Northern Spain: Basque Country & Rioja

Arrive in Bilbao and transfer to our hotel in the heart of the city. Our journey begins in Bilbao, gateway to Spain’s Basque Country. Over a welcome presentation and drinks with our Expedition Leader, get oriented to the days ahead, anticipating the coastal landscapes, vineyards, food traditions and communities we’ll encounter across Basque territory and the Rioja wine region. This evening, we sit down together for a welcome dinner, beginning our exploration of northern Spain through one of the themes that will connect the entire journey—its globally famous regional cuisine.

Leaving Bilbao, we head toward the Basque Coast, where green hills and chalky limestone cliffs meet the Atlantic Ocean, and small fishing communities are inextricably tied to the sea. A coastal walk on the Ruta de Flysch, or Flysch Route, offers a close-up look at this dramatic landscape of lush headlands, jagged rock faces and sea-carved caves, part of the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark. The path is named for the flysch formations, unique sedimentary rocks that comprise alternating layers of shale and sandstone, formed some 60 million years ago and exposed by erosion into layered strata. Sometimes called a “geological open book,” the folds in the stone tableau reveals dynamic forces and crises that have shaped our planet, including one layer that marks the last of the five mass extinctions that have occurred throughout Earth’s history.

Continue to the town of Zumaia, which lies at one end of the Flysch Route. In this Basque cultural stronghold, the native tongue—Euskera, one of the world’s oldest living languages—is frequently heard. A special lunch awaits at our friend Alvaro’s borda—a traditional stone and wood mountain hut in Basque Country. Afterward, board our private boat for a cruise from Zumaia, getting a different perspective on the striking coastline. This evening, we reach San Sebastian, where we spend the next three nights.

The countryside beyond San Sebastian is our focus today, starting with a visit to a local market to see the bounty of regional produce and fresh fare offered for sale. Next, we're hosted on a small farm where we learn about longstanding agricultural traditions, meet shepherds and get a close-up look at the cheesemaking process, with tastings. Lunch follows at a traditional cider house, highlighting another essential element of Basque food culture centered on its abundant apple orchards. Known as sagardotegiak, cider houses are traditional culinary institutions centered around tasting natural, tart, uncarbonated cider straight from giant wooden barrels. When a fresh barrel is tapped, "Txotx" (pronounced chotch) is called out, indicating the cider is ready for drinking. Guests line up with their glasses to catch a thin stream of cider poured from on high, aerating the beverage to release its sharp, natural fizz and aroma.

Our focus on special food experiences continues over dinner, where we are hosted in a stylish contemporary art gallery in the heart of San Sebastian featuring the work of Iñigo Manterola. In this intimate space, we join the artist, whose work spans oil painting, drawing and large-scale sculpture, to learn about his creative process, tour his studio, and enjoy a meal together surrounded by his work.

Today is devoted to discovering San Sebastian and the cultural traditions that give the city its vital identity. Originating as a medieval fishing port on a protected bay in the 12^th century, the town evolved over the centuries into a whaling center and export hub for iron, wool and maritime trade. Whaling ended in 1985, around the time local chefs were putting the city on the map anew with the New Basque Cuisine movement, turning it into a global culinary destination with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.

Food is central to life here, and we experience that firsthand on a pintxo crawl through San Sebastian, joining our Expedition Leader on a walking tour as we hop between local bars to sample these small dishes for which the city is renowned. There’s time to wander, shop, people-watch and explore on your own, too, before we reconvene for a most unique dinner experience that is a distinctive feature of Basque life: the txoko, or private gastronomic society. These members-only gathering places are an important part of the region’s food culture and social traditions. This evening, we are welcomed inside one for a private dinner—an intimate introduction to an exclusive setting most visitors never experience.

This morning offers a classic northern Spain experience: a chance to walk a section of the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrimage route that leads to the shrine of Saint James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Established in the beginning of the 9th century following the discovery of the relics of the apostle James, the “Way of Saint James” became a major pilgrimage route of medieval Christianity. Afterward, we stop for lunch accompanied by a classic Basque wine, txakoli. The slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity is typically served as a refreshing aperitif.

Continuing inland, the scenery transitions to wine country as we enter the vineyards of Rioja Alavesa in the Ebro River Valley. This subregion of the greater Rioja area is especially renowned for its Tempranillo grapes, a product of the clay-limestone terroir distinct to the area. The soil provides ideal growing conditions to produce the regional red wines famed for their strong body and structure. We’ll make a deep dive into Rioja wine culture during a two-night stay at La Casa Cosme Palacio, Spain's premier "by invitation only" luxury winery estate. This historic working enterprise and its fine lodgings are reserved exclusively for our group. After an introduction to the property, dinner is served in the impressive cellar as the estate’s fine vintages are paired with our meal courses.

Our immersion in Rioja continues with a closer look at the ingredients behind the region’s cuisine. This morning, join a chef from the in-house culinary team at La Casa Cosme Palacio for a walk in the estate’s organic garden to learn about the produce and local botanicals used in preparing the kitchen’s acclaimed meals. Harvest seasonal produce and culinary herbs as we learn about sustainable farming methods integrated into the estate. The freshly picked ingredients are used to create the beautiful multi-course meals we enjoy during our stay.

After an olive oil tasting, head to nearby Laguardia, the center of Rioja Alavesa, whose streets sit above a network of historic wine cellars. Take a guided walk through the town with a private tour of the Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes. Construction on the church began at the end of the 12th century in Romanesque style, however, the sanctuary was not fully finished until the 16th century, adding layers of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The magnificent polychrome portico is the church's most outstanding feature: Carved in stone in the 14th century and depicting Biblical scenes in extraordinary detail, it was embellished with color in the 17th century, making the intricate figures appear to come to life.

After some time to wander around Laguardia on your own, we return to the estate vineyards with the option to explore by 4x4 or on foot, learning more about the grape-growing and winemaking process. This evening, enjoy an artisanal cheese tasting with cheesemaker Alessia before a sumptuous dinner in the gardens.

Enjoy a relaxed morning at our wine estate before gathering for lunch at Casa Cosme. Then it’s time to leave Rioja and return to the Basque coast, traveling north to Hotel Nafarrola, our home for the next three nights. Located outside the picturesque town of Bormeo, Nafarrola offers boutique accommodations in an eco-friendly restored farmhouse built of stone, wood and plaster. Designed for a conscious, slower-paced stay, Nafarrola enjoys a private estate setting surrounded by nature, with a river flowing through the premises. Trails wind among centuries-old oaks and maritime pines, and wildlife like roe deer, wild boar, woodpeckers and cuckoos are fellow residents. Once we arrive and get situated in our rooms, we join our local host for a tour of the property and a glass of Txakoli made from grapes grown in Nafarrola's vineyards. Dinner is an intimate affair, featuring more outstanding Basque fare in the hotel’s Michelin guide-listed restaurant.

Nafarrola is located in the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO In 1984 for its outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity. At its heart is the River Oka, born on the slopes of Mount Oiz, which flows to the sea in a productive estuary at Mundaka. These spectacular wetlands teem with birdlife, including fish eagles, spoonbills and Eurasian bittern, rarely seen elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula. In this region, coast, estuary, fishing villages and countryside come together in a harmonious mosaic. Take a walk at Gaztelugatxe, a dramatic islet in the Bay of Biscay connected to the mainland by a footbridge. Its name in Basque means “castle rock,” and the cone-shaped promontory is one of the region’s most striking coastal settings, with sheer cliffs and pristine beaches below.

Continue to the village of Mundaka, once most prominent as a center for fishing and maritime trade but today renowned for the best surfing on the Basque coast. The estuary at the river’s mouth has created a perfect sandbar that forms hollow waves, including Europe’s best left-handed barrel wave, often reaching heights of 13 feet. After a beachside lunch, there may be time for swimming and relaxing on the shore before turning inland to Guernica, the traditional center of Basque history. On a hillside above the town is the historic symbol of Basque identity: the oak tree of Guernica, beneath which generations of Basque leaders and Spanish kings have sworn to respect this fiercely independent region. Guernica gained notoriety in April 1937 when this market town was obliterated in three hours of bombing by Nazi planes, allies of Generalisimo Franco’s fascists in the Spanish Civil War—the first total destruction of a civilian target from the air. International outrage included massive public demonstrations and the painting by Picasso, called Guernica, a copy of which still hangs outside the UN Security Council.

Early risers may begin the day with an optional sunrise walk before we head to the nearby seaside town of Bermeo, the most important fishing port in the Basque region and home to one of Spain’s largest fishing fleets. Founded in the 13^th century and steeped in maritime heritage, Bermeo is a picturesque town with brightly colored houses stacked on the hillside above the lively harbor. We delve into its seafaring traditions this morning, visiting with fishermen’s wives who tell us personal stories about their families’ connection to Bermeo’s main commercial enterprise. The main catches here are tuna, mackerel and anchovies, and we visit an anchovy-processing factory to learn how these small fish move from sea to table. Take a walk through Bermeo’s old quarter before gathering for a local storytelling experience with a colorful raconteur. For lunch, we return to one of the journey’s defining cultural traditions, sharing a meal in the intimate setting of a Basque gastronomic society. Our final full day winds up with a farewell dinner at the home of a Basque family.

After breakfast, our journey through Basque Country and Rioja winds to a close. Depart Nafarrola this morning and transfer a short distance to Bilbao, continuing to the airport where our tour concludes. Though we may be reluctant to leave this unique corner of the world with its dynamic and hospitable hosts, our hearts are full, with a rich experience of Basque Country and Rioja—a place where land, sea, food and culture have been inextricably intertwined for centuries.