A little Basque Adventure..

Join me for an intimate, family-style journey through the French Basque Country and across the border into San Sebastián. We'll spend our days exploring beautiful coastal towns, mountain villages, markets and local producers — but just as importantly, we'll have time to sit down, eat well, wander and enjoy the experience together.

We'll travel as a small group of no more than eight guests, which means we can keep things flexible. Some days will be full of exploring; others will leave more room to slow down. We'll travel together in comfortable transportation, stopping along the way when there's something worth seeing, tasting or simply pulling over for.

We'll start along the coast, exploring **Biarritz, Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Ciboure and Guéthary**. We'll walk through historic neighborhoods and markets, stop for chocolate in Bayonne, discover the ports and beaches, and have time to enjoy these places rather than simply check them off a list.

We'll head into the countryside and mountains for a different side of the Basque Country. Around **Espelette, Ascain and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port**, we'll meet local producers, discover Basque traditions, taste regional specialties and take in the landscape. We'll spend time outside too — including the **La Rhune** area — with the option to walk, take in the views or simply enjoy a picnic and the scenery.

Food is a big part of how we'll experience the region. We'll visit markets, taste local products, share meals and seek out the places where Basque food is part of everyday life. There will be wine, cider, chocolate, cheese, peppers, pintxos and plenty of long lunches and dinners. Some meals will be planned; others will leave room for discovering what looks good that day.

We'll also cross into Spain for **San Sebastián**, spending time in the old town and experiencing its famous pintxos culture. Rather than rushing through for a few hours, we'll stay long enough to enjoy an evening there — walking, eating, having a drink and seeing the Basque Country from the other side of the border.

There will be plenty of stories along the way, too. Basque history, language, traditions, legends and the strong sense of identity that makes this region unlike anywhere else in France. In **Zugarramurdi**, we'll explore the caves and the darker side of Basque folklore; elsewhere, we'll discover traditions that are still part of everyday life.

And then there will be the unplanned moments — a conversation with a producer, a beautiful village we want to linger in, a café that looks too good to pass up, or simply an afternoon when everyone decides they'd rather sit down for another glass of wine.

That's really how this journey is meant to feel: **not a rigid schedule of sights, but a week spent experiencing the Basque Country together.** We'll see the places worth seeing, meet people who help bring the region to life, eat very well, get outside, learn a little, laugh a lot and still have time to wander on your own.

Small group. Shared experiences. A little structure, plenty of breathing room, and a French host there throughout to make the most of being here.

Bayonne City Life — The heart of French Basque country, where the Nive meets the Adour. Medieval streets, colorful half-timbered houses, the cathedral, chocolate makers & the famous jambon de Bayonne. We’ll wander the old town, pop into the places locals actually enjoy, taste our way through the city, and get a feel for Bayonne’s lively Basque spirit.