Transportation Connections — Bilbao

By bus to: San Sebastián (2/hr, hourly on weekends, 6:00–22:30, 1.25 hrs, departs Bilbao’s Termibus station, arrives at San Sebastián’s Amara station), Santander (hourly, 90 min, transfer there to bus to Santillana del Mar or Comillas).

From Bilbao by Train to: San Sebastián (hourly on EuskoTren, long and scenic 2.25–2.75-hr trip, departs from Atxuri station, arrives in San Sebastián at Amara).
Lekeitio

A small fishing port with an idyllic harbor and a fine beach, Lekeitio is an hour by bus from Bilbao and an easy stop for drivers. It’s protected from the Bay of Biscay by a sand spit that leads to the lush and rugged little San Nicolás Island. Hake boats fly their Basque flags and proud Basque locals black out the Spanish translations on street signs.

Lekeitio is a teeming resort during July and August (when its population of 7,000 triples as big-city Basque folks move in to their vacation condos), and it’s a sleepy backwater the rest of the year. It’s isolated from the modern rat race by its location down a long, windy little road.

While sights are humble here, the 15th-century St. Mary’s Parish Church is a good example of Basque Gothic with an impressive altarpiece. The town’s back lanes are reminiscent of old days when fishing was the only industry. Fisherwomen sell their husbands’ catches each morning from about 10:30 at the tiny Plaza Arranegi market (a block off the harbor). The golden crescent beach is as inviting as the sandbar, which — at low tide — challenges you to join the seagulls out on San Nicolás Island.

The TI faces the fish market next to the harbor (July–Aug daily 10:00–14:00 & 16:00–20:00; Sept–June Tue–Sat 10:30–13:30 & 16:00–19:00, Sun 10:00–14:00, closed Mon; tel. 946-844-017). While buses connect Lekeitio with Bilbao hourly (and San Sebastián 4/day), this stop is most logical for those with a car.

The TI recommends Lekeitio as a base for car explorations of the area (coastal and medieval hill villages). The nearby town of Guernica (Gernika in Euskara, nine miles toward Bilbao) is near and dear to Basques and pacifists alike for good reason. This is the site of the Gernikako Arbola (oak tree of Gernika), which marked the ancient assembly point where the Lords of Bizkaia (Basque leaders) met through the ages to assert their people’s freedom. Long the symbolic heart of Basque separatism, this was a natural target for Franco in the Spanish Civil War. His buddy Hitler agreed to use Guernica as a kind of target practice in 1937. This historic “first air raid” — a prelude to the horrific aerial bombings of World War II — was made famous by Picasso’s epic work, Guernica (now in Madrid).
Hondarribia

For a taste of small-town País Vasco, dip into this enchanting, seldom-visited town. Much smaller and easier to manage than San Sebastián, and also closer to France (across the Bay of Txingudi from Hendaye), Hondarribia allows travelers a stress-free opportunity to enjoy Basque culture. While it’s easy to think of this as a border town (between France and Spain), culturally it’s in the middle of Basque Country.

The town comes in two parts: the lower port town and the historic, balcony-lined streets of the hilly and walled upper town. The TI is located between the two parts, two blocks up from the port on Jabier Ugarte 6 (July–Sept daily 10:00–14:00 & 15:00–19:00; Oct–June Mon–Fri 9:00–13:30 & 16:00–18:30, Sat–Sun 10:00–14:00; tel. 943-645-458). You can follow their self-guided tour of the old town (English brochure available) or just lose yourself within the walls. Explore the plazas of the upper city.
Transportation Connections — Hondarribia

By bus to: San Sebastián (about 3/hr, 30 min on express bus, departs from near TI — same bus also stops at airport; or twice as long on local public bus) Hendaye on the French border (2/hr, 20 min, June–Sept only). A bus stop in Hondarribia is across from the post office, one block below the TI.

By boat to: Hendaye (4/hr in summer, 2/hr off-season, 10 min, runs about 11:00–19:00 or until dark).

For more on the Basque Country in France, see our article.