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From Zumaia to Bilbao along the magnificent Basque Coast. This one week, two vulture holiday features fabulous walking along cliffside paths, long ridges and quiet beaches between beautiful fishing and farming villages.
As well as great walking enjoy some of the best cooking in Spain and get to know the culture and atmosphere of the most beautiful part of the Basque country. Accommodation is in good hotels and casas rurales with en suite facilities.
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ITINERARY
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner
DAY 1 Casa Rural, Zumaia B L D
Transfer from Bilbao Airport (1 hour) to Zumaia. We stay in an old cider house in the hills above the town. Zumaia itself is a pretty fishing town with some lovely beaches. The cliffs here are a mecca for geologists as the flysch formations (thin superimposed layers of rock) show evidence of sediment from the meteorite impact in Yucatan some 65 million years ago which most probably caused the extinction of the great dinosaurs
DAY 2 Casa Rural, Zumaia B L D
Following the coastal branch of the Camino de Santiago along cliff tops, beaches and green, rolling hills to the small town of Deba set on the coast. A beautiful day along this wonderful coast.
DAY 3 Casa Rural, Mendexa B L D
From the pretty port of Mutriku and into the province of Vizcaia at Ondarroa one of the most important fishing towns along this coast. From here we walk through pretty farmland and forest to the village of Mendexa set in rolling hills above Lequetio.
DAY 4 Hotel, Elantxobe B L D
Down to the picturesque port of Lequetio and up to the peak of Otoio overlooking the ocean. Then down to a beautiful beach and on to the lovely coastal village of Ea. We drive from Ea to our hotel in Elantxobe, a village set on near vertical cliffs above the fishing port. There is so little flat ground here that there is a turntable for the bus to turn around! We stay in a nice hotel here. Elantxobe is in the Natural Park of Urdaibai – a beautiful area of cliffs, beaches, hills and the wetlands of the Gernika estuary.
DAY 5 Hotel, Elantxobe B L D
Free day. A day to relax, walk the coast, go to the beach or try kayaking in the estuary.
DAY 6 Hotel, Elantxobe B L D
A walk through the last great coastal oak forest of the Basque country up to a hermitage with great views of the Gernika Estuary. Then we head down to the waters' edge and follow footpaths past an old tidal water mill and through a fascinating area of mud flats on to the castle of Arteaga.
DAY 7 Hotel Bilbao B L D
Visit Gernika - the spiritual heart of the Basque country where the Basques held their parliament under an oak tree. The town is most famous for the civil war air raid in 1938 which stimulated Picasso to paint his Guernica masterpiece. We then drive on to Bilbao. We stay on the edge of the old quarter with its narrow streets, pretty squares, shops, bars and restaurants. The amazing Guggenheim Museum is an easy walk along the river. We eat dinner in a very nice restaurant.
DAY 8 Transfer B
Transfer to Bilbao Airport for those that require it.
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CASA RURAL These are like superior B&Bs - set in the middle of the countryside, often on working farms, the casas are full of character and all have comfortable en suite rooms.
HOTEL We stay in 2 star hotels, all with en suite rooms. We choose hotels that are as little as possible like the impersonal chain hotels that are all too common.
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DATE
B105
Sun 03 Apr - Sun 10 Apr
B205
Tue 03 May - Tue 10 May B305
Sun 18 Sep - Sun 25 Sep
PRICES
£750 (Land Based Only)
£28 Insurance
SEE INSURANCE
GETTING THERE
We meet and drop off at Bilbao airport to coincide with EasyJet flights:
Flight: 5307
dep. Gatwick 13:00
arr. Bilbao 16:00
Flight: 5308
dep. Bilbao: 16:30
arr. Gatwick: 17:25
SEE EASYJET.COM
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