Travel
Visitors to northeastern Spain rarely make it to this little-explored Basque region curled around Bilbao, where sandy coves, rock hermitages and mythology-soaked hills beckon adventurous souls.
ByDaniel Stables
Published October 26, 2023
• 13 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Anchored by the city of Bilbao, the Basque province of Biscay in northern Spain encompasses some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes and one of Spain’s most distinctive cultures. Forest-covered mountains hide alpine cabins and religious sanctuaries where Christianity rubs shoulders with pagan Basque mythology, while the coastline is peppered with coves, caves and islands. The region is also spared the blistering heat of southern Spain and there’s just enough rain to keep the countryside a glittering emerald green. And those who prefer not to fly can reach Biscay easily via the twice-weekly ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao.
Food is another highlight. The Cantabrian Coast delivers a rich bounty of seafood — eels, cod and anchovies are particularly celebrated — that’s put to magnificent use in the region’s many acclaimed restaurants. Basque people are fiercely independent and proud of their cultural heritage — which is evident in local kitchens. Join the locals in a txikiteo (bar-hopping, while munching on pintxos and quaffing Basque white wine), and you’ll be welcomed as an old friend.
Day one: Beaches & biosphere exploration
Morning
Where the suburbs of Bilbao meet the Bay of Biscay, marvel at the mighty Vizcaya Bridge, the world’s first transporter bridge. The towering span of latticed metal was built in 1893 to transport iron across the River Nervión. Pick up an audio guide at the ground-level information centre to learn about the region’s rich iron-mining heritage, then ascend in a lift for views of the medieval towns of Getxo and Portugalete.
Continue north east to the surfers’ beach at Sopela, pausing to admire rock formations known as flysch, which line the sand. Tectonic activity has caused the rock layers to splay outward, concertina-like. Take a refreshing dip before a seafood lunch at beachside El Peñón restaurant.
Afternoon
After lunch, drive 45 minutes east to the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, an estuary region where land meets sea in a shifting mandala of sandbanks, oak forests and salt marshes. Tour operator Hegaluze runs boat trips from the pretty medieval harbour town of Bermeo to sea coves and the remains of a Franciscan hermitage on the island of Ízaro. Today, you’ll find only cormorants and gulls pecking among the ruins. Another route leads from the craggy Cape of Matxitxako to the islet of Gaztelugatxe, its coast riddled with rock arches. Disembark to ascend a winding stairway to a terracotta-roofed chapel. The coastline is also a good place for beaked, sperm and pilot whale sightings between April and October.
Evening
Back on dry land, make the short drive from Bermeo to the Cape of Matxitxako, joining the crowds watching the sun set over the Bay of Biscay to the west. Then, head back to cloister yourself in Bermeo’s cosy tavernas for a night of txikiteo (bar-hopping centred around pintxos, the Basque version of tapas). Favoured local haunts include Kafe Loidxie and Bar Beti Ondo, but just follow the crowds and you won’t go far wrong.
Pintxos can involve any number of ingredients — anchovies, piquillo peppers, goat’s cheese — nearly always skewered on a stick with a piece of bread. The accompanying drink of choice in this area is txakoli, a dry white wine with just a hint of bubbliness, produced in vineyards across Biscay.
Day two: Religious history & forest art
Morning
Begin your exploration of Biscay’s forested interior with a visit to Bosque de Oma, where artist Agustín Ibarolla has created a forest art installation by painting tree trunks with colourful plants, animals and geometric patterns. The work reflects humanity’s relationship with nature — something you can also marvel at in the nearby Santimamiñe Caves, its walls adorned with paintings of bison, deer, horses and bears dating back 14,000 years.
From here, drive east for half an hour to the Hermitage of San Miguel de Arretxinaga, where a chapel has been built around three huge boulders. The church lies on the famous Camino del Norte pilgrimage route. Walk a stretch of it before lunch.
Afternoon
Head back to the coast and the pretty town of Lekeitio for a Basque feast at Egaña. The restaurant specialises in traditional food. Dishes vary according to the availability of ingredients, but might include baby squid in its own ink or mamia, a curdled sheep’s curd dessert.After lunch, take a walk along Lekeitio’s waterfront, lined with colourful 19th-century buildings, and then pop in to the Basílica de la Asunción de Santa María, whose golden Flemish-gothic altarpiece, depicting the life of Jesus in gilded panels, is one of the most impressive sights in Biscay. Afterwards, make for the local beach to swim, sunbathe or rent kayaks or standup paddleboards from UR Lekeitio.
Evening
As the tide goes out in Lekeitio, a miracle occurs: a wooden walkway appears from the sea, leading from the main beach to pretty Saint Nicolás Island. Once a quarantine island for plague victims, today it’s a picture of tranquillity, tufted with pine trees. If tide times allow, explore the ruins of a 16th-century hermitage, before ascending to the tiny island’s summit for views of Lekeitio and the Biscay coast.
As the evening draws in, drive inland to the Atxondo Valley, where forests and craggy mountains are often wreathed in mist. Overlooking the landscape is Mendi Goikoa Bekoa, an 18th-century farmhouse restaurant with rooms serving Basque delicacies such as veal cheek, tuna belly salad or tripe soup.
Go further: Basque Mythology
Symbols and carvings
Within the Atxondo Valley, you’ll notice a symbol resembling a propeller adorning the front of many of the houses. Known as the lauburu, this is the most famous symbol of Basque culture, said to predate the arrival of Christianity. It’s one of many ancient esoteric symbols on show throughout the region. At the Necropolis of Argiñeta and Chapel of San Ádrian, just outside the walled medieval town of Elorrio, pagan carvings still sit side by side with Christian inscriptions and symbols. The former has a sacred grove of trees enclosing a remarkable collection of sarcophagi, dating to the seventh century, while the latter houses pagan astral carvings beneath a crucifix.
Atxondo Valley
Christianity came to the Basque Country as early as the seventh century, but the old gods never really left. That’s just as well, because they make up a vivid cast of characters who add colour and life to the region’s already vibrant natural and cultural landscapes. Mari, the goddess of the Basques, is said to dwell in a cave near the summit of Anboto, a mighty limestone peak that looms over the Atxondo Valley. This is a popular place with mountain bikers and hikers, dotted with alpine cottages and celebrated restaurants in villages such as Arrazola. As you explore the trails, cast your eyes to the top of the mountain, where Mari and her consort, Sugaar, are said to summon storms and preside over witches’ sabbaths.
Izenaduba Basoa
The story of Olentzero, the regional equivalent of Santa Claus, is a vivid example of Basque Christian-pagan fusion. Olentzero is depicted as a mythical giant in the garb of an old peasant man, who comes down from the mountains bearing presents each Christmas Eve. In the town of Mungia, a beautifully preserved 16th-century farmhouse called Izenaduba Basoa is said to be the home of Olentzero. It’s been turned into a kind of theme park for Basque mythology, with costumed characters and interactive displays telling the story of many of the region’s most famous characters, from Mari and Olentzero to Basajaun, a hairy wild man of the woods, and Tartalo, a one-eyed giant.
Top five local specialities
1. Idiazabal
The milk of the long-haired Latxa and Carranzana sheep, which graze the Biscay hillsides, is used to produce this hard cheese with a smoky, nutty flavour. It’s often served with quince jelly — a delicious way to round off any Basque feast.
2. Percebes
They don’t look very appetising — rather like a dog’s foot, in fact — but pull open the scaly exterior of these goose-neck barnacles and you’ll find delicious, salty flesh within; a pure taste of the ocean to rival the best oysters. They’re dangerous to harvest, and as such are a prized delicacy.
3. Kalimotxo
Red wine and cola may not sound like the most obvious combination, but that’s exactly what stars in this surprisingly refreshing drink. It was invented, so the story goes, in the Old Port of Algorta, close to Sopela, when festival organisers worried they were going to run out of wine.
4. Basque cheesecake
This photogenic Basque speciality is a hit on social media. Unlike traditional cheesecakes, it doesn’t have a biscuity base, but is instead baked to give it a delicious, caramelised outer layer — hence why it’s sometimes described as ‘burnt cheesecake’.
5. Sagardo
While local sparkling white wine txakoli is the most common accompaniment to pintxos, the region’s other signature drink is sagardo, or Basque cider. It’s still, rather than fizzy, and can be found at traditional sagardotegis (cider houses) from mid-January to April, accompanied by cod, steak and cheese.
Top three viewpoints
1. Mirador de las Tres Cruces
Urkiola Natural Park has some of Biscay’s most impressive alpine hiking trails. For the best viewpoint, walk the forest path from the Sanctuary of Urkiola to the Mirador de las Tres Cruces, where three huge crosses frame mighty mountain views.
2. Balcony of Biscay
The Balcón de Bizkaia viewpoint is in the foothills of Mount Oiz on the outskirts of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Just off the BI-3231, it’s easily reached by car and promises an abundance of hilly, forested countryside where, legend has it, witches gather after nightfall.
3. Ermita de San Pedro de Atxarre
The lookout point from the summit of Mount Atxarre, near the town of Ibarrangelu, is enough to inspire religious fervour in even the sternest non-believer. The climb to the 15th-century hermitage of San Pedro is steep in places, but commands majestic views over oak woodlands.
How to do it
EasyJet and Vueling fly to Bilbao daily from British airports including Manchester, London Gatwick and Bristol. Brittany Ferries has twice-a-week sailings from Portsmouth to Bilbao, with the option to take a car — this saves you having to rent a car on arrival, which is otherwise recommended, as the more rural parts of Biscay are difficult to reach using public transport.
More information
visitbiscay.eus
This story was created with the support of Visit Biscay.
Published in the November 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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