luz, France, located 25 minutes south of Biarritz. This fishing port is known for its architecture, sandy bay, quality of light and cuisine. Enjoy a leisurely walk through the village. You will be accompanied by an English-speaking, expert guide.
We suggest making stops at Bidart and Guéthary, two beautiful villages on the way to St Jean de Luz.
Lunch at Txalupa Restaurant, Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
After lunch, shop along the pedestrian street Rue Gambetta. In mid-afternoon, return to Biarritz.
Dinner at Le Blue Cargo in Bidart, 2 miles from your hotel.
After breakfast, depart hotel for Bilbao with your expert guide. Transportation time: 1.5 hours. We recommend bringing everyone’s passports for border crossings.
Enjoy a mid-morning tour of the Guggenheim Bilbao. This museum’s collection spans from the mid-20th century to present day and includes work by modern and contemporary Basque and Spanish artists, including Eduardo Chillida, Cristina Iglesias, Juan Muñoz, Jorge Oteiza, Antonio Saura and Antoni Tàpies.
In addition to the museum, you will have a panoramic tour of Bilbao, including the Old Quarter, the Hanging Bridge, the new architecture by the river, and the subway station designed by Norman Foster.
Tapas lunch in Old Town at Berton Restaurant.
In the late afternoon, return to Biarritz. Dinner at La Crêperie Dentelle, walking distance from the hotel.
In the morning, adults and kids take a Quicksilver 1 hour surfing class. Class time will be re-confirmed the day before or same day, based on the tide and surf. The classes will take place on the hotel beach about 350 feet from the pool. (For beginners, 5 lessons or 5 days are recommended in order to be comfortable with the sport.)
Adults-only dinner at Restaurant Campagne et Gourmandise, Biarritz. 10-minute drive or 3 miles from hotel. Childcare service provided through the hotel. Children will dine at the hotel.
1 hour surfing class booked for all children in the morning. Afternoon childcare services will be provided by the hotel.
At 12:30, adults will meet private driver in hotel lobby and depart for San Sebastian, a 45-minute drive. (Children will have lunch by the pool at the hotel).
Adults-only lunch at Akelarre in San Sebastián.
Mid-afternoon, depart San Sebastian and return to Biarritz. Dinner at Chez Ospi, walking distance from the hotel.
Enjoy a morning at the beach. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight onward.
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