Basque Country Road Trip – 7 Day Itinerary for Families

Basque Country Road Trip. Over half term, the boys and I took a road trip around Spanish Basque Country. It was our first time in this area of Spain. So we wanted to pick up the main tourist attractions in this part of Spain, but it also had to be suitable for the boys. It couldn’t be just about food and wine tasting. Although there was a fair amount of eating going on. We needed the car, as it is the best way to see the region. So decided to catch the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander across the Bay of Biscay. Rather than hire a rental car.  

Our plan was to pick up the major cities in this area. San Sebstain, Bilbao and the capital of basque region of Spain, Vitoria Glasetiz. If you do not want to catch the ferry and have a Spanish road trip, Then you can fly into San Sebastian airport and pick up a hire car. You could also consider crossing over the French border to pick up some of the french Basque country. We chose not to do this because of the additional paperwork needed for the pandemic at the moment.

READ MORE – Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Santander 

 

Basque Country Road Trip

 

Day One – Cabarceno Wildlife Park and arrive in San Sebastian 

Our ferry arrived at 9 am Spanish time into Santander port on our first day. We could not get into our apartment until later afternoon. So decided to find something to do on the way. Twenty minutes or so by car from Santander is the Cabarceno Wildlife Park. And I am so glad that we found it. As it is a truly different animal park from anything I have seen in the UK. The site is built on an old quarry and spans an area of over 20km. Due to its size, you actually drive around stopping at the enclosures which are huge as you go.

It is also possible to see the animals from above via the two cable cars which are included in your ticket price. Although you can only go on each route once. There is also the opportunity to see the animals close up on foot. Despite the enclosures being the largest I have ever seen, I was surprised just how close you could get to the animals. We all fell in love with the baby elephant in particular. It is easily one of the best places we have visited zoo wise. It cost 52€ for one adult and two children. There is also a cafe on-site where you can buy lunch. We spent around four hours there but you could easily spend longer this is a great place.

Arriving in San Sebastian

From the Cabarceno Wildlife Park, it takes around two hours to drive to San Sebastian. You can either take the motorways which have tolls placed along with them. Or find an alternative route avoiding the tolls. We took the motorways which are easy to drive and mean that we could reach San Sebastian before dark. San Sebastian is like many other Spanish cities and is made up of rows of apartment blocks with shops underneath them.

They all look very similar, which is why we wanted to reach it in daylight. Many also have underground parking so keep this in mind when arranging your accommodation. Our apartment was based on the other side of the bridge in new town. Once settled we did not waste any time and headed out to get some tapas or pintxo in a local bar. 

READ MORE -Cabarceno Wildlife Park

 

Day Two – Exploring San Sebastián – Basque Country Road Trip

We had made plans to visit the Aquarium, which was about a thirty-minute walk from our apartment. Keep your eye out for greengrocers on the route. We picked up some blood oranges to eat during our walk and they were delicious. The aquarium is based down by the port area.

And it does no not open until 11 so it gave us ample time to explore some of the narrow streets of the old town. Many places will be shut early in the morning only coming to life around lunchtime. It is easy to get lost. But unlike some of the other cities we have visited google maps seems to be able to cope with the tall buildings. While wandering we can across xxx. It is free to enter so we decided to have a quick look on route.

The Aquarium

The aquarium is very popular especially when the weather is on the wet side. As well as the fish there is also a display at the beginning covering the Spanish fleet. Plus a large whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. Although it was interesting seeing all the models of the old boats. The boys were more interested in finding the fish. It is not a very big aquarium so you only need around an hour. Although we did spend quite a lot of time watching the giant bull sharks swimming around the tank and over the tunnel.

After visiting the aquarium we had plenty of time to stop for lunch in the old town. We enjoyed pintxo at Portaletas and they also had a children’s dish of breaded chicken and chips for the fussy eaters. This is something we found lacking at other restaurants and bars during our stay. Out of all the other places we ate at on our break this was by far the best pintxos bars we visited.

Once full we walked around the by to the Funicular railway to take us up to Monte Iguelduo. Not only do you get stunning views of La Concha Bay. But there is also a small fairground at the top with traditional rides. The most notable were a boat ride that takes you right around the bay. And a small rollercoaster which looks like it comes for the 20s. There were some other rides as well. You pay per ride.

The prices vary from two to three euros depending on the ride. After you have enjoyed your visit. head back down via the funicular and walk along the bay until you reach the town hall. With plenty of seating, a kid’s play area and old fashioned carousel. It is. a good place to sit to soak up the vibe of San Sebastian. If food is your thing then make sure you check out at least one of the Michelin stars restaurants.

READ MORE – Aquarium San Sebastian

Day Three – Beach & Eureka – Basque Country Spain

We had planned a beach day on our last full day in San Sebastian. However, the weather had different ideas. We did spend some time on the beach playing with the boy’s kites. The sandy beaches are on the Atlantic coast and so popular with surfers. But the sea is far too rough for the boys this time of year. Although the waves are pretty spectacular to watch.

Since the weather was not really on our side we decided to visit an inside attraction. So after our trip to the beach, we headed out of town to a museum called Eureka. It is an interactive science museum based on the business park around a fifteen-minute drive from where were staying. It is on a bus route, but I could not figure out the timetable. And was pleased to see on their website that there is a large carpark. As well as the museum itself there is a Planetarium attached to it.

The Planetarium

Sessions for the Planetarium do need to be booked in advance and please note that the show is in Spanish. The seats are angled and you half sit, half lay looking up at a huge doomed white screen. The fact the show is in Spanish does not detract from the graphics. We still really enjoyed it. A ticket for one adult and two kids for both the museum and the Planetarium costs 32€. We stayed around three hours working our way through the various sections.

After we spent the late afternoon buying souvenirs in the old town followed by dinner in one of the many Pintxo bars. Pintxo is served throughout the day from around midday onwards. Evening meals are normally only available from around 7 pm or 8 pm and a sit-down lunch from around 2 pm. This can be a bit late for children to eat and we came a cropper a couple of times. But with so many Pintxo bars to choose from you around bound to find something suitable at whatever time you would like to eat.. We really enjoyed our couple of days in San Sebastian, but it was time to move on.

 

READ MORE – Eureka

READ MORE – Things to do in San Sebastian

Day Four – San Sebastian to Bilbao or Bilbao to San Sebastian

Travelling from San Sebastian to Bilbao you have two choices. You can either take the motorways. Or if you take the coast road from San Sebastian to Bilbao then you will pass through some lovely villages and small towns on the scenic route. The views are stunning across the rugged Basque coast and well worth the extra time when compared to the motorway. There are also a large number of laybys so that you can stop and take photos without clogging up the road.

We stopped at Zaratuz on the route which would make a great day trip from San Sebastian. Attracted by the car park right on the seafront and the promise of the longest beach in the area. We arrived late morning and before hitting the beach we had a little wander around the town. Stopping for a late breakfast of tea and croissants. There is not much to the village itself when compared to some of the larger towns. But we did find a small undercover market. Selling fruit, veg, fish and meat. Plus wine which is made in the village itself from its own vines that you can see from the beach.

The beach…

The beach is vast when the tide is out. It is definitely worth coinciding with your visit with the tide being out we were lucky that this was the case when we visited. As it also uncovers some rock pools. And although we did not find much other than some crabs which were not very friendly. It still gave us a lot of sand to play and run around on. A lot of this is lost to the tide otherwise. If you do not fancy stopping at a beach. Then an alternative stopping point on your Basque Country Road Trip could be san juan de gaztelugatxe. This had been our intention initially but it was closed when we visited.

It was about an hour’s drive from Zaratuz to Bilbao. Meaning that arrived in Bilbao late afternoon and settled into our new apartment. The city has an interesting one-way system so if you are staying in the centre be warned! I think we drove around several times trying to find a particular road. As soon as we were settled we headed out for dinner. Rather than pinpoint a particular restaurant we visited an undercover market called Ribera Market. Here there is a selection of different bars all selling pintxo, tapas and drinks. With a large seating area in the middle. We also tried out the national desert of Bilbao from one of the stalls. I can imagine that it gets busy especially in the Summer months as you can sit outside overlooking the river.

 

Day Five – Exploring the city of Bilbao – Basque Country Road Trip

We only had one full day in Bilbao city center during our trip, in hindsight, you could definitely do with more time in this beautiful city. Our first stop was the metro which is very easy to navigate and the ticket machines are in English. It is such a large city that it is likely you will need to use it. The stations are clearly signposted and the trains clean. For a single trip, it costs 1.90€ each. We headed out of the city up to the port area to visit the UNESCO Vizcaya Bridge.

The trip took around twenty minutes on the metro. The bridge is really something. Not only can you travel on the gondola that hangs underneath the bridge but you can also buy tickets to go across the top of it. It cost 28€ for the three of us. This included as much time as we wanted on the bridge and two trips on th Gondola. 

Visiting the Guggnheim

We stopped for lunch by the bridge finding a good pintxo bar in the square next to the Areeta tube station. Before returning on the metro to the centre and visiting the famous Guggenheim museum. Which has to be the main attraction in Bilbao. Children visit for free and an adult ticket costs 13€. We spent a couple of hours wandering about the various pieces of art. Some are more inspiring than others.

Once we had finished getting our cultural fix. We decided to walk along the river in front of the impressive looking building. Catching the dry ice show that goes off at certain intervals throughout the day. The river was so still that it mirrored the buildings lining it perfectly. From the Guggenheim, it is only a short walk to the Funicular which takes you up to Artxanda park. There is not a huge amount to do in the park. But it does give you wonderful views across the city. There are a couple of restaurants too if you wanted to eat out and catch the sunset.

READ MORE – Unseco Vizcaya Bridge

READ MORE – Things to do in Bilbao

DAY Six – Bilbao to Vitoria Gasteiz – Basque Country Road Trip

The last stop inour road trip was Vitoria Gasteiz. On route from Bilbao, we took a little detour to visit the Salt Valley of Añana. Located in a small village it is a popular destinations. You need to book in advance and they sell out quickly, especially if you would like a tour in English. It is only about half an hour away by car from Bilbao. From May to September they harvest salt from the naturally occurring spring. Despite not being close to the sea, salt has been harvested in the same way for over 7000 years.

During this time the whole valley is transformed into a sea of white. It was a really interesting tour telling us about how they harvest the salt and why they use the methods that they do. We also had a salt tasting session afterwards which is an extra cost. During the Summer months, they also offer you the chance to use the open-air spa. We were there for about two hours it cost 19€ for the three of us including the salt tasting.

Once back in the car we headed to Vitoria Gasteiz which was about an hour’s drive. Again on motorways with tolls. We had booked a central hotel – Hotel Silken Ciudad de Vitoria with underground parking. Once we has settled we went out looking for dinner again. Heading towards the Plaza de España Square which has many tapas and pintxo restaurants around it. 

READ MORE – Salt Valley of Añana

Day Seven – Exploring Vitoria Gasteiz – Basque Country Spain

Compared to the other places on our road trip. Vitoria Gasteiz has the least to do for children despite being surrounded by green hills. In the morning we headed out to find a play area with a 33m pirate ship. It is a little out of town and so quite a walk. Although you can catch a tram to it. Which is what we did on the way back. It is easy to buy a tram ticket at each stop and the ticket machine is in English. A single ticket cost 1.30€.

Our next stop was the old quarter to find some of the murals. There is a trail of 18 of them. They really are pieces of art each depicting an important message. Stretching from the bottom right up to the top many are over 30ft tall. We found about half of them before stopping for lunch and something sweet before visiting the Natural History Museum. Only a small museum it is free to enter and has a lot of exhibits for its size. The boys were particularly interested in the dinosaur bones and all of the rocks and gems they had on display. It was nice to see some of the descriptions in English as well.

In the evening we headed back out to the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca to get some Churros. Since this had been on Charlie’s list since we arrived in Spain. He was pleased that we managed to find some. They are a lot bigger than the ones I have seen in the UK. We shared five and there was still some leftover.

Day Eight – Leaving Spain and the end of our Basque Country Road Trip

Vitoria Gasteiz is about two hours from Santander port. So we decided to make a final stop at HyperCor on the outskirts of Santander. Hypercor is a huge supermarket. Wher food and wine only make up a small area in this department store spreading over four floors. My intention was to pick up some Spanish wine at a very good price before arriving at the ferry port for our return. They had an offer on with some bottles having up to 70% off if you brought two or more. Plus they had a very good selection of Spanish wine so if you are considering doing the same then I would recommend a visit.

We had the best time in Basque County Spain even though we didn’t have enough time. There is still so much to do in the area I am sure we will be back. Have you ever visited the Basque Country? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. What would be on your Basque Country Spain itinerary?

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