Spanish Basque Country: points of interest not to miss from Biarritz to Bilbao

Three days is not enough to explore the Spanish Basque Country from Biarritz to Bilbao. The coast is lovely, and I’m sure you could spend easily one or two weeks in the area we covered in a couple of days if you wanted to see all the Basque Country points of interest. But we only had a short time during our Europe trip to meet up with our friends spending their holidays there. It was worth the effort: we visited amazing places in the Basque Country and loved our food discoveries as well.

We drove from Biarritz to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, along scenic roads and had lovely stops on the way to check out some of the best Basque Country points of interest.

Our overall target was to check out the stunning Gaztelugatxe, and we ended up picking places where to stop on the way according to the strength of the rain. Well, you cannot always be lucky with the weather – and we loved where we stopped so we were lucky in the end! Plus, we had a lovely day visiting Gaztelugatxe, so it was perfect!

Highlights of our three-day road trip on the Basque Country: the best points of interest

1. Saint Jean de Luz

Okay, this isn’t Spain (it’s still France), but it’s close to it, and it’s the Basque Country. We were hungry, so we stopped there to try the Basque gastronomy, on our way back to Biarritz airport at the end of our road trip.

If Saint Jean de Luz is on your way while you’re driving to the Spanish Basque Country, it’s worth having a look around the lovely town.

The history of Saint Jean de Luz starts back in the 15th century, and the town had its “Golden Age” in the 17th century. Buildings from that time remain in the now busy town centre.

Don’t miss enjoying a short walk on the Promenade. Make a detour to the Saint Baptiste Church. In this typical church from the French Basque Country, the French King Louis XIV married the King of Spain’s daughter, ending the long-lasting conflict between the two countries.

2. Donostia (San Sebastian)

Donostia (San Sebastián) has been one of the chicest seaside towns in Spain since the 19th century when the Spanish nobles started to enjoy the beautiful bay and its beaches. Nowadays, the atmosphere seems to be more young and festive than chic.

The Pintxos bars (the local tapas) are a Basque speciality not to miss in San Sebastian.

So after hiking Mount Urgull to get the best views of the city, we tried a couple of different bars in town for our first Pintxos experiences. I love the concept: you can taste small portions of many different foods that are displayed on the bar. And it’s delicious.

They also had local wines to taste. Unfortunately, wine is never a good pair with a road trip as we had to hit the road in the evening, so we stuck to local cider, lighter in alcohol.

If we had more time, we’d definitely have spent the night in San Sebastian. It’s a lively place with nice countryside to explore, including wineries*. If you can stay longer than we did, check out this San Sebastián itinerary to learn more about all the things to do in San Sebastian, and click here to see available accommodations in San Sebastian*.

3. Getaria

The road leading to Getaria looked fantastic. We drove along stunning rugged cliffs and, despite the grey weather, I wished we could have spent more time exploring the bay.

We reached Guetaria in the evening just before sunset. It was perfect timing to have a walk to Mount San Anton to admire the view. In town, we wandered in charming lanes made of wood and stone to reach the port and choose a restaurant.

Fish and white wine are the two specialities of the area. I also ate urchins for the first time.

We spent the first night of our road trip in Getaria. Click here to find out the accommodation available*.

4. Lekeitio

With San Nicolas island in front of the river mouth, the drive into the old town of Lekeitio is very scenic. We stopped there between two showers. I liked how interesting it felt to drive through Spanish towns. There is always something special to look at: a church or another building full of History. That’s something we also have in France but that I’ve been missing in Australia’s towns.

5. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was my highlight of the trip. If you can only visit one of these Basque country points of interest, pick this one.

Do you recognise it from elsewhere? The winding stairs were featured in the popular Game of Thrones TV series. We went there before season 7 got released, so it was surprising to see it in the series!

Are you a GoT fan? Have a look at this tour* to retrace the footsteps of Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen in the Basque Country.

It’s a great leg workout to go up more than 200 steps, but it’s rewarding all the way. The views are fantastic.

Gaztelugatxe in Basque means Tremendous Castle. Up there, you won’t find Dragonstone, the castle from Game of Thrones. In reality, it’s a lovely small church from the 10th century. I loved finding marine elements hidden in the architecture of the church. And don’t be surprised to hear the bells ringing at any time. According to the legend, those who make it up there should ring the bell three times and make a wish.

We spent the second night of our road trip near Gaztelugatxe. If you’re looking for a hotel, check out accommodations in Bakio*, the closest town. Alternatively, Bermeo is a bit further but also bigger and may have more options to suit your needs (click here to view availabilities*).

6. Bilbao

We didn’t have time to explore Bilbao, but if you do, don’t miss it. It’s reputed to be a very interesting city. You’ll find a two-day itinerary here to plan your Bilbao visit.

Bonus: Cider in Spanish Basque Country

I’m originally from Brittany, and I studied in Normandy, the two French regions famous for producing cider in France.

Still, I keep being surprised by ciders when I travel.

I mean, they all look the same, they’re made with the same ingredients and have very similar names. So why do they taste so different? In England (and even worse in Australia!), it tastes awfully sweet to me. In the Basque Country, it was flat.

Well, that was before we learnt how to serve it the local way: you have to pour it from about 20cm above your glass, with a special cork half placed on the bottle. It’s still a lot flatter than the French cider, but I enjoyed it!

Have you visited this region? What were your favourite Basque Country points of interest? Share your experience in the comments below!

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your road trip in Spain, here’s a 10-day itinerary that will take you from Madrid all along the east coast.

Where did we stop on our Biarritz to Bilbao road trip?

We flew from Paris to Biarritz, where we rented a car to drive from Biarritz to Bilbao, and back. There is also an airport in Bilbao if you want to do it from the other end.

Over three days, we drove 350km for about 6 hours in total.

If you’re renting a car in France or Spain, you may be interested in this tip to save money on rental car insurance in Europe.