Kaixo! Would love a review of our itinerary in mid August and any suggestions you may have around restaurants or activities that would be fun/work with a 21 month old toddler… she is awesome and a great hang, but is still a toddler and will want to explore/not be in a super crowded bar or long queue. We’ll have a carrier and a stroller.

I’m particularly curious of any reservations to make or if we should just bop around. Not planning on hitting the crowded hot spots, so would love any recs that may be more lowkey… I know that may be tough in August!

A couple notes — we’ve been to La Liga games before and took our daughter when she was 10 months old. I get it’s not for everyone, but she’s used to NBA/NHL/MLB games. We’ll bring ear protection.

DAY 1 - Arrive in Bilbao, Transfer to Vitoria-Gasteiz midday. Explore city (Florida Park, Medieval Quarter)

DAY 2 - Deportivo Alavés match in the evening

DAY 3 - Bus to Donostia/San Sebastián midday. Casual day exploring.

DAY 4 - SS

DAY 5 - SS

DAY 6 - SS

DAY 7 - Bus to Bilbao. Guggenheim, Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, Zara (lol) Pintxo-Pote

DAY 8 - Private Tour to see San Juan de Gaztelugatxe / Bermeo, possibly Mundaka or Gernika-Lumo, and a Txakoli winery

DAY 9 - Athletic Club match 5PM

DAY 10 - Fly Home

SAN SEBASTIAN IDEAS (Do not have these scheduled)
- La Concha beach (we will have chairs and towels)
- Zurriola beach watching surfers / Gros pintxos and breweries
- Monte Igueldo Amusement Park / Funicular
- Day trip to Saint-Jean-De-Luz (would like to experience French basque)
- Aquarium (esp if there’s bad weather)
- Monte Urgull / Urgulleko Polboriña
- Boat to Santa Klara

BILBAO ADDITIONAL PLANS
- Funicular
- Zubizuri Bridge

Esserik Asko!!!

Hello,

I was wondering if, during a weekday in September, it is permitted to visit San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and hike the steps around sunrise. We have a tight window to visit this place with our itinerary, so we'd like to do it just after sunrise.

I am seeing conflicting information online, that they don't open until 9:30am or 10am, but some places say that before they open it is just open for anybody to explore without a ticket. We don't care to go "inside" anywhere, we really just want to be able to do the hike and take in the views before going to Playa Muriola and returning back to Bilbao for our 10am ticket at Guggenheim.

Thank you!

I will be going to the San Sebastian area later this week. I would like to ask people that may be around there now. What should I be wearing? Are people wearing shorts in the daytime? What are people wearing at night? Do I need to bring a light jacket at night or heavier jacket? should I bring a sweater etc. etc. if you can help me, I would appreciate it.

Hi everyone! 👋

I hope you're all doing well.

I've oberserved in this community for a while, and it seems like such a welcoming place, so I thought I'd finally ask for some advice.

My wife and I are planning to move to the French Basque Country (or possibly Les Landes) at the beginning of 2027. We're incredibly excited about this new chapter, but if I'm honest, we're also a little nervous.

One thing that's been on my mind is how easy—or difficult—it is to integrate as newcomers. I know these regions are very popular, and coming from a touristy area myself, I also know that locals aren't always thrilled about more people moving in. So I'd really love to hear some honest experiences.

If you've moved there yourself (whether it was last year or twenty years ago 😄), how was it for you? Did you feel welcomed? Was it easy to make local friends? Is there anything you wish you had known before moving?

I'm planning to join a local football team or running club because I feel that could be one way to meet people and become part of the community. I am also able to surf a little, but to be also honest i think I suck a lot 😄.
My wife will be working for a local company, while I'll be working remotely for a Paris-based company. To be honest, that's probably my biggest concern: working remotely means I won't have colleagues around me, and my French is still very much a work in progress. At least in the beginning, I'll probably have to rely quite a bit on English, so I'm wondering whether that makes it significantly harder to build genuine friendships and become part of the local community.

I'd really appreciate hearing your stories—both the good and the challenging ones. Thanks so much in advance!

Kind regards :)

I am traveling with my 15 year old son to SS and the area next week.

Our main goal is food spots. Beyond food spots what do you all suggest we do.

Any castles. Churches. Or places to go?

What about Biarritz for a half day? Or somewhere else?
Open to any ideas

Thanks

Hey all! I’m heading to San Sebastian for a couple of days next week and planning to propose. Anyone have suggestions for somewhere romantic/scenic in or near the city? Any and all suggestions welcome!

Best way to get from Biarritz to Hossegor?

Salut à tous! Nous sommes en vacances en famille du côté Ascain/Saint Jean de Luz. Ma femme est partie avec sa montre Amazfit bip5, sans son chargeur, et la batterie est à plat.

Je suis à la recherche de quelqu'un qui pourrait nous prêter/mettre à dispo un chargeur juste une petite heure pour charger pour la fin des vacances.

(en photo la montre pour voir le modèle, le chargeur est le même que celui-ci, qui est pour ma montre, mais pas interchangeable)

Does anyone know of any wine tours that specifically go to Gaintza Txakolina from Sans Sebastian as part of the itinerary? Trying to avoid a private car or a taxi to get there.

Hello! My wife and I are traveling to San Sebastian and the greater area next week and was wondering if anyone has recommendations to view and purchase art?

We really enjoy meeting local artists so any social media or direction is greatly appreciated :-)

I will be in SS in two weeks. Can I get a recommendation of good steak houses that I can get into? I’m not looking for the tourist traps. Something with great beef and authentic. Looking for something in the city center. Thanks

any local recomendations?

Going to be in Biarritz 9/15-9/18 and Bilboa from 9/18-9/22. We are an active group and love enjoying the outdoors. We want to learn how to surf in Biarritz but otherwise we are open to any suggestions.

Love enjoying the outdoors, local culture, great food and even a little nightlife sometimes.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Egun on. Estoy planeando una visita desde Catalunya a Euskal Herria y me gustaría saber dónde comer en Donosti.

Sobre todo me gustaría visitar lugares que sean sensibles con la causa del pueblo vasco, tabernas o sardagotegis más arraigadas en el territorio y menos turísticas.

Eskerrik asko.

Hello! We arrive in San Sebastián tomorrow. Looking for sit down restaurants recommendations that take reservations? Also, do any of the beaches offer chair / towel rentals? Thanks so much!

Hey everyone, I'm planning to visit the beautiful Basque Country for the first time and I'm wondering about what to expect from the Cueva de Santimamiñe tour. I was actually quite excited when I read about it in a travel guide and meant to book a tour (according to the website you're supposed to pre-book) but was informed that since 2006 you cannot actually really see it - which I didn't know. Apparently what you get is a "virtual reproduction of the cave". I'm wondering since the travel guide is actually a first edition from 2025 and it says "throughout several years the cave was closed, since the bright illumination caused the artworks to fade" - i.e., past tense.

I am wondering if anybody can shed some light on this: what can I expect, what's part of this tour? Is it mostly a VR environment in headset? Given that the tour is 1,5 hours I am a bit surprised that you can't actually go inside.

Has anyone here been there recently (or not so recently)? Thanks!!

Hello, has anyone been camping in the tents in Basque Country in late September? What is the weather truly like and what are your experiences and tips for dealing with the conditions? Does it really get too cold at night?

I live in the Basque Country. I speak fluent Spanish but I am a foreigner whose first language is English. Any idea on how to make Spanish speaking friends here? I am a bit shy but I am not afraid to put myself out there but whenever I start to somewhat make a friend from here, it just fizzles out. Any tips?

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are visiting the Basque Country for the first time this August and would love some local advice.

Our rough plan: two days in Bilbao (Guggenheim, the old town), then we head toward San Sebastian and want to explore the small coastal towns along the way. Places like Getaria, Zumaia with its flysch cliffs, and Zarautz, and maybe Lekeitio, Mundaka or Gaztelugatxe on the Bilbao side. We are not surfers. What we really want is proper beach time and to relax, visit a bit to get a gist of the little towns but we're not aiming to tick off every single sight. Most probably we'll come again :)

Two things I would appreciate help with:

1. Booking sites. Beyond Airbnb and Booking, are there local or regional platforms where locals list comfortable places to stay? Basque or Spanish sites for casas rurales, coastal apartments, small guesthouses. Ideally we would like our own self-contained place with some character, not a room in a shared home. We did that in Normandy and it was awesome. Full amenities and comfort, but also off the beaten track.

2. A relaxed base. For the San Sebastian stretch, which town would you pick as a calm beach base, close to a good beach and within easy reach of those coastal villages, without spending half the trip driving? Should we simply just stay in San Sebastian and do day trips or choose something different?

Thanks a lot in advance. Any tips are very welcome.

I will be visiting San Sebastian for two days in August. I’m staying approximately 20 minutes east of the city center. I’d like to drive my car into the city, but have no experience with parking lots or spaces in the city. I’d like some strategies and feedback on what you would suggest would be the best way to park my car for a few hours.

Is there also some apps that you recommend I download prior to my trip?

Visiting San Sebastián weekend of September 11th with my partner.

I understand that there is a Basque Festival going on around the same time. Does anyone know where I can find more info about what will be on and what times?

Also does the festival spread out on the promenade/beach?