Celebrate summer in Spain’s Basque Country!
Called El Pais Vasco in Spanish, this magical region— where mountain peaks reach for the sky and sublime rocky coves are a-shimmer with clear Atlantic waters—is the stuff storybooks are made of!
Need a change of scenery? Take a fantasy journey to the enchanting Basque countryside in northern Spain where mountain villages with chalet-style storybook homes skirt babbling streams . . . native ponies ( pottokas) gallop along dramatic cliffs . . . and fishing villages host dazzling markets displaying crimson- colored dried peppers, heaps of bright green cabbages and silvery fish laid out in intricate patterns on marble slabs!
Imagine wandering unspoiled beaches, stopping to swim in crystal-clear Atlantic waters . . . hiking past beech and fir trees in the pristine Irati Forest, watching out for white-backed woodpeckers . . . or taking a leisurely stroll alongside the water on the Concha promenade in the glittering resort town of San Sebastián.
When your tummy starts to rumble, fill it at a pintxo bar (Basque for tapas) or at a friendly café with local dishes, such as piperrade (peppers and eggs) and codfish croquettes. Picture being awestruck in Bilbao by the curvaceous Guggenheim Museum, named by Conde Nast Traveler “the most beautiful museum in the world!”
The perfect fairy-tale ending to your getaway? Close your eyes and imagine enjoying a late-night private swim in a lap pool atop a stone tower at the beautifully refurbished medieval Arteaga Castle in Biscay before tucking yourself in for a night of sweet dreams!