San Sebastian & Rioja 5-day Itinerary

San Sebastian’s central market, just in from La Concha bay, opened its doors in 1884, and underwent a complete transformation in 2006; along with traditional food stalls, San Martin now hosts concerts and cultural events.

San Sebastian’s world-famous three-Michelin-star restaurant (since 1989!), run by Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena Arzak, who won the prize for the world’s best female chef in 2012. There cellar holds some 100,000 bottles of wine.

If you want to understand the unique and proud Basque culture (believed to be the oldest civilisation, with the oldest language, in Europe), this San Sebastian museum of history and fine arts is the place to go. It recently had a complete makeover – now the beautifully displayed collection covers everything from model ships and prehistoric carvings to regional armour, traditional costume and games, as well as exceptional special exhibitions, often on photography.

The museum also encompasses the must-see former church of San Telmo, decorated with 11 enormous, golden-hued canvases depicting key moments in Basque history – painted in 1932 by Jose Maria Sert.

Right in the medieval centre, this contemporary bar uses the finest ingredients in its traditional and avant garde pintxos – their prawn skewers are famous. Good wine list too. Best to book a table as it fills up fast.

Located just over the river in Gros, this bar has won prizes for its exquisite nibbles. You can make a meal of them (there’s a set menu) at one of the tables.

Dine on cod dishes and steaks in this traditional cider house (sagardotegi), just outside San Sebastian. They’ve been making cider here for over 500 years. They offer guided tours of the apple orchards and cider works; their typical set menus are online.

If San Sebastian gets too intense, escape to this lovely village, just 18km west along the coast. Getaria is a real fishing port with a proud heritage. As well as an attractive medieval town centre, it has charming seafood restaurants and broad, clean beaches – and it’s still largely undiscovered by foreigners.

Getaria also has a burgeoning wine scene, as the light, sparkling txakoli wine is produced around here. Txakoli, a very dry, slightly sparkling white that goes perfectly with pintxos, is one of the new stars of Spain’s wine scene. Once just a drink that farmers made for themselves, it’s now ubiquitous in Basque bars and restaurants.

The original txakoli comes from the delightful hill country outside the picturesque village of Getaria, and it’s a great excuse to lose yourself in the area’s countryside and sample a glass or two.

This small museum tucked away in the small village of Balenciaga’s birth (1895), displays of 20th-century haute couture outfits by the famous designer. There are guided tours and even an onsite fashion school for teaching the tips of the trade.

A well-equipped, new museum created by the winemaking Vivanco family, that explains the history of winemaking in the Rioja region. For an extra few Euros, you can get a guided tour with wine tasting. There’s also a superb restaurant devoted to Riojan cuisine. Closed Monday & Tuesday.

Rioja’s people have been making wine for over 2,000 years, and in recent decades it has become one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world. Rolling hills and lovely landscapes make an ideal setting for winery-hopping, and estates welcome visitors for tours and tastings.

Recently, estate owners have started to commission some of the world’s greatest architects to build new bodegas (wineries), and the region has become renowned for its striking avant-garde architecture. Look out for the spectacular Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia by Santiago Calatrava, Tondonia in Haro, with a pavilion by Zaha Hadid, and Frank Gehry’s undulating Hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego.

Stop by the Vivanco family’s wine museum for an insight into the history of winemaking in the region.

One of the biggest wineries in Spain, CVNE offers a range of tours including lunches, cellar tours and children’s workshops.

This unique four-star hotel sits within a monumental 14th-century Augustinian monastery in the handsome, historic town of Haro, in Spain’s Rioja wine region. The three-storey cloister is now a glassed-in patio, beautifully illuminated at night.

Rooms are far from monastic, however – think plump memory-foam mattresses, original wood beams and embroidered headboards – while the location makes it an excellent base for exploring the wineries and beautiful landscapes of Rioja Alta.

There’s an excellent breakfast buffet, served on the patio, and the hotel’s elegant El Claustro restaurant is one of Haro’s best, and serves some the region’s top Riojas.

The hotel is in a web of handsome streets, lined with historic buildings that come alive during the day but are quiet at night. The main town square, with numerous pintxo bars, is a short stroll away.

This very friendly and welcoming vineyard has beautiful views to go with its informative guided tour and tastings.

In a gorgeous mountain setting, taste superb wines in this bodega with a mountain-inspired design, by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava.

Rioja’s people have been making wine for over 2,000 years, and in recent decades it has become one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world. Rolling hills and lovely landscapes make an ideal setting for winery-hopping, and estates welcome visitors for tours and tastings.

Recently, estate owners have started to commission some of the world’s greatest architects to build new bodegas (wineries), and the region has become renowned for its striking avant-garde architecture. Look out for the spectacular Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia by Santiago Calatrava, Tondonia in Haro, with a pavilion by Zaha Hadid, and Frank Gehry’s undulating Hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego.

Stop by the Vivanco family’s wine museum for an insight into the history of winemaking in the region.

After designing Bilbao’s Guggenheim, Frank Gehry brought his titanium-shaping skills to the Rioja region to create the ultimate wine hotel. Rising above the vine-clad hills, with the Cantabrian mountains filling the horizon, the estate is a short walk from the medieval village of Elciego.

The hotel forms part of a wider ‘City of Wine’, alongside the Bodega Marqués de Riscal and the Caudalíe Vinothérapie Spa (an offshoot of Bordeaux’s wine and grape spa), with an indoor pool and fitness room.

The estate also boasts its own wine bar, the informal 1860 Tradición restaurant with lovely views and a superb Michelin-starred restaurant.

Guests are entitled to a free tour of the bodega, one of the oldest wineries in the area, and you can hire bikes to explore the La Rioja hills.