These are the best places to travel this summer

Basque Country

Spain Travel Guide

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Colourful facades of the Old District in Bilbao

Getty Images/Flickr Open

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Basque Country

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

No matter where you’ve just come from, be it the hot, southern plains of Spain or gentle and pristine France, the Basque Country is different. Known to Basques as Euskadi or Euskal Herria (‘the land of Basque Speakers’) and called El Pais Vasco in Spanish, this is where mountain peaks reach for the sky and sublime rocky coves are battered by mighty Atlantic swells. It’s a place that demands exploration beyond the delightful and cosmopolitan main cities of Bilbao, Vitoria and San Sebastián. You travel through the Basque Country always curious, and frequently rewarded.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain, Architect Frank Gehry, 1997, Guggenheim Museum Detail Of Curving Titanium Wall. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art. Built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea.

    Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

    Bilbao

    Shimmering titanium Museo Guggenheim Bilbao is one of modern architecture's most iconic buildings. It played a major role in helping to lift Bilbao out of…

  • Bilbao, Spain - February 13, 2022: View of Carola Crane. It is a crane that was once used in shipbuilding at the Astilleros Euskalduna shipyard, now is part of Maritime Museum.

    Itsasmuseum

    Bilbao

    On the waterfront, this interactive maritime museum brings the watery depths of Bilbao and Basque maritime history to life. Start with a 10-minute video…

  • Streetlamp forest beside the Fine Arts Museum, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain

    Museo de Bellas Artes

    Bilbao

    The Museo de Bellas Artes houses a compelling collection that includes everything from Gothic sculptures to 20th-century pop art. There are three main…

  • The Artium Museum in Vitoria Gasteiz, Basque country in Spain.

    Artium

    Basque Country

    Art lovers shouldn't miss Vitoria’s palace of modern art. The large subterranean galleries are filled with engrossing pieces by artists from the Basque…

  • Landscape of La Concha beach in the city of San Sebastian, in the Spanish Basque Country, on a sunny day with people enjoying the beach and Mount Urgull in the background.

    Playa de la Concha

    San Sebastián

    Fulfilling almost every idea of how a perfect city beach should be formed, Playa de la Concha (and its westerly extension, Playa de Ondarreta) is easily…

  • View of the Houses in the old town called Casco Viejo of Bilbao.

    Casco Viejo

    Bilbao

    The compact Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s atmospheric old quarter, is full of charming streets, boisterous bars and plenty of quirky and independent shops. At the…

  • Monte Igueldo Tower and amusement park on the Monte Igueldo mountain. 1145273030 aerial, amusement, atlantic, attraction, basque, bay, beach, cantabrian, city, cityscape, coast, coastline, concha, country, day, donostia, drone, europe, igueldo, island, landmark, landscape, marina, marine, mirador, monte, mountain, ocean, panorama, panoramic, park, san, scenic, sea, seaside, sebastian, sky, skyline, spain, summer, tourism, town, travel, view, viewpoint, water

    Monte Igueldo

    San Sebastián

    The views from the summit of Monte Igueldo (181m), just west of town, will make you feel like a circling hawk staring down over the vast panorama of the…

  • General view of Azkuna Zentroa, Alhondiga building.

    Azkuna Zentroa

    Bilbao

    Take a neglected wine storage warehouse, convert it into a leisure and cultural centre, add a shot of Bilbao style and the result is the Azkuna Zentroa …

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Places to Visit

Here's a guide to get started with the best of the Basque, from fairytale villages to modern architectural wonders and so much more.

Read article

Plan with a local

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

Explore all books

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Basque Country

Go Beyond

Basque Country and beyond

Beyond Basque Country