Last-minute hotels and villas for summer in Basque Country, Spain

Since Frank Gehry’s astonishing Guggenheim landed on the Bilbao riverbank, the city and its surroundings have been thriving. It’s not just about the art, though; the wild waves of the Atlantic crash into the cliffs and coves of the Bay of Biscay, making the region a magnet for surfers, and the hilly green rambler’s-paradise inland gives a foretaste of the Pyrenees – the dramatic range that marks the Basque border between France and Spain. In the towns (including Bilbao, San Sebastián, Bayonne and Biarritz) and fishing villages, travellers will find welcoming close-knit communities, as well as unforgettable food, much of it in the form of pintxos ¬– tiny tapas plates of tender jamon, tortilla and fresh fish, all washed down with a tot of hearty local red. Although the Basque Country’s recent history has had turbulent patches, and national pride (both political and sporting) is pronounced, it’s a colourful, characterful and rewarding region, unlike anywhere else in Spain – or Europe.