Basque Coast Tour: Itinerary

The Basque Coast Mountain Bike Tour.

This is a rough itinerary of our Basque coast tour. We will vary things as much as we possibly can to accommodate the groups we have. This is a mountain bike holiday and we will search out the best singletrack on the coast. It is much more than a mountain bike tour though as we try to give you a real insight into the vibrant culture of this part of Spain. Amaia will be a big part of this holiday, helping us understand, and enjoy, the culture.

Day 1: Arrive in Bilbao or Biarritz airport. Cultural tour of Hondarribia.

We will pick you up from your flight and take you to Hondarribia to stay in our Urban accommodation. This evening, after building your bikes, we will take you for a tour of Hondarribia with its ancient walled city which bears the scars of the border skirmishes between Spain and France over the centuries. In the evening we will relax in the lively bars and restaurants of Hondarribia and fuel up ready for tomorrow’s ride.

Day 2: Hondarribia – San Sebastian. Bikes and Boats.

The Bike Tour: Today will be a tough day, almost entirely on singletrack. Starting in Hondarribia we skirt around the coast before climbing around 550m to the summit of Jaizkibel. The descent from Jaizkibel to the coast is one of the best trails you will ever ride. Twisty, sinuous singletrack which holds enough technical challenge to keep it interesting without being scary. After lunch we will load our bikes into a small boat which will deliver us to our next trail, more singletrack leading us to the beach in San Sebastian.
Options for the Bikers: There are two options today. The first one is to miss out the first section of trail and take the van to the summit of Jaizkibel. This misses out some great singletrack but also misses out a big climb. The second option is to take the van into San Sebastian after lunch, thus resting your legs after riding in the morning.
Non-Bike Option: Take a walk on the stunning shores of Jaizkibel with Amaia. You will see some of the stunning scenery that the mountain bikers are enjoying without having to sweat quite as much. We will all meet up for lunch and then after lunch Amaia will take a second group into San Sebastian for an optional boat tour around the coast.
Evening: We will deliberately keep the schedule for the evening open. Some people are likely to be tired and others will want to sample the amazing nightlife on offer in San Sebastian. Amaia will take us on a tour of the local bars and restaurants and make sure we see the very best pintxos, (the Basque version of tapas). To ensure we get a good nights sleep we will stay in accommodation outside the noisy city center. Those of you who want to party can take an easy taxi journey back to the accommodation at the end of the night.

Day 3: San Sebastian – Zarrautz. Mellow mountain biking.

The Bike Tour: The trails today will offer some more relaxing mountain biking. It is a perfect opportunity to allow your legs to recover slightly. There will still be plenty of singletrack descending, however we will be using back roads and fireroads as we wind our way along the coast.
Options for the Bikers: We can use the van to climb out of San Sebastian, missing out one of the uphills.
Non-Bike Option: Those of you who don’t want to cycle today can enjoy the shops and fantastic Pintxos, (Basque tapas), in San Sebastian. There are lots of options for today, ranging from cultural tours to shopping.
Evening: Zarautz has a stunning seaside promenade lined with bars and restaurants, a great place to enjoy some drinks and food as the sun goes down. Afterwards we will explore the old part of the town and enjoy some of the famous seafood in one of the local restaurants.

Day 4: Zarautz – Deba. More challenging mountain biking.

The Bike Tour: The first part of todays tour will take us through the Txakoli vine yards that are unique to this part of Spain. Sadly there won’t be time to stop for the bikers, however we can sample the dry white wine this evening. After lunch the trails will get significantly more challenging. Steep climbs and technical singletrack will take us all the way to Deba. We will drop down to the coast to get a closer look at the Flysch rock formations, something else unique to the coast in this part of Spain. We will also ride further inland, making sure we get the best singletrack, before dropping back down to Deba that evening.
Options for the Bikers: Take the tour of Getaria with the non-bikers before joining us for the tougher second part of the day. Alternatively you can enjoy the relaxing ride in the morning and join the non-bikers for the Txakoli tour.
Non-Bike Option: In the morning the non-bikers will visit Getaria, one of the most famous fishing villages in the Basque Country. Amaia has friends who live and fish here and it is possible to arrange a fishing trip if people contact us ahead of their trip. The afternoon is reserved for a tour of a Txakoli bodega. Txakoli is a dry, usually white wine which is only grown on the Basque coast within sight of the sea.
Evening: We will spend the evening in Deba, enjoying the local food and drink as always! Deba has a stunning beach where we can relax before dinner, and there is also the stunning gothic church of Asuncion which is well worth a visit.