Wilderness Travel 2017 Catalog of Adventures

Great Hikes & Cuisine of Basque Country MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND ANCIENT CULTURES OF EUSKADI

MATTEO CARASSALE

Limestone peaks, high trails, savory specialties, and fine wine make for the perfect hiking adventure. PHOTO: JUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ

HIGHLIGHTS • Experience the unique Basque heritage with visits to pilgrimage sites and local bodegas • Hikes include forested trails that lead to monasteries and ridge walks past fascinating stone monuments • Cross the borders of Spain and France— on foot! • Savor a Welcome Dinner in a Michelin- starred restaurant • Private wine tastings, cooking class, and picnics including renowned Basque cheeses • Charming hotels, including a Baroque manor house, a historic grain mill-turned- hotel, and a family-run riverside inn • Join the local pastime of txikiteo , going from bar to bar, snacking on small delicacies and a drink before moving on to the next place! • Enjoy an insider’s experience with native Basque Trip Leaders DETAILS • 10-day trip begins in Bilbao and ends in Hondarribia • 9 nights historic hotels and inns • All meals included except 3 dinners

The free-spirited Basque country is a world apart, with its own ancient language, celebrated cuisine, and emerald mountains offering some of the most gorgeous hiking in all Spain. On our captivating hiking and cultural

Days 1-5 Bilbao / La Rioja / Navarre High Country / Arbizu Basque lore and legend is all around us on hikes amid the hidden rock labyrinths of Gorbea and the limestone peaks and lush meadows of Urkiola. In Navarre’s high country, our trails lead along ridges in the footsteps of mountain tribes who settled here 6,000 years ago, and to a remote monastery for a picnic lunch. On one afternoon, you’ll join a private cooking class of La Rioja specialties and taste wines with a master winemaker, the owner of our charming hotel. Days 6-7 High Route of the Pyrenees From Roncesvalles Pass, where the Basques defeated Charlemagne’s army in 778, hike right into France on the spectacular Pyrenees High Route, passing mysterious stone megaliths, then head back into Spain and the remote Aldudes Valley, where a much-prized cured ham is made. Days 8-10 Bidarray, France / Hondarribia, Spain On the grassy slopes of Mt. Atxuria, retrace the smugglers’ trail used by armies that fought in the 19th century Spanish civil wars. Our last hike is along the cliffs of Hendaye, France, where mountains spill into the sea amid hidden islands and coves that were once the secret refuge of Basque witches. From our hotel in the colorful fishermen’s quarter of Hondarribia, we join the locals for the tradition of txikiteo , or pintxo -bar-hopping, in the town’s tavernas. Depart on Day 10.

“It was a great trip. The hikes were spectacularly beautiful, the food and wine very special, and the Basque villages so cozy and fun.”

adventure, we follow smugglers’ paths into hidden valleys, and cross spectacular high trails to travel from Spain into France on foot. Eating well is the second religion

Barry P., Virginia Beach VA

of the Basques, and we’ll enjoy a cooking class, sip superb red Rioja wines, and savor dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Ongi etorri!

DATES May 30-Jun 8, 2017 Jun 27-Jul 6 Aug 28-Sep 6 Sep 18-27

TRIP COST $5495 (11-15 members) $5895 (6-10 members) Single supplement: $550

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 + 4 5 6 7 9 hiking days on moderate trails, some steep sections, 3-6 hours a day, van support

ROBERT FRIED

QUESTIONS? 1.800.368.2794 OR EMAIL EUROPE@WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM 38