Private Cliffs, Grilled Fish & Txakoli Wine Experience
Description
What is a 'planazo'? What does it mean? Simply, a 'great plan': a walk through a fishing village, another walk along its cliffs, a look at the locations of Game of Thrones, a visit to the town where the first man to go around the world was born and, finally, barbecued fish caught a few hours ago.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We’ll depart San Sebastián for Zumaia, a beautiful fishing village protected from the Cantabrian Sea by some of the world’s unique cliffs. In the rocky strata of this Unesco World Geopark you can read, as if it were a newspaper, what has happened on our planet over the past million years. Our helpful guide will explain what the heck 'flysch' and 'karst' are (spoiler: these aren’t Basque words), and will lead you through a unique space: the hermitage of San Telmo overlooking the void, the beach of Itzurun (“Dragonstone,” from the series Game Of Thrones), or the path along the cliffs.
Then it’s on to Getaria (today we won’t make it easy for you with Basque names): another adorable fishing village where Juan Sebastián Elcano, the first sailor to go around the world by boat in the 16th century, was born. Another world´reknowned Basque was born here, the couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga (“The master of us all”, according to Christian Dior). There’s a church traversed by a tunnel in what is one of the best-preserved historic districts in Gipuzkoa. Getaria hides a mouse of a certain size, whose location will be revealed to you when the time comes. Getaria also has one of the most important ports in the Basque Country, making it the gateway to the best fish.
Next, we’ll visit a small winery that uses traditional methods and grapes called Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza. Thus you’ll learn the intricacies and power of txakoli. What is txakoli? A white wine with a a slight acidity and a lot of character, grown in vineyards by the sea, and ideal to pair with fish dishes.
We have the wine, we have the fish, and we only need the fire to prepare the food. Did you know that Basque Country is world-famous for its charcoal-fired fish grills? You’ll see it when we go down to the port for lunch and see the smoking barbecues right out on the street. Clearly you can participate in all this, tasting our best specialties: fish caught just an hour ago and txakoli from the vineyards that surround the town. Did you say 100% local meal?
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up from different locations is possible for an extra charge
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessibility is extra paid - contact for details
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Reviews(8)
Awesome trip through some true gems of the Basque Country! Our host Ernes was fantastic, he is native Basque with a true passion for the history, cuisine, and sites of this unique region, but brings a balanced and “down to earth” perspective which will resonate with many. The Flysch cliffs were a must see, and the food/wine of Getaria was to die for, and prepared in an historic tradition that will make many re-think what top quality cuisine can look like. Trip was expensive but all inclusive, and for me and my family of 3 on vacation l, it was 100% worth every penny
What a pleasure to read this review :) The Basque coast around Zumaia and Getaria really is one of those places that stays with people, dramatic cliffs, incredible seafood, txakoli vineyards and traditions that are still deeply alive today. We’re very happy Ernes could share that more real and grounded side of Basque culture with you and your family. And yes… grilled fish in Getaria has converted many people for life :) Eskerrik asko for appreciating the experience so deeply and for spending part of your family trip with us!
We had 2 great tours. First was pinxtos tasting in Old Town with Martin. He was very knowledgeable about each stop, food we were trying and Basque culture as well. Lots of laughs! We also spent a fun day with Ania touring Zumaia cliffs with spectacular views, picturesque wine tasting on the patio overlooking the ocean, and grilled fish lunch that was delicious. Learned a lot about the area and history and she also gave us recommendations for other areas we're traveling to. Highly recommend both tours!
What a beautiful combination of experiences :) Pintxos and laughs in the Old Town with Martin, then the dramatic cliffs of Zumaia, txakoli by the ocean and grilled fish with sea views… that’s such a perfect taste of the Basque coast. We’re really happy you connected not only with the food and wine, but also with the stories, history and atmosphere of the region along the way. Thanks for exploring this special corner of the world with us and for such lovely words about both tours!
Markel with Ikusnahi Travel was our guide on this outing and a few more. We had a fantastic time and learned so much about the history of the area while visiting cliffs, a winery and then a grilled fish restaurant. We were driven around in a spacious immaculate bus. The food was amazing-the best fish I have ever had. The wine is delicious and goes perfectly with the fish. Our group was huge and Markel handled everyone with care and grace and more importantly, fun. I cannot recommend Markel or Ikusnahi Travel enough. They are wonderful.
This was a great tour, we visited seaside fishing villages, rugged cliffs (aka Dragonstone), a beautiful outdoor sculpture at “Comb of the Wind” and saw the incredible coastline of the northern Basque country. Our guide Daniel was incredibly knowledgeable, kind and kept us on track without being a “taskmaster.” He answered all of our many questions and his stories over meals entertained us endlessly. Even when a bomb cyclone hit the coast, he effortlessly navigated the roads and was able the shuffle our itinerary so that we didn’t miss a thing. Our transportation was very clean, comfortable and reliable.
This tour was one of our highlights of our trip. Ernes our guide offers more than your average tour. He curates the experience based on your needs and interests and gives you an incredible amount of information and historical context about the places you go to. He also makes the trip a lot of fun! We came out of this experience feeling more knowledgeable about Txakoli and wine in general, and blown away by the views and by the seafood lunch in Getaria. Highly recommend booking this tour or any tours with Iskunasi!
We loved our day with Anna! She picked us up in Rioja and meandered to San Sebastian with may beautiful and surprising stops. She was the perfect tour guide--knowledgable and fun. It was a day not to be missed.
We absolutely loved this tour. Ania was both knowledgeable and entertaining. The txokali tour was so much fun and the wine tasting paired with different foods was exactly what we were hoping for. The grilled fish lunch was an excellent finish to and amazing tour
Oh, thanks so much! This is one of my favorite experiences in the Basque Country and I feel very lucky that I could share it with both of you! Best wishes, Ania
Our experience with ikusnahi tours was incredible. I can’t say enough about our guide Ania. She was professional, and knowledgeable but most of all Ania was so much fun! We just met her but our family felt like we were traveling with a dear friend! We spent 3 days with Ania and every day was an incredible adventure. We also experienced the San Sebastián sightseeing tour and the French Basque county tour, all of which I highly recommend. The communication before and during the trip was amazing and we always felt so well taken care of. The memories of the Basque Country and especially Ania are something we will always treasure!
