The best food in Spain? Don’t worry, you will burn plenty of calories mountain biking!

Basque? French? Spanish? It is your holiday so take your pick! We are lucky to be based right on the border between Spain and France which gives lots of choice for eating and drinking during your holiday. This is the reason why we don’t offer fully catered holidays as standard. We feel that tying you down to one restaurant is a waste and would limit your enjoyment of your holiday. We will never leave you at a loose end for dinner though and will be delighted to recommend and book a restaurant for you each night. In our ‘Urban’ accommodation you also have the option to cook your own meals and we will take you to the supermarket to stock up if you would like.

In your base in Hondarribia you can choose between typical Spanish and Basque food in the huge number of local restaurants or you can take a 5 minute trip, in a small boat, to Hendaye, in France, if you feel more like French cuisine. Another option is to wander the bars and sample the delicious pintxos; a Basque version of Tapas. This is a great way to see the town and experience the huge variety of local food. Eating times are generally later than in the UK with French people eating between about 7 and 9pm and Spanish from about 8:30pm onwards.

San Sebastian is very close and is well worth a visit for its lively bars which are generally lined with unique and delicious pintxos. Or if you fancy a special treat it also boasts the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants in the world.

Worthy of a paragraph all by themselves are the Sidrerias. These typically rural places make the Basque cider, called Sidra, which really is the nectar of the gods. They offer meals, typically including Chuleta; a large portion of a cow covered in salt and cooked on an open flame. I really recommend letting us take you here one night, after a ride, to fill your stomachs and quench your thirst.

When we’re out biking we try to stop at small restaurants in the hills whenever we can, but this isn’t always possible because I try to take us off the beaten track, to see the wild side of the Basque Country, as much as possible. On days when we won’t get to a restaurant, I can organise packed lunches for you, or, we can stop somewhere and you can pick up a sandwich to take with you.

The food in this part of Spain is generally well priced. An evening meal will cost you between €15 and €25 euros with wine. Lunch will be between €4 and €12 and will range from a hot baguette to a 3 course meal with wine!

 

San Sebastian and the Basque Country: Perfect for Mountain Bike Holidays!

Hondarribia, on the border between Spain and France, is hemmed in by the Atlantic to the north, the Pyrenees to the east, the Basque Mountains to the south and the rough hills and cliffs along the Spanish coast to the west. Spain or France, mountain or beach, mountain bike or surf – it’s all right here! Add to that mix the culture and nightlife offered by nearby Bilbao and San Sebastian and we think that this is one of the best areas for a mountain bike holiday in Europe.

Getting to the Basque country is also easy, we are close to Bilbao airport in Spain, and Biarritz airport in France. Most of the budget holiday airlines fly here. From the UK you can fly from Bristol, Manchester and London. You can also come by train, via Paris, something we recommend as a very pleasant start to your holiday and an easy way to travel with your bike. If you would like any advice on how to get to the Basque Country then please just drop us a mail and we can give you some options.

Have a look at the terrain map below to get an idea of how perfect this part of Spain is for a mountain bike holiday:

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