Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

In San Sebastián, catch the cable car from the end of Ondaretta, which takes you to the top of Mount Igueldo for a bird’s-eye view of the city and the half-moon bay of Plaza La Concha by day, or the starlit seascape by night. In France, take the cog railway from the Col St Ignace to the top of La Rhune (www.rhune.com) for spectacular Pyrenees panoramas.

Arts and culture

Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao is an absolute drop-everything must-see, even if just from the outside (www.guggenheim.org/bilbao). Guarded by Jeff Koon’s colossal flower puppy, this sprawling silver swirl of titanium on the riverbank is a staggering architectural achievement, and contains impressive modern artworks. The city of Bayonne brought chocolate to France, using cocoa beans Columbus swiped from the Americas – Biarritz’s Musée du Chocolat gives you the full story, as well as ample tasting opportunities (www.planetmuseeduchocolat.com).

Something for nothing

Join in a game of pelota – the locals will welcome your attempts and will happily teach you the rules.

Shopping

Except for a handful of boutiques in Bilbao, the Basque Country isn’t likely to worry Milan for the title of fashion paradise any time soon, but if you’re on the hunt for gourmet goodies, you’re in luck. Most towns have a market specialising in regional foodstuffs, the best are the three-floor, 400-stall Ribera in Bilbao, the Bretxa in San Sebastian, the Almendra in Vitoria and an excellent one held in St Jean de Luz every Tuesday and Friday.

Daytripper

After a morning marvelling at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, drive or take the train to Guernica, subject of Picasso’s haunting painting and the traditional centre of Basque nationalism that was all but destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War. Surprisingly, given the atrocity, the moving exhibits at the Muséo de la Paz de Gernika promote an optimistic outlook, and comprise an engaging meditation on the nature of peace. Before heading back, stop at the Cueva de Santamamiñe to admire the rock formations in the hillside caverns (the 12,000-year-old cave paintings within have now been closed to viewings in order to preserve them). Lezika, the attached bar/restaurant is a popular place for lunch or an afternoon beer in the open air.

Best beach

The Basque coast is littorally brilliant, with secluded coves, sandy shores and some of the best breaks in Europe. The perfectly formed crescent of La Concha in San Sebastián is the city’s sandy star attraction, flanked by a promenade worthy of the seaside resorts of yesteryear. Smaller and quieter, the beach at Zarautz further west along the coast is a surfing hotspot. Across the border, St Jean de Luz is one of France’s prettiest beach towns, with a long sandy bay that’s peopled with picnickers in summer.

Perfect picnic

Every Basque town has a charcuterie and a patisserie where you can pick up picnic supplies. In San Sebastián and Zarautz, you’ll find Lukas, a small chain of delis and vinotecas, specialising in gourmet local goods – one of the very few places you can taste-test the jamon before you buy it (www.lukasgourmet.com). You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to picnic spots, but we like the Bosque Pintado de Oma pine forest near Guernica, where Basque artist Augustín Ibarrola has painted the trees with striking images of eyes and people.

Walks

The Sentier Littoral comprises 25km of signposted paths and lanes along the Basque coast and makes for inspiring wandering. Some parts of the path cross the clifftops, others plunge down to the beach. Pick up a detailed map from any tourist office to plan your journey.

Children

Basques adore kids, and we highly recommend packing one – they’ll guarantee you attention in restaurants for one thing. There are very few places children aren’t welcome – Basque dads even bring them bar-hopping. There’s a still-operational ’30s funfair at the top of Mount Igueldo that will give youngsters something to do while you admire the views, and Castillo Butrón outside Bilbao is a mediaeval-style castle straight out of a fairytale, with mannequins depicting life in an ancient fortress. Biarritz’s Musée de la Mer does everything a seaside aquarium should, with added exhibits on Basque ocean-going history (www.museedelamer.com).

Activities

Between January and April, visit one of the cider houses around San Sebastián to sample cider straight from the barrel (www.sagardotegiak.com). Most offer meals of traditional Basque dishes, plus as much as you can drink, for €15–€30. Make the most of the Atlantic coast by tackling the waves at Guéthary and St Jean de Luz (www.ecoledesurf-quiksilver.com, www.bakunsurf.net or www.surfguethary.all have good surf schools), or scuba diving in Hendaye with Planet Ocean (www.planetocean.fr). Based near St Jean de Luz, Aqua Balade operates canoeing trips around the region’s rivers (+33 06 62 58 09 97; www.aquabalade.com).

And

Once woven to protect cattle from the sun, characteristically stripy and colourful Basque fabrics are renowned (possibly explaining why Cristóbal Balenciaga chose to make his home in Getaria). The Jean-Vier Basque fabric eco-museum in St Jean de Luz takes you on a tour of textile traditions, with stop-offs in Basque culinary and festival heritage (www.jean-vier.com).