From New York to the Basque Country

For some very good reason the powers that be at Vitoria Airport in the Basque Country have decided to put on a couple of direct flights between New York JFK and Vitoria, the capital of the Basque Country in October 2014. Yes, you read right – two flights (not a year round service). So New Yorkers will be able to fly directly to the Basque Country in Northern Spain without having to connect in Madrid or Barcelona. Iberia and American Airlines are the airlines operating these unique and unusual connections. So while Basques get to taste the Big Apple, New Yorkers can sink their teeth into the famous Basque pintxos and wash them down with some wines from the neighbouring Rioja region. What are you waiting for?

In just 9 hours you can get from here…

to here….Vitoria’s city centre is buzzing with stylish cafes and tapas bars

and finish up here – it’s less than an hour by car to Laguardia in the Rioja Alavesa

or here? La Concha beach in San Sebastian.

Two of the Basque Country’s most famous chefs: father Juan Mari and daughter Elena who serve modern Basque cuisine at the 8th Best Restaurant in the World – Arzak in San Sebastian.

The Gastronomy of the Basque Country – the Best in the World

It’s never been a better time to visit Vitoria and the Basque Country. For starters – literally – Vitoria is Spain’s Gastronomy Capital for 2014. You can taste some of the wonderful Basque cuisine in the city’s many tapas bars and wonderful restaurants. And you’ll come across lots of events including workshops, competitions and food tastings around the city centre. And in case that’s not enough, Vitoria is only one hour from the pretty coastal city of San Sebastian which is home to three of the World’s Best Restaurants in 2014 – Mugaritz (number 6),  Arzak (number 8) and Martin Berasategui (number 35). Don’t forget that you also have Azurmendi (number 26) and Asador Etxebarri (number 34) in the Basque Country. San Sebastian is also well known for its brilliant tapas bars which are groaning with some of the nicest and most handsomely presented pintxos you’ll ever see.

Old production techniques are still maintained for some wines at Marques de Riscal in Elciego

The Wines and Wineries from and near the Basque Country

The wine-regions of La Rioja and La Rioja Alavesa are literally sneezing distance away. You can visit the Frank Gehry designed Marques de Riscal winery, Calatrava’s Ysios winery and of course lots of the smaller more traditional spaces. Many of the wineries offer tastings, tours and you can also dine there too. What could be more romantic than a special meal in one of Spain’s top wineries? Oh – and you have to try the Txakoli dry white wine from the Basque Country. Less well known internationally but very nice too…

Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao with the ‘Maman’ spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois.

The Big Basque City – Bilbao

Although Vitoria is the capital of the Basque Country, Bilbao is the largest city – which is just 40 mins from Vitoria Airport. Best known for its stunning Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao is one of Europe’s popular city destinations. Once a declining industrial city, it is now wonderfully modernised – and you can easily spend a few days here exploring the new and old architecture, enjoying some art, shopping and great food again. Architecture fans have a lot to admire – we especially love the Fosteritos – the metro stations entrances. And the walk from the Guggenheim by the riverside into the old quarter is brilliant.

You probably know that there is a Basque language  – Euskera. And you may have seen pictures the traditional ‘boina‘ or beret. You’ll find there are fantastic festivals celebrated and traditions marked in this region. The Basques were a sea-faring nation and you’ll see this today – in the strong rowing traditions and in the cuisine. But inland, there is just as much to see and celebrate. Basque rural sports such as stone carrying and wood chopping and the tug-of-war always attract a crowd.  In every village and town you’ll see regional sports such as the Basque pelota and you may come across ochotes – choirs of eight men – especially popular in Bilbao.

When to Travel? Tips for Trips?

Whether it’s a long weekend (we did one of those in Vitoria recently) or the beginning of an extensive journey around Spain or a short trip before connecting onto Portugal, we have lots of suggestions.  Or maybe you want to walk some of the Camino de Santiago – well it passes through the Basque Country. Check out our Basque Country suggested tours  – some of the most popular of our suggested tours.

Where to Stay?

We know this region like the back of our hand because TotallySpain.com started out in the year 2000 in the Basque Country. We were one of the first tour operators arranging trips into the region when the Guggenheim opened. We know and have worked with all of the best hotels in the area. If you are looking to stay near the airport in Vitoria, we recommend the parador at Argomaniz which is just 15 mins by car from the airport. It’s been recently renovated (as we saw on our recent trip) and is a wonderful old palace and a great touring base for the region. Get in touch with us for details of the best hotels in the cities of Bilbao, San Sebastian and of course, the handiest hotels for visiting the wineries in Rioja Alavesa and La Rioja.

Tempted to arrange an Insider tour of the Basque Country?
Get in touch with the experts at Totally Spain. Phone Spain on +34-942-637358, from the USA on 1-888-717-4514, and from the UK on 0871-6660214 or SEND US AN EMAIL or REQUEST A QUOTE

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