100% BASQUE PLANS

What is it about the north that makes everyone fall in love with it?

Each region of Spain has its own particular charm and traditions that make them special and unique. However, the north holds a special appeal… It may be for its gastronomy, for the greenry and the freshness of its mountains, for its climate and unspoiled coastline… as well as a long etcetera of reasons.

So it is that we travel to the Basque Country and our Boutique Hotel IXUA.

A charming small hotel with 8 rooms located in Éibar, Guipúzcoa. Its carefully put together Nordic decoration oozes peaces and tranquility making you  feel at home from the moment you walk through the door. All rooms are exterior, overlooking the Urko mountain. Pure luxury!

Its restaurant has been open to the public for 50 years, offering wonderful food to guests, as well as all food lovers who search it out. With this history, its traditional cuisine has become a point of reference in the area. Taking on board the new focus brought about by its Boutique Hotel it has also been able to adapt to the vanguardia of modern cuisine, without losing its traditional essence. Working in close association with local suppliers and always looking for the highest quality, its menu offers dishes with seasonal products and 0 km. Its speciality and signature is the grill… It simply has to tried to be believed!

If there’s one thing that characterizes us at Boutique Hotels Spain, it’s our hosts. Their hospitality has no limits and always manages to offer the guest the best experience.

That’s why today we are offering you a series of plans, that will without wasting any time allow you to fit in and immediately feel at home in the Basque Country.

So, let’s begin!

1. Shepherd for a day.

Visit one of the farms in the Urkiola area where you can walk with the flocks. That’s not all, depending on the time of the year you can milk or shear the sheep and even to bottle-feed the lambs. Among the available workshops you will be able to work the wool, make your own fresh cheese or curd and attend a cheese tasting of DO Idiazabal cheese with a local producer.

2. Play ‘pilota‘ vasca.

This is the sport par excellence in the region. In the coastal region of Bermeo you will find one of the oldest fronton courts, where you can learn the rules of this traditional Basque game first hand. You can watch an exhibition match between professional ‘pilotaris’ before being given the opportunity to demonstrate your skills on the court. You will also be able to enjoy the day by making a boat trip, a visit to the medieval villa of Bermeo and lastly a visit to the Fisherman’s Museum to taste a pintxo (Basque tapa) paired with txakoli (Basque wine).

3. Natural Soap Workshop.

An experience for the senses. Become an alchemist for the day in Ezkio. Experiment with delicate aromas and ointments to make your own natural soap. While the soaps are drying you will be able to visit the surrounding area where aromatic plants grow and learn the medicinal health properties and applications of each one. At end the day, you can enjoy a tasting of local products: Idiazabal cheese, bread and cider.

4. Learn how to pour cider.

A must-see is the Sagardoetxea Museum or the Museum of Basque Cider, at Astigarraga. You will learn about the culture and history of cider, how it is obtained from apples and how the cider is poured repecting the ritual of the ‘txotx’ (how to hold the glass, its inclination and the different colours and aromas of cider). You can put into practice everything that you have learned at the cider mill La Sidrería and top off the day by enjoying a traditional cider menu. Oh, and by the way, you will also be heading home with the gift of a free bottle of cider tucked under your arm!

5. Gastro-workshop talo making.

The “talo” is considered to the Basque bread. It is a corn flour bread cake similar to the Venezuelan arepa or Mexican tortilla, but its difference is that it is more brittle and grainy textured. In Beasain you will be able to enjoy the experience of learning the recipe and taking part in a talo workshop. Make your own talo in the traditional way and then taste it! The most typical way to accompany it is with chistorra (a type of thin chorizo). Finally don’t miss the opportunity to take a guided tour of the Igartza Monumental Complex and learn first hand the history and culture surrounding around this culinary activity.

6. Handcrafted jewellery workshop.

A visit to the workshop of Txus Gruzeta, a craftsman specialising in silver jewellery and gem-setting. With his masterful explanation, you will get to know the craft and the process of preparing the materials in order to craft thess unique pieces. Txus’s jewellery is closely linked to Basque symbolism and they are one off, delicate and very creative pieces. Become a designer for a few hours and you create your own handcrafted jewellery to wear home! Sounds good, doesn’t it?

If all these plans have sparked your ethusiasm… then choose the alternative that you like the best or try them all… Enjoy the experience and don’t hestitate to get to know the culture of the Basque Country more closely with Boutique Hotels Spain.