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Hiker on the steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

Basque Country & Atlantic Coast

Picturesque Northern Spain

7 Days / 6 Nights
Walking
Hiker on the steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

The Basque country located in the North of Spain awaits with unique distinctive nature and numerous historic highlights. Accompanied by the rushing Atlantic Ocean you will always walk along the green and impressively rugged coast. You will pass through innumerable small villages gently nestled between the hills and the sea, whose colourful harbours and alleys have retained their original charm over the years. In Guernica you get to know more about the rich history of the Basque country, before the incredible view of the hermitage of Gaztelugatxe situated high up on the cliffs comes into view. At the end of your holiday lively Bilbao welcomes you in all its facets, a visit to the renowned Guggenheim Museum is for sure the crowning glory as a finale!

Our hiking holiday in the Basque Country and on the Atlantic coast in Spain takes you in eight days to impressive natural landscapes, historical sights and picturesque harbours. The starting point of your first hiking stage is Zumaia. Great views along one of the most stunning stretches of coast in the region await you on the hike to Deba. The next day leads you on beautiful hiking trails to the hermitage of San Lourenzo and finally to the idyllic fishing port of Lekeitio, where you can enjoy delicious freshly caught fish in the evening. Then onwards to the small fishing village of Ea and the very next day to the village of Elantxobe perched on a hillside. On the sixth day of your hiking tour, you will walk via the hermitage of San Pedro de Atxarre and a fantastic viewpoint to today’s day finish, the historic city of Guernica. The final stage of this hiking holiday also features plenty of impressive panoramas for you. You can enjoy the perfect end to your active time-out in the port city of Bilbao.

  • Picturesque film setting: Right at the beginning of your eight-day hiking holiday, the spectacular stretches of coast near Zumaia await you, which also served as a film set for the fantasy television series Games of Thrones.
  • Picturesque hermitage of Gaztelugatxe: The final hiking stage has something particularly worth seeing in store for you – the hermitage of Gaztelugatxe with the former monastery of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which is located directly in front of the rocky coast of the Costa Vasca. To get to the hermitage in the Bay of Biscay, you have to climb 237 rocky steps.
  • Modern Art in Bilbao: At the end of your hiking tour you reach your final destination in the port of Bilbao. Modern art enthusiasts will get their money’s worth in the Guggenheim Museum covering an area of 11,000 square metres.

This hiking holiday in Spain is assigned our level of hiking ‘Walking’. With daily walking times of 4 to 6.5 hours, the route takes you along fantastic hiking paths and stretches of coast. For the coastal tours we recommend sure-footedness and a good fitness level. Particularly convenient: the longer hiking stages can also be shortened by public transport or by taxi transfer if desired.

  • Even more holiday suggestions and inspiration for coastal hiking at a glance.
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Cliffs on the Basque Coast in Spain

Basque Country & Atlantic Coast

Picturesque Northern Spain

7 Days / 6 Nights
Walking
Cliffs on the Basque Coast in Spain

The Basque country located in the North of Spain awaits with unique distinctive nature and numerous historic highlights. Accompanied by the rushing Atlantic Ocean you will always walk along the green and impressively rugged coast. You will pass through innumerable small villages gently nestled between the hills and the sea, whose colourful harbours and alleys have retained their original charm over the years. In Guernica you get to know more about the rich history of the Basque country, before the incredible view of the hermitage of Gaztelugatxe situated high up on the cliffs comes into view. At the end of your holiday lively Bilbao welcomes you in all its facets, a visit to the renowned Guggenheim Museum is for sure the crowning glory as a finale!

Itinerary at a glance

In northern Spain, you'll encounter rugged mountainous terrain and coastal areas, such as the Game of Thrones filming location at Zumaia. You'll also explore picturesque hermitages like Gaztelugatxe and magnificent port cities like Bilbao.
Day
01
Arrival in Zumaia

An absolute highlight awaits you right at the beginning of your hiking tour: rocks that drop steeply into the sea, covered with lush greenery and always offering magnificent views. On the beaches you can marvel at the jagged rock slabs that reach far into the sea. Again and again you will pass small farms scattered in the otherwise lonely and wild landscape.

Today you initially walk for a bit along the Camino Norte until you reach the colourful harbour of Mutriku. Then via a beautiful viewpoint onwards to Ondarroa, where the ascent starts to the hermitage of San Lourenzo situated in the high-lying hamlet of Azterrika. The glistening sea always within sight you finally arrive at the charming fishing harbour of Leikeitio and the island of San Nikolas.

From Lekeitio you ascend the Otoio peak. From the peak the path leads through dense oak forests down to the coast again and then descends to the little, enchanting harbour of today’s Day Finish Ea. Enjoy a stroll along the beach and through the picturesque alleyways of this very special village.

Gently hilly through the Basque landscape all the way to the harbour of Elantxobe, with its spectacular location perched on a mountainside. During a circular tour you ascend Mount Ogoño, once you reach the top you can enjoy an incredible view onto the rugged cliffs and the sea below. After this you walk back via green slopes to Elantxobe for your overnight stay at the sea.

Through lush oak forests, you climb up to the hermitage of San Pedro de Atxarre, where you will be rewarded with stunning views of the coastal town of Mundaka, Urdabai Bay and the breathtaking cliffs of the Ogoño. Afterwards you will descend to Guernica, a town of historical and cultural importance.

In the morning a short train ride to Mundaka and walk to Bermeo. From there you ascend to Burgoa, where a gorgeous panoramic view over the bay and the sea awaits. At the end of your hike your path will lead you to the hermitage of Gaztelugatxe, which is boldly situated on an island in the middle of the sea. After an extensive visit you reach the bustling harbour town Bilbao.

Day
08
Departure or extension

Itinerary at a glance

In the north of Spain, rugged mountainous terrain alternates with stretches of coastline, such as the Game of Thrones filming location near Zumaia. You can also sample the Basque specialities tapas and txakoli and explore the magnificent port cities of San Sebastián and Bilbao.
Day
01
Arrival in Hendaye

From Hendaye, you reach the sea and take the ferry across the bay of Txingudy to the Spanish harbour of Hondarribia. After a short crossing, you will reach Cabo Higuer, the western end of the Pyrenees. From there, a trail awaits you that shows the Basque Country in all its diversity: over cliffs and through green valleys - here the sea and mountains merge in a unique way. After the hike in Hondarribia, it's time for a tapas break. By ferry back to Hendaye.

Short transfer to the Jaizkibel mountain. There you will be rewarded with breathtaking views. On one side you can see the ocean 400 metres below you, on the other the first mountains of the French and Spanish Basque Country. You then follow a picturesque path along the cliffs down to Pasaia, where you cross the bay on a ferry. You walk through small bays and green coastal landscapes to San Sebastián. Once there, the famous Concha and an unforgettable evening in the Casco Viejo await you, with the best pintxos bars in the whole country.

At the beginning, you gradually climb higher and higher above San Sebastián until you reach a pleasant path that offers a marvellous view of the ocean. The last section of this stage takes you through the green Txakoli vineyards, home to the delicious Basque white wine, which you should definitely try. At the end of the day, there is a short transfer to Zumaia, situated in a beautiful bay where the rivers Urola and Narrondo meet.

In the morning by train to Zarautz. Today you have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beach atmosphere in Zarautz. Then it's time to put on your walking shoes and start the day's stage on a footpath that winds along the ocean to Getaria. Getaria is a small fishing village dominated by the San Anton lighthouse and is one of the most beautiful places on the Basque coast. You then return to Zumaia on leisurely paths.

Hike along one of the most impressive and fascinating stretches of the entire Basque coast. You will enter the Deba-Zumaia region, recently declared a coastal biotope. The route allows you to explore an uninterrupted succession of rock strata in just a few hours, representing over 50 million years of geological history layer by layer. It is one of the most important geological sanctuaries in the world. Afterwards, transfer to Bilbao, where the Guggenheim Museum awaits you.

Day
07
Departure or extension

Route information

Walking

Stunning hiking tours along the Basque coastline. Along the cliff coasts in parts we urge you to tread cautiously, a good basic fitness level and surefootedness are enough for the daily tours with maximum walking times of up to 6,5 hours. The slightly longer tours on Day 3 and Day 6 can optionally be cut short by bus or taxi.

Difficulty Level

Walking

Wonderful hikes along the Basque coast, mostly on easy paths and trails. Caution is sometimes required on the cliffs; a good basic level of fitness and surefootedness are sufficient for the daily stages of up to 6 hours.

Prices & Dates

You can book extra nights for any day of your tour. Prices upon request!

Prices per person in EUR

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accommodation in 2**- and 3*** hotels and 1x bb
  • Breakfast
  • 5 evening meal (not in Guernica and Bilbao)
  • Luggage transfer (1 piece of luggage per person)
  • 1 Transfer Gaztelugatxe – Bilbao
  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel and tour documents 1x per room (German, English)
  • GPS-data
  • Service hotline

Optional extras

  • Transfer from Bilbao centre/airport to Zumaia (up to 4 people), price per ride EUR 215. Reservation required, payable in advance.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Bilbao airport. From there by train to Zumaia in approx. 2 hours (www.euskotren.es).
  • Parking: there is a limited number of paid hotel parking spaces. Public parking spaces free of charge near the hotel, no reservation possible.
  • Return journey by train from Bilbao to Zumaia in approx. 2 hours.

Things to note

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price.
  • Train ride Guernica – Mundaka, approx. EUR 2 per person.

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accommodation in beautiful pensions and 2**- hotels as well as 1x 3***-hotel (Bilbao)
  • Breakfast (not in San Sebastián)
  • Luggage transfer
  • 1 Transfer Hendaye – Jaizkibel
  • 1 Transfer Deba - Bilbao
  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English)
  • App for navigation and GPS-data
  • Service hotline

Optional extras

  • Return transfer from Bilbao to Hendaye, costs per ride EUR 269 (Monday to Saturday) or EUR 315 (Sunday and holidays), reservation required, payable in advance.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Bilbao airport and from there by bus to Hendaye in approx. 2 hours (1x change).
  • Parking: public parking spaces near the hotel (www.hendaye-tourisme.fr).
  • Return journey by bus from Bilbao to Hendaye in approx. 2 hours (1x change).

Things to note

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price.
  • Travelling by public transport, costs approx. EUR 12 per person.
  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!
  • This tour is a partner tour.
Magdalena Widhalm

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Magdalena Widhalm
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