The Beautiful Basque Country

We meet our Tour Manager and fellow travellers this morning at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in spacious Standard Premier Class we are served a light meal at our seats. From Paris, we continue by First Class rail to the coastal French town of Hendaye, situated on a scenic estuary which marks the Spanish border. Arriving in the early evening, we're met by a coach to take us over the border to charming Hondarribia, where we spend the next seven nights.

Our fabulous hotel is the 4-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th century castle which overlooks the cobblestoned Plaza de Armas, the main square of the Old Town, and beyond to the Cantabrian Sea. Below us is the attractive La Marina, a vibrant neighbourhood whose pedestrianised avenues are lined with traditional Basque houses, with brightly-painted shutters and balconies overflowing with geraniums. La Marina has a lively but laid-back atmosphere with a great mix of restaurants serving high quality cuisine.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

Today we visit the stunning city of San Sebastián, just half an hour away, by coach. With its idyllic setting, overlooking the gorgeous La Concha Bay, the city has a glamorous past as a wealthy seaside resort. Today it is regarded as the culinary capital of Spain, and is celebrated for its pintxos, a Basque interpretation of tapas. This style of eating is so much a part of the local culture, it even has its own name - 'El Txikiteo' - a tradition which essentially means to socialise while snacking on pintxos. After a guided walking tour of the city's sights we try it for ourselves over lunchtime.

After our pintxos experience, you're free for the rest of the afternoon to enjoy San Sebastián at your leisure. With the golden beach close by and easy to access on foot, you may wish to take a dip in the warm sea. Or you could take a boat trip out to the nearby island of Santa Clara. To discover more about San Sebastián's heritage you may like to visit the San Telmo Museum in the Old Town, which is dedicated to Basque culture and history. The building's modern façade hides a surprising interior - a beautiful 16th century Dominican convent which is the Basque Country's oldest museum.

We return to Hondarribia in the afternoon and your evening is free to spend as you wish.

• Breakfast, Lunch

After a leisurely morning, we set out by coach just across the border to the vibrant French fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where you're free to look around and maybe walk along the seafront promenade. This charming resort is treasured for its architecture, beautiful swimming bay and colourful Basque houses. The quality of its cuisine is also highly rated, and there's free time over lunch to sample some of this.

This afternoon we enjoy two highlights of our holiday. First we board the Petit Train de La Rhune for a journey to the summit of La Rhune, the emblematic mountain of the Basque Country. Travelling in vintage carriages of this 1920s rack railway, we admire panoramic views across the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. At certain times of the year, we may even see the small, semi-feral ponies - known locally as 'pottok' - who graze this high up.

After our descent, we are taken by coach to a wonderful artisanal cider house and restaurant in Ascain, named Txopinondo. Here, after a tour and short film about traditional cider production, we enjoy an authentic Basque four-course meal. This includes a delicious variety of apple-based drinks and condiments with rustic appetisers of chorizo, tortilla with cod and potatoes, followed by chargrilled prime ribs - rounded off with sheep's cheese, nuts, Basque cake and apple brandies - all produced on site.  

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is free to get to know the coastal town of Hondarribia better. Considered to be one of the most beautiful Basque Country towns, this colourful fishing village has plenty to offer. As you may have noticed, the town is a characterful blend of French and Spanish Basque influences in its architecture, cuisine and culture.

The best way to explore is to walk through the well-preserved Old Town, signposted as the Casco Antiguo, from the Santa Maria Gate to the San Nicolas Gate of the fortified walls. Here you'll discover its main medieval street, with a mix of churches, traditional Basque-style houses and Baroque buildings which have stood for centuries.

This evening you could visit one or more pintxo bars to sample a variety of delicious flavours along with a glass of local wine. Although much smaller than San Sebastián, the town has an excellent reputation for cuisine and - with at least one Michelin starred restaurant - attracts many aspiring chefs who gain valuable experience here. Wander through the Old Town or down to La Marina and you'll find a variety of restaurants where you can indulge in typical Basque dishes.

• Breakfast

Today we make our way by coach to Bilbao, a city set between the Cantabrian mountains on the banks of the River Nervión, known as the creative heart of the Basque Country. Our destination is the avant-garde Guggenheim Museum. Devoted to modern, contemporary work by artists such as Jeff Koons and Louise Bourgeois, the museum itself - with its curvy, titanium-clad exterior designed by Frank Gehry - is an architectural showpiece.

After time to view the different exhibitions, you're free in Bilbao to explore independently. Cross the bridge to the Old Town - Casco Viejo - where you'll find many restaurants or cafés with tempting pintxos or seafood for lunch. You may also like to visit the pretty Arenal Gardens, at the gateway to the historical quarter, to sit amid the peaceful shady foliage. You may like to visit the Baroque opera house, Bilbao's cathedral, or the popular La Ribera market, on the riverside.

Alternatively, you could ride to the top of Mount Artxanda by funicular railway, or take a boat ride along the Ría de Bilbao. Other modern buildings in Bilbao which are worthy of attention include the Alhóndiga Cultural and Leisure Centre, an innovative renovation of a former wine cellar by French architect, Phillippe Starck.

This evening back in Hondarribia we enjoy a wonderful three-course dinner at a local restaurant, Zeria, owned and operated by the same family since 1965 and located in a 16th century building.

• Breakfast

Today, the last full day of our time in the Basque Country, promises to be delightful and a highlight of our trip. We set out by coach after breakfast to our first destination, the medieval village of Laguardia, which has a dramatic mountain backdrop. This hill-top village is the gateway to the winelands, and we have free time to explore. We continue for a guided wine tasting in a fascinating cellar, beneath the Palace of the Samaniegos, where the 18th century writer Félix María de Samaniego was inspired to write his fabulist fiction.

We continue into the surrounding countryside for lunch at a modern winery in a fantastic building. The winery's glass frontage offers beautiful views of the Rioja valley and Cantabrian hills, which we enjoy with our food, which is creatively paired with more delicious local Rioja. We return to our hotel in Hondarribia at the end of the afternoon. With our last evening free, there's time to relax and revisit your favourite spot in the Casco Antigo, or La Marina neighbourhood.

• Breakfast

With another chance to explore at leisure today, you could walk along the Hondarribia seafront promenade. From the marina, follow the Butrón Boardwalk along the waterside for wonderful views of the estuary across to Hendaye, on the opposite bank of the Bidasoa River. The Bay Path, or Camino de la Bahia, is a trail of around 14 kilometres that spans the waterfront between the eastern end of Hendaye's beach and Hondarribia's lighthouse. Hondarribia has an inviting sandy beach, which is a lovely place to swim and maybe relax on a sun bed with a book. Facilities include a lifeguard, bathrooms, showers and changing rooms, and the beach also has a few bars and restaurants.

If you'd like to explore further, there's a bus service from Hondarribia to Hendaye, which has a train station with direct connections to French Basque towns such as St Jean de Luz (12 minutes) and Biarritz (25 minutes). There's also a ferry service between Hondarribia and Hendaye which takes around 10 minutes. If you happen to be visiting in September, this is the month of the town's main festivities - the fiesta of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the city's patron saint. Expect celebrations, colourful parades and fabulous displays of fireworks.

• Breakfast, Lunch

We bid farewell to the Basque Country after breakfast today, transferring by coach to Hendaye for our First Class rail journey to Paris. Enroute there's time to reflect on our many experiences and perhaps to view some of our digital images. From Paris we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras, travelling in spacious Standard Premier Class with a light meal served at our seats. We arrive in London St Pancras International in the evening and say goodbye to our travelling companions and new friends who have shared these memorable moments with us.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal