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15 Oct 2016

Armintza – Getxo Coastal Hike

By basque

Armintza to Getxo along the beautiful Bizkaian coast…

Armintza, where is that? Well here at Basque Experiences we love a stroll. Or to put it more exactly a long walk along our fantastic trails, paths, walking routes and hikes. From the shortest city wander, to days on the Camino de Santiago to the hardest mountain climbs, we have them all here in the Basque Country.

One of our favourites, and one that fits perfectly in a day is the great coastal trail from Getxo, to Armintza. We have talked about Getxo and the coast before in an earlier blog (here it is so you dont have to look for it…). However the coast and the paths continue east along this spectacular coast. Its a trek we love to offer to our visitors and combines perfectly with a local lunch. A true Basque Tour, or Basque Experience, one rarely seen by visitors…

Visit Armintza as part of a Private-guided Basque Tour.

This hike along the coast takes around 4-5 hours, depending on your ability, and how long you stop off in Plentzia for a pintxo and a beer 😉  Its a fairly easy trek, with only a couple of parts where the incline and descent are tough on the knees. Accompanied by the Bay of Biscay at all times, the route passes along beautiful light sandy beaches, surfers coves, coastal cliffs, farms, small villages and old farmhouses. You will also get to see vineyards, and lighthouses, civil war bunkers, golf courses, cows, windmills, goats, wild mushrooms, oak woods, eucalyptus plantations… want me to go on?

It really is a great walk, which coupled with that stop in Plentzia half-way for my favourite tortilla de patata, juicy not dry of course, and a cold beer for 3.5€, will see you tired and happy! My favourite way of doing it is to leave Algorta metro station, which is 35 minutes from the centre of Bilbao by metro, and head up to the Getxo windmill and keep going. Leaving at about 10:00 should see us end up in the charming and little-visited fishing village of Armintza for around 2-3:00. Perfect timing to grab a ‘Menu del dia’, for around 10€… Returning is easy, there is a bus leaving back to Getxo on the half hour every hour, you don’t even have to walk back!!! Just don’t fall asleep on the bus though…

Here are some of the latest pics I took…

  • basque coast
  • Path to Armintza
  • Armintza cows
  • Armintza harbour
  • Armintza - Arminza.... guess the difference?

 

28 Sep 2016

Elorrio and it’s magnificent history!!

By basque

Coats of Arms of Elorrio, Bizkaia

Elorrio in Biscay is an enchanting small town hidden away in the hills in the east of the province, protected by the Intxorta, Oiz, Anboto and Udalaitz mountains.

Meaning ‘Hawthorn’ in Basque,  Elorrio grew due to its strategic location close to the borders of Gipuzkoa to the east and Alava to the south, and to the hills themselves, which were full of iron ore…. Founded as a town, with all the privileges that entails, in 1356 many of its ‘nobles’ were closely involved with the King and the House of Austria, whose ‘Office of Indian Affairs’ was based in Seville.

The trade in arms, and iron to the Americas via Seville, created great wealth for many of the towns folk, who constructed great palaces on their family lands in the town. Many of these noble families erected Coats of Arms on these beautiful Baroque palaces and mansions, indeed today there are 20 palaces and 68 coats of arms, the highest number in all the Basque Country. Here is just a small selection…

  • Elorrio
    Arabio
  • Elorrio
    Arespakotxaga
  • Elorrio
    Arriola
  • Elorrio
    Zearsolo
  • Elorrio
    Zearsolo

In addition to the fantastic collection of 16th and 17th Century Palaces, there are many other historic monuments which stand as testament to this golden age for the town. One can find the largest temple in the Biscay, the Basilica de la Purísima Concepción sat alongside the palaces, town walls, convents, houses and crosses of this magnificent ‘villa’.

More ancient history is also represented here, at just one mile away we can find the Chapel of San Adrián, where the ancient Necropolis of Argiñeta is the resting place for 21 sarcophagus, some of which date to pre-christian times in the 9th Century….

A charming town, full of history, atmosphere, stories, legends and a stone’s throw from Bilbao. A great place for a day-trip perhaps combined with a hike in the Urkiola Park….. Get those boots on and join us!!

 

 

17 Sep 2016

Filming Geografens Testamente Basque Country

By basque

Filming Swedish TV’s Geografens Testamente in the Basque Country

There is a very popular TV show for children in Sweden called Geografens Testamente…. Educational, for 10-13 year olds, a bit of adventure, some history and lots of European Geography. A little bit like Indiana Jones, with a fantasy, adventure story with good guys and baddies…. All sounds like good clean fun to me!

So we get a call asking to help them with the logistics as they are filming an episode here in the Basque Country…. So you can imagine the answer! The Bizkaia Hanging Bridge, our good friend Jaime Ortiz Mendieta and his super boat the Nayiri and finally at the magnificent Torre Loizaga.

So this is now Basque Experiences’ second TV filming assignment and it went really smoothly. The team from Baluba TV were over the moon as we got them out of a serious problem the day before… Anyway the day was fantastic, the sun was hot, the boat ran like a dream and the tower was perfect for the sword fighting scenes!! Of course, a special mention to the Bilbao Fencing Club who were superb!

Here we have three of the short clips we took whilst at work , believe me there was no time for more!! Its really surprising how hard these guys work….. You expect it to be very laid back and slow paced but they didn’t stop all day!! Anyway it was great fun and if there are any film or TV companies out there who need logistical support or ideas or organisation… well here we are!!

13 Sep 2016

August is family time in the Basque Country

By basque

Family holidays in the Basque Country

August is a time when the family holiday rules, and there is no better place to come with the little ones than the Basque Country.

This summer has seen us with several groups, with children from 3 to 18. As an agency we can sort out all your accommodation make your reservations, organise activities and make your life a whole lot easier!

Knowing the best kid-friendly places to stay we can chose whats best for you, whether its a self-catering apartment, a hotel with inter-connecting rooms, a campsite with a bungalow or simply somewhere to pitch your tents. We have the inside knowledge here at Basque Experiences.

  • Basque Tour Family 1
  • Family Tour Basque Country
  • Basque Tour Family

Visits to winemakers for the parents, kayaking trips on the river, surf classes, hiking in enchanted forests, aquarium visits for those rainy days, unspoiled beaches and the best places for kids to eat, we can include them, or just advise you, if that’s what you are looking for.

With easy access from the rest of Europe via Bilbao airport or overland from France and even on the ferry from the South of England, the Basque country is becoming more and more accesible, and with the offer of activities growing year on year, we are hoping that we can have many more groups come and discover this wonderful corner of the world….

29 Jul 2016

Basque Experiences loves July!!

By basque

Summertime + cruise-ships + sun = Busy!

The month of July is fantastic here in the Basque Country; the days are long, the fiestas start, the sea is warm and smiles abound 🙂

Here at Basque Experiences, July is a busy time with clients and this year has seen us on some great and varied Basque Tours.

Our pintxo tours are a popular choice for many visitors with lunchtimes or evenings around the various bar areas in Bilbao proving to be great fun. We adapt them as we go along, so if you don’t want tourist bars, you won’t get them, if you want authentic ‘sawdust on floor’ you will! That’s our philosophy… listen to the client and adapt to suit.

Family trips from far-afield this July have been very enthusiastically appreciated! With guests from the US, UK, Canada, NZ, Indonesia, Holland and France, we have had the opportunity to spread the word about the Basque Country. Some will be back we are sure and some others will be telling their friends and work colleagues about Basque Experiences… We arrange our visits to coincide with reservations at some of our finest restaurants so the clients can discover our fantastic cuisine as a group and integrate it in a tour. We make it easy for you!

Etxebarri in July

Specialist tours showing off our city with journalists here for the 2016 edition of BBK LIVE have coincided with larger groups on day tours from cruise-ships. These are proving popular as we see the number of cruise-ships arriving in Getxo growing year-on-year. Passengers get in touch before arriving, sometimes months before, and they often form groups on sites such as wwwcruisecritic.com Some are family groups with particular interests such as visiting farms or San Sebastian or ..whatever takes your fancy!! July has a lot to offer here in the Basque Country!

Some July photos!!

  • San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
  • Butron Castle
  • Picasso's 'Guernica'
  • Cruise ship tour
  • Basque Shepherds...
  • In love with Cheese!
  • Hidden Valley
  • Basque Sunset
  • BBK PRESS
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