Eating the Basque Way

You leave San Sebastián by private transport and drive west toward the coast, where the Basque Country’s food culture begins in daily routines. In Zarautz, you walk through the local market as residents shop for fish landed that morning, seasonal vegetables, and cured meats that anchor home cooking. Your host explains how people here buy food day by day, and why seasonality matters. From the coast, you head inland to the hills where txakoli vineyards cling to steep, terraced slopes. At a small, family-run winery, you see how this lightly sparkling white wine is made from native grapes shaped by Atlantic weather. The tasting is informal and direct, focused on method, land, and continuity. The day ends at a traditional cider house. You stand at the barrel for the txotx ritual, catching cider as it’s poured, then sit down to a classic meal: cod omelet, grilled steak, and Idiazabal cheese with quince and walnuts. It’s a long lunch, taken the Basque way — unhurried and communal.

This experience follows the everyday food economy of the Basque Country. It is a cultural exploration expressed through the region’s most emblematic cuisine, wine, and cider. Txakoli (pronounced cha-ko-lee) is a white wine that embodies the maritime and mountain character of the Basque Country and sits at the center of this experience. Made for centuries from indigenous grapes, it reflects the meeting of Atlantic weather and steep terrain. Traditionally served young and poured from a height to aerate it, txakoli evolved to accompany local food. The winery you visit is hand-picked for its artisanship and quality — a family-run estate, well away from mass tourism. Cider, or sagardoa, carries an equally deep history. Present in Basque rural and maritime life since at least the 11th century, it anchors a social ritual built around shared tables and long meals. The txotx remains a living custom — binding food, drink, and hospitality into a single cultural expression.

Ania is a passionate experience maker who has lived across Europe and the Americas and has called San Sebastián home for over a decade. She works with a small, trusted team of local guides and food and drink experts who craft exceptional experiences rooted in the region’s gastronomy, nature, and Basque culture. Your host will be confirmed ahead of your experience.

The weather in this part of the world can be temperamental, so keep an eye on the weather forecast.