San Sebastian to Bilbao

Once you arrive you’ll be booked into a hotel in the heart of the town. San Sebastien is located on the Bay of Biscay in the mountainous Basque Country, and is a city known for its stunning beaches and waterfront promenade. Here, you can enjoy world-renowned cuisine as well as the more informal dining experience of pintxos and wine.

Leaving San Sebastian and the unspoiled Bay of Biscay, this route curves along the coastline through grassy fields and rolling hills. First, you’ll see the Church of San Martin de Tours, a lovingly restored national monument, before passing through some traditional whaling towns. Later, you arrive in the picturesque village of Getaria, perched on a rocky headland above a cute harbour.

For Day 3 you’ll set out on a small country road hugging the coast, eventually arriving in Zarautz. From there, take the small footpath into farmlands until you reach the Church of Santa Maria la Real and birthplace of explorer Juan Sebastian Elcano, the first man to circumnavigate the Earth in the 16th Century. Once you’ve stopped to admire the town, continue along the coast to the last stop for the day – the stunning beach town, Deba.

Today, we leave the sea behind for more mountainous landscapes and won’t see the coast again until Bilbao. The route crosses a river and starts climbing into dense scrub, until it reaches the Hermitage of El Calvario. From here, keep to the narrow footpath (GR-121), which passes through many secluded hamlets. Finally, the trail descends steeply into your destination, Markina. This is a village with a strong sense of history and Basque traditions.

Leaving Markina, the route follows an ancient cobbled road and crosses the river in Bolivar. It ascends to the 15th Century Monastery of Cenarruza, which contains a Gothic Renaissance church and mediaeval cloister. Leaving the monastic site, the path moves into dense woodland, up to Gontzegarai, and down again to Gerikaitz. At the Hermitage of Santiago, a steep footpath leads downhill to a creek and finally into the town of Gernika.

Setting out this morning you’ll leave Gernika by the hermitage of Santa Luzia Zallo. Shortly after, we’ll reach the road (PR-173) that will take us to Morga. Here, we leave the farmland and enter a forest, following a steep descent to the traditional villages of Goikoetxea, Larrabetzu, and finally, Lezama.

This is a relatively short stage through pastoral farmland. First, we pass Zamudio and the Roman Church of San Maarten, where the Tower of Malpica is visible above. Slowly climbing to reach the summit of Mount Avril, we’re rewarded with spectacular views of Bilbao and the valley below. On arrival in Bilbao, don’t forget to visit the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Bego, as well as Place de Unamuno, in the old quarter of Bilbao.

After breakfast we bid you farewell. There is so much to see and do in Bilbao, including the renowned Guggenheim Museum. For something more off the beaten track, check out Place de Unamuno, in the old quarter of Bilbao. Or, if you just want to relax, find a pintxos bar and settle down with a glass of wine, a few small plates of food, and watch Basque life unfold.