Private Hondarribia Tour & Gastronomic Society Meal
Description
We’ll visit Hondarribia, the town with two faces that looks out over the beaches and cliffs of neighboring France. It is advisable to go with a happy stomach because we will get to know (and enjoy) a gastronomic socieded from the inside. How? Eating, drinking, toasting and celebrating life like the Basque people.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will begin your journey in San Sebastian and drive one of the most scenic roads along Basque Coast, where the harsh landscape of Mount Jaizkibel cuts into the ocean. On the way, your guide will give you an introduction on the history of the area, and what to expect throughout the experience.
First, we will stop in the fishing port of Hondarribia and dive into the history of local sailors, pirates and explorers to understand the intimate relation between the Basques and the ocean. You'll also immerse yourself in some of the oldest fishing traditions and find out what are our favorite seafood delicacies.
We will continue towards the fishermen’s village called Marina, where the elderly congregate on benches along packed with bustling pintxo bars San Pedro Street. Colorful buildings located along this promenade used to be old fish markets and fishermen’s huts. There is no better place than Marina to stop for a drink - ‘topa’(cheers)!
From Marina we will take a pleasant walk to the fortified part of Hondarribia that sets the stage for some of Basque Country’s most glorious battles. Its narrow streets, flowers draped from the balconies and medieval charm creates an extraordinary atmosphere and cultural context. We will also take time to discover a hidden collection of tapestries by Rubens in the castle of Emperor Charles V.
Hope you are hungry because it’s high time to head to shrouded in secrecy, Basque gastronomic society! ‘Txokos’ - as we call them in Euskara are not just places to cook and eat but most of all they play an enormously important part in our social life. We will be welcomed by our friend and an excellent chef - Fernando who, apparently fell into a clay pot with Basque fish stew ‘marmitako’ as a child and since then can’t live without cooking….and eating! Fernando will prepare for us authentic Basque dinner using highest quality products from the local garden and fishing port we have visited earlier today. Your plates will sequentially fill up with mouth-watering anchovies, Basque tomato salad with home-marinated tuna fish, baked monkfish and ‘pantxineta’ - vanilla custard, puff pastry and roast almond dessert! Gastronomic society is a unique opportunity to actively participate in a local culture - cook, eat, sing and laugh just as you were Basque for a day!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up available also from different locations - please ask for details! Please wait in the hotel lobby 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup time.
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(11)
Thank you, Ikusnahi, for the wonderful, educational excursion, and for giving us the opportunity to experience the exquisite cuisine of Sociedad Klink.
You're very welcome, Werner! Visiting a Basque gastronomic society is something few visitors get to experience, and we're delighted you had the chance to enjoy the wonderful cuisine and warm atmosphere of Sociedad Klink. Sharing these authentic moments is one of the things we enjoy most, so thank you for being part of it. Eskerrik asko!
Great Basque country tour with IKUSNAHI tours. This is our first time to Basque country and Ikusnahi tour has planned well according to our love for scenary, food & wine. We did not feel rush. Have enough time for each stop. Winenary selection is great and food at gastronomy society is good too. If you can get a few friends, go for their 3-4 days private tour, tailor for your preference. This is the BEST way to experience the basque country -- by the experienced Basque guides.
This is exactly the kind of Basque Country experience we love creating :) Beautiful scenery, slow meals, good wines and enough time to actually enjoy each place instead of rushing through it all. We’re especially happy you appreciated the gastronomic society experience, because those places are such an important part of our local culture and way of gathering around food. Eskerrik asko for trusting us on your first visit to the Basque Country, and we completely agree… a few days exploring the region privately with local guides is something really special!
It was a fantastic experience, with everything very well organized!!! Our Guide, Martin Larrea, was very professional!!! It is undoubtedly an experience to repeat!!!
We had an unforgettable evening with our awesome guide Anya. We spent the first half of the tour traveling to Basque landmarks and exploring the 13th century medieval town of Hondarribia. Anya was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain the history of everything that we were seeing. The highlight of the city is the castle, which is now a hotel. After the tour, Anay took us to her private gastronomy and social club where we had an incredible dinner. We learned about the food that we were eating and the proper way to serve the local wine. Each course was prepared by a private chef that put his love and passion into everything he served. We felt like we were eating dinner at someone’s house. If you can for this tour into your agenda, do not miss it!
Ania is the best tour guide EVER. She went above and beyond any expectation we had. She made the experience of every moment very special. Andres, our chef, was delightful. And omg the food!! It was our first experience at a gastronomic society and we loved it. We went up into the hills to see the natural boundary between Spain and France, and then on to Hondarribia. Ania shared some of the history of the region, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We had the best day, it is a highlight we will never forget.
It is a very complete visit, not only to get to know the magnificent town of Hondarribia, but also to learn about the local culture and traditions. Meal in the society is a unique experience, with a very good menu of very good quality and an opportunity to get to know the true way of life of the local people. The guides Ania and Ernes were magnificent, authentic experts who made my visit super enjoyable and unforgettable.
Visiting Ernes' gastronomic society for dinner was a highlight of our trip. Get an inside perspective on a typical Basque tradition. Great food and incredibly interesting.
Amazing experience with IKUSNAHI tours. We did 3 separate tours from San Sebastián during our week there. Ania, our tour guide for all 3, was awesome. Her attitude, knowledge and personality really made us feel like we were traveling with a local friend.
Enjoyed our tour in Hondarribia in the Basque Country. Our historic tour of the city and the fortress that was our hotel was wonderful. Our evening eating pintxos in the bar was unbelievable. I thought they would never stop coming along with the Basque white wine , it was all delicious. And finally our dinner prepared for us at the Men’s Gastronomic club was superb.
We we were fortunate enough secure three programs with Ikusnahi Tours and got to meet both Mikel and Ernes. One was an entertaining, yet fascinating, historic tour of Hondarribia (during which we also learned more about Basque people and their culture). The second experience was a pintxos dinner at one of Hondarribia's many great eateries. The third was an evening at the Hondarribia Gastronomic Society. Here we were regaled with authentic local dishes and wines, as well as with stories and a wealth of information. Our evening at the "club" was like being invited into a family's home: quite a privilege!
