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03 May 2018

Basque Experiences discover more of La Rioja

By basque

New La Rioja Wineries for 2018-19

As a Basque Country DMC and travel agency, we are always on the lookout for new product, people and activities to offer our clients. La Rioja offers a fantastic  variety of different experiences, and we have to keep up to speed on all of them!

It sounds like a really easy job, visiting wineries and driving around wine country, but believe me, we are doing it for you!

Modern and traditional

Developing relationships with all kinds of winemakers is fundamental. It means we can offer the best options to our clients. Small producers like Bodegas Tobelos in Briñas, who make around 200,000 bottles a year, and only crianzas and reservas. To the larger Valdemar or Bodegas Faustino, both famous internationally that produce millions of bottles.

Our visits took us to Bodegas Izadi, who along with fantastic wine give us the opportunity to be able to offer gastronomic experiences as well. Really special, tailor-made basque experiences!! In the village of Cenicero, is situated the historic and truly spectacular Bodegas Riojanas. Their superb installations, and excellent wine make for a fascinating contrast to the smaller, ‘garage’ bodegas.

Basque Wine Tours

At Basque Experiences we  will tailor-make your visit to La Rioja. Be you a small private family group, or an agency looking for a trusted DMC, with personalised attention. Its not all tasting wine you know!!

 

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18 Dec 2017

A Wine Tour from Bordeaux to Bilbao

By basque

New Wine Tour….

Bordeaux to Bilbao! That was the idea we came up with back in spring 2016, for some clients who visited us in 2015 on a private wine tour from Bilbao to Barcelona! They loved it so much we agreed to create a new tour for them. This time to take in the SW of France, the world’s most famous wine producing region along with the French Basque Country and the wines and gastronomy of the Spanish Basque Country…

 

Chateau and Cite du Vin

Bordeaux is the city of wine par excellence. Historic, traditional yet modern, regenerated and home to truly spectacular wines. The Cite du Vin, family owned Chateau Lamothe du Haux and the magnificent Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte all combined with our own excellent private guide. Visits to the charming and stunning St Emilion, fine dining in superb restaurants. Not a bad way to start the tour…

Biarritz and San Sebastian

The French Basque Country is sometimes passed by… It’s more recognised neighbour, San Sebastian gets the limelight these days. But Biarritz with its aristocratic past, belle-epoque architecture beautiful beach and elegant residents means a visit is always a must. Lunch at a riverside restaurant in Bayonne was followed by a visit to a D.O. Espelette red pepper farm before heading to San Sebastian for what was a long yet fascinating day. The Hotel Villa Soro certainly makes up for it though!! Visits to Getaria to learn and sample our indigenous Txakoli wine before an evening experiencing the Sagardotegi… The Basque Cider House!

Urdaibai and Bilbao

Ernest Hemingway was a frequent visitor to the Basque Country, writing, making friends and generally enjoying the finer things in life that we have to offer here! There is no better way to learn about his exploits than taking a slow boat along the Oka River in the stunning Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Sampling local cheeses and preserves, tasting local Txakoli and sing sea-shanties and whaler’s songs is a great way to spend a day before heading into Bilbao and the chic Hotel Miro

Our week of wine and Basque Culture was rounded off with visits to two superb wine-makers. Torre de Oña in Laguardia and the stunningly located Bodega Contino. Here our farewell visit was rounded off with a delicious lunch… The swaying trees provided the shade as as a warm breeze blew through the vines…

 

27 Jun 2017

Titan Travel Basque Tour 2017

By basque

Basque Tour with Titan Travel

Its been a great few weeks now working on our amazing new Basque Tour with Titan Travel. A seven-night Basque Tour seeing all the main sights of the Basque Country with Titan Travel, a large UK Tour Agency. The Stunning sights of the Spanish Basque Region…

First complete tour in the Basque Country

This is Titan Travel’s first complete tour in the Basque Country. Additionally, 2017 is the first year they are offering a complete 7-night Basque Tour via their website and via the printed catalogue. which also gets delivered to over 70,000 homes in the UK.

Your base for the week is Bilbao the dynamic, modern yet traditional Basque Capital. Visit the historical cities of Donostia/San Sebastian, world-renowned for its amazing Basque Food. Synonymous also with belle-epoque architecture and its tremendous beach.  Another day trip sees us in Vitoria with its beautifully preserved old town, squares, and Cathedral of Santa Maria. Also walk around Bilbao with the iconic Guggenheim Bilbao museum, and its river regeneration, recognised the world-over by urban planning experts.

In addition to cities, the Basque Tour includes day trips to Gernika and its Casa de Juntas Basque Parliament. Here we learn about and see ‘Guernica’ – Pablo Picasso’s most recognised and discussed artwork. Travel through the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with its rolling green hills, beautiful estuary, and bird center. Finally, we visit the spectacular La Rioja Alavesa region, currently producing some of the world’s best red wines. Come and join us at two of our favourite bodegas Torre de Oña and Casa Primicia!!

Hotel

Choice of accommodation is very important on a 7-night tour. Therefore we have selected a modern, four-star hotel in the centre of Bilbao with easy access to all the sights. Its close proximity to the excellent new Tram in the centre of the city, makes it so simple to get about. So important for a free evening or afternoon to wander by yourself or with your partner. Half-board is provided as is private transport throughout, with a dedicated driver and Tour Manager. Additionally, the guides are chosen for their excellent English, friendly attitude and close attention to the needs and wishes of the groups.

Basque Tour 2018

Looking forward. Titan Travel are offering places on the 2018 tours already. Twelve different weeks are offered across the spring, summer and autumn. Our photos will give you a great idea of whats included!!

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  • Casa Primicia Basque Tour
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  • Torre de Oña Basque Tour Laguardia
  • Basque Tour Vitoria

 

24 Oct 2016

Bacalao Pil-Pil and Basque Food Competitions…

By basque

What is Bacalao Pil-Pil? This emblematic Basque dish…

For a coastal city, Bilbao eats an awful lot of Bacalao or saltcod. There are rumours as to the reason behind this of course, as is always the case with a Bilbao legend, but here isn’t the place to let you know them.

8 days of cooking competions!

Bacalao, in its ‘raw’ state is a smelly, somewhat oily hunk of grey-white fish, covered as you can imagine, in salt. Not the most appetising I can assure you. There are several shops in Bilbao itself dedicated to its sale, with many more across the villages, towns and provinces of Euskalherria, the Basque Country. Its extremely popular and its elevated status in the culinary pantheon of Basque goodies, which is pretty well regarded throughout the world, is down to this one, uniquely Basque dish.

Bacalao al pil-pil

As with many tasty dishes, the ingredients are not complex, bacalao, olive oil, garlic… yes thats it. So the fascination here is with the preparation. I am not sure if you know how seriously the Basques take their food, but believe me, I cant think of many cultures or folk who can compare. As a serious people Basques can sometimes become obsessed with certain things and cooking is certainly one. So much so that it is the national sport (not really of course but it does seem like it at times!)

I am not going to give you a recipe here, or indeed describe the silky, smooth sauce that results from the gentle, sensuous ‘shaking’ that is necessary to create this iconic and mysterious meal. Instead I have a several videos you can watch to see one of the fascinating techniques used to create this wonderfully tasty, fishy, garlicky and oily dish. You will have to imagine how its made and why these competitors, seen here in 2016 Bilbao fiestas’ Bacalao cooking competition, ‘move’ their dishes so. The Bacalao day is one of 8 days of competition…. 🙂

The alternative is to come and visit one of the fiestas across our fantastic corner of the world from Easter to October with us on your own private guided Basque Tour…. 🙂

Roll the camera!! Which is your favourite??

 

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.

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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….

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