5 day tour of Basque country and La Rioja wine region by car. Wine, gastronomy and the Guggenheim all make for a great fall trip.
Tour through Basque & Wine Region along the North Coast. Summer travel is winding down, great airfare to Madrid is available. Flights for travel after labor day dropped significantly to Spain. This was a deal I couldn’t pass up with Spain temperatures returning to a more comfortable range.
Understanding that Madrid is dealing with over tourism, we did not want to contribute to that. Rent a car and go North to the less traveled areas of Spain. Though still busy along the North coast but not as much as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
This trip was the continuation after a 4 day PICOS DE EUROPA NAT’L Park trek. These were the next 5 Days of the trip.
Day 1 – Picos De Europa
Picos Xtreme Rock Climbing
The day before we set off on our hut to hut hike in PICOS DE EUROPA NAT’L Park. We spent the afternoon warming up with a great 2 hour rock climbing adventure at picosxtreme adventures. Oscar was our guide for the trip up the rock face. Ladder climbs up the rock face and a daring cable crossing over a 100 meter void was incredible.
Oscar took plenty of photos for us and gave great insight on the local environment and nature. After reaching the summit you take a trail back down which gives you time to enjoy the views.
The next few days we went trekking in the national park. When we returned, we hoped in the car and headed to Bilbao
Day 2- Bilbao
Arrive in Bilboa from Picos De Europa National Park and be ready fo some great food. Explore the streets and see everyone out for the evening. eating, drinking, and hopping from place to place eating pintxos ( Basque term for tapas).
Pintxos, gin and people watching
The main activity is on Ledesma Musikariaren Kalea street. A busy street with locals spilling out the front door, catching up with each other. So do as the locals do, grab a pintxo and a drink. When your done with that, move on to the next spot, usually next door. After, stroll the promenade along the Nervión River that splits the city in half and stop at Gin Fizz Cocktail Bar.
Coffee, Vinyl, markets
The next morning, walk the local flower market and sample the coffee around town. Hunt for some vintage vinyl records. The local food hall for lunch was a bust though. The place seems to be on its way out of business unfortunately.
I believe the local food hall is a good gauge for the local cuisine and this was a let down with it being mostly vacant stalls. Hop on the tram to get a look at Bilbao as a whole on the way to Guggenheim Museum.
GUGGENHEIM Museum
Book your tickets in advance. I’m not much for art but, this museum housed an incredible and diverse collection of art. The building itself is architecturally important with its obscure angles and titanium cladding. Plan for about 2-3 hours for the museum. The free web based audio guide was very helpful.
Day 3 – San Sebastian
Txuleton Steak @ Erre
Once in San Sebastian, grab dinner at ERRE (https://www.r-restaurantebar.com/) for your first Basque style Txuleton steak.. This place was an incredible dining experience. Our server gave us great insight to the menu and wine pairings. I cannot recommend ERRE restaurant enough.
Coffee Culture
The first full day in San Sebastian is just getting acquainted with the city and finding some good coffee to sip on. Old Town Coffee Roasters are the place to go! In house roasting and incredible flavor and depth. Their drip coffee has been hands down the best I’ve come across. There are some great clothing and vintage shops to pop in and out of as well. The afternoon can be spent checking out the city parks and squares.
Lunch at Aratz, where their three course lunch special is a great deal at 15 euros. The small restaurant was filled with locals grabbing their lunch during the work day. Everyone seemed to know everyone. Since this place is just outside of city center the tourists don’t flood this place.
Once you get to both of San Sebastian’s beaches you’ll see different vibes. Zurriola beach is for surfing and La Concha beach for sunbathing and swimming. A beach walk is always recommended.
Simona Coffee Club which had a delicious and creamy pour over. The rain had really picked up and we just did some people watching and dashed to the bookstores and vintage shops.
Grab dinner at https://basquebeer.com Izakaia. The craft beer shop that serves ramen bowls. A small eatery with great vibes and people watching.
Note – The map of San Sebastian makes the city seem smaller than it actually is. I booked a hotel just outside of the main area which took much longer to walk to than anticipated. Do yourself a favor and book in the city center for only a few more euros a night. If you have a rental car, find a hotel with parking or a city parking garage nearby. Street parking is near impossible.
Day 4 – San Sebastian
Monte Igueldo
Coffee at Old Town Coffee Roasters is a must. Try some of the other single origin drips and pour overs. Stroll through several plazas on your way to La Concha Beach. From boardwalk, you can follow it around to Monte Igueldo for some overlooks. Funicular that runs to the top is a classic funicular that shoots you to the top in a few minutes. The line was quite long though and there is only one car that runs.
We opted to walk the switch back road that takes you along some nice villas that overlook the La Concha Beach. There are several spots to stop and snap some pics.
Petritegi Sagardotegia
Have lunch at the famous Petritegi Sagardotegia Restaurant just outside of town. The ancient cider house is an experience that I’ll definitely remember. Operating for centuries, the restaurant is all you can drink cider from its enormous wooden barrels in the storehouse. The Txuleton steaks are incredible with an open kitchen that operate charcoal Santa Maria grills searing the steaks as you walk in. So go in and get a long pour of cider and eat your steak.
La Rioja WIne Country
La Rioja is well known for its red wines that are produced here. Another fringe benifet to shoulder season travel is that the Fall grape harvest is happening. The fields are busy with grapes being picked all across the landscape of La Rioja. There are multiple wineries in the region to choose from and all sound good. We stopped at Bodegas Riojanas Winery in Cenicero. They offer a great selection of wines with good tasting prices. An excellent intro to the wine in the region.
Legado Ancestral winery
We booked a tour and tasting with Legado Ancestral in Cenicero, Spain. A small family run winery that provides terrific insight to their craft. They were very accommodating to our schedule with an English speaking guide for a late afternoon tour.
The tour ended up being just us two which made the experience feel extra special. The small wine cellar is intimate and has been restored tastefully. The wine cellar is tunneled well underground in the middle of town and holds a fine selection of their small batch wines. Pintxos were paired with our wines. Prices were very good for some take home wine as well. They do not ship outside Spain I believe.
Losing and dinner was at Finca De Los Arandinos hotel and winery. The hotel is architecturally a change of pace to the region with its butalist style architecture. The hotel is well appointed and a great deal during shoulder season. Dinner was quiet and intimate with only a few other guests present. Its own wine was great and paired with a great dinner. The hotel is located well outside of the nearest town and the star gazing was memorable.
Day 5 – Madrid
The morning breakfast at Finca was delicious with priceless views. Sipping an americano overlooking the vineyards across the landscape. Workers are already busy across the vineyards picking grapes as the sun warms the landscape. Truly relaxing. Stroll the nearest vineyard in the morning with your coffee and pick a few grapes.
We returned to Madrid to catch our next morning’s flight home. The half day we had in the city was spent and the El Retiro Park, the main park for Madrid. People watching and some snacks is all you need to enjoy the day. Madrid was still in full Summer though with temperatures still in the 90’s F.
Salmon Guru and Casa Mortero
Splash on a 2025 Michelin rated restaurant, Casa Mortero. Your third Txuleton steak for the trip and well worth it. The prices are reasonable and the depth of flavor was great. The wine pairings came from the La Rioja region as well. The dinner encapsulated the foodie portion of the trip into one perfect dinner.
A side quest I try to complete while travelling is to visit a Worlds Top 50 Bar. The list changes every year and I’ve only been to a few and had great experiences at all of them. Salmon Guru has been a perennial top 50 bar. The sensory overload and creative cocktails make for an exciting experience.
