Villa Elorrio

Villa Elorrio is located on the top of a hill just outside the charming village of Elorrio. In Elorrio, guests find shops, a bakery, cafes, bars and restaurants as well as gorgeous architecture. Nearby attractions include Ruta por Palacios y Jardines and the Necropolis de Arguineta. The necropolis is a series of sandstone graves and funerary stelas from the 9th century, one of the most important funeral monuments in the Basque region. Near Santa Catalina you will find the Berriozabeleta fountain. There are fantastic hiking paths that you can take to enjoy this dreamy, scenic region including the Monte Besaide, Monte Amboto and Monte Udalaitx.

Elorrio enjoys a historical heritage of enormous value. Set in a lush green valley, Elorrio is brimming with stone and carved masonry from the 17th and 18th centuries. The town hall and the Arezpakotxaga Palace sit in Gernikako Arbola Square in the old part of town. Very close to these buildings is the Don Telmo entrance, one of the six entrances of the ancient wall surrounding the village. Other notable buildings include the baroque Palace of Marques de Tola, the Santa Ana Monastery and the Church of San Agustin. Elorrio hosts a major festival, the Ferixa Nauikoak, which takes place early in September and another, the Errebonbilloak, which takes place on the first Sunday in October.

Bilbao, the city of the Guggenheim built in 1997, offers ground breaking architecture, delicious eateries and a very unique character. It is full of charming streets and bars offering pintxos. There are many famous eateries, including the legendary Cafe Iruna next to the Albia Gardens which opened in 1903. There is plenty to do and see in Bilbao. You can cross the Bilbao Estuary and walk along the riverbank, you can take the Artxanda cable car linking the area of Campo Volantin with Mount Artxanda for some amazing city views or visit the art museums. The Zubizuri Bridge was designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava and offers wonderful views of the towers designed by the Japanese architect Isozaki Atea. A stroll along the estuary leads you to the magnificent Guggenheim Museum made from 33,000 titanium sheets and designed by Frank Gehry. The sculptures outside the museum are equally famous including the enormous dog with its steel base and living flowers. The stunning Euskalduna Palace, another jewel of contemporary architecture, hosts exhibitions and shows. Other buildings that you should include in your tour of Bilbao are the Bilbao Town Hall, Begona Basilica, Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts, the colourful Mercado de la Ribera Market, Plaza Neuva Square, the cultural centre Azkuna Zentroa and the Deusto University. If you are there on a Sunday, the lovely Arenal Park hosts a pretty flower market. The area known as ‘the seven streets’ is where you will find the Ribera market amongst the cobblestones. Here you will taste some of the very best pintxos. Another Sunday market takes place in Plaza Nueva. If you have enough time when you are in Bilbao you can take a sailing boat along the Nervion Estuary or make a trip to Portugalete and the Bizkaia Hanging Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage site designed by the architect behind the Eiffel Tower.

If you would like a beach day, you can head to Getxo, twenty minutes from Bilbao or over to San Sebastian. The culinary city of San Sebastian is blessed with an enchanting coastline, the Playa de la Concha. Surfers head one beach over to the thrilling waves of Playa de la Zurriola. San Sebastian enjoys a justly deserved reputation as one of the world’s great dining destinations. You can snack on fresh oysters, stop for pintxos at one of the bars that litter the streets or linger over a decadent, multi-course feast in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Just offshore lies the Isla de Santa Clara, a small hilly island that you can visit. San Sebastian is full of elegant art nouveau buildings, beautifully manicured parks, plazas and ornate bridges. It is a beautiful city that should not be missed.

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