You have a date with water. The city that reinvented itself to look towards the future with all the strength of its past.
Fishing ports where maritime tradition continues into the present, lending character to its villages and people.
Medieval town centres whose narrow cobblestone streets beckon all who will listen to its stories of the past.
Moody waves: sometimes calm, but more often unruly. Apart from their character, some have their own name and are known the world over.
Connecting them all is a winding umbilical cord of asphalt that plays hide and seek with the sea along its entire coast.
Here, sand and mountains etch out defiant cliffs with two hands.
Can you hear the seagulls lurking in the port? Can you feel the salt in the air and on your skin? Can you see the colours swirling in Urdaibai’s marshes like a natural oil painting? This route tastes of Bermeo’s marmitako and Bakio’s txakoli. It smells of the mountains and fresh fish from the high seas. It speaks of a land that seems rugged until you let yourself be embraced by it.
The first stage of the Grand Tour is a route along the Basque coast,starting in the Bilbao estuary and ending in one of the most visited fishing villages on the Basque coast, Lekeitio. Let yourself be surprised by a unique experience that captures the welcoming essence of our destination.
Discover the heart of the Basque coast on this exciting first stage of the Grand Tour. From the modernity of Bilbao to the coastal beauty of Lekeitio, this route immerses you in the culture, history and gastronomy of the Basque Country.
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Whether you like to enjoy activities your way or prefer to do them on a guided basis, explore all the things you can do while discovering the wonders of the Basque coast.
Although the options are endless in this gastronomic destination par excellence, we suggest 4 options for tasting the typical products of this stage along the coast.
Basque Cuisine, renowned worldwide, reflects the culinary richness of the Basque Country.
On your route along the Basque coast you can’t miss out on specialities such as canned products, cod in pil-pil sauce or marmitako paired with a good txakoli. On your way through Bilbao, don’t forget to sweeten your palate with a Carolina or the famous butter bun.