Basque Country · Charming villages

The most beautiful villages in the Basque Country

Fishing harbours of colourful houses, walled towns, the flysch coast and wine villages in Rioja Alavesa: the most beautiful villages in the Basque Country are less than an hour from Bilbao or San Sebastián.

Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides

Gipuzkoa coast

Spain
Hondarribia

A walled old town with colourful balconies and the fishermen's quarter of La Marina, facing France.
What to see in Hondarribia
Spain
Pasaia

Pasai Donibane, a single-street village along the bay, where Victor Hugo lived.
What to see in Pasaia
Spain
Getaria

Elcano's home town, with the "mouse" above the harbour and txakoli vineyards on the slopes.
What to see in Getaria
Spain
Zumaia

The flysch of Itzurun, layers of rock dropping into the sea, and an old town by the estuary.
What to see in Zumaia
Spain
Orio

A fishing village at the mouth of the river, on the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago.
What to see in Orio

The Bizkaia coast

Spain
Lekeitio

A Gothic basilica, a lively harbour and the island of San Nicolás, which you can walk to at low tide.
What to see in Lekeitio
Spain
Mundaka

A small harbour in the Urdaibai reserve, known among surfers for its left-hand wave.
What to see in Mundaka
Spain
Bermeo

A colourful harbour and, next to it, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the hermitage on an islet joined to the coast by a stairway.
What to see in Bermeo

Inland and Rioja Alavesa

Spain
Oñati

Home to the first university in the Basque Country, with a stately old town and the sanctuary of Arantzazu in the mountains.
What to see in Oñati
Spain
Laguardia

A walled town above wine cellars dug beneath the streets, with the painted portico of Santa María de los Reyes.
What to see in Laguardia
Spain
Elciego

A wine village with a titanium winery designed by Frank Gehry next to the church.
What to see in Elciego

Frequently asked questions

What are the most beautiful villages in the Basque Country?

Hondarribia, Pasaia, Getaria, Zumaia and Orio in Gipuzkoa; Lekeitio, Mundaka and Bermeo in Bizkaia; and Oñati, Laguardia and Elciego inland and in Rioja Alavesa.

Which villages can you visit from San Sebastián?

Pasaia and Hondarribia are a quarter of an hour away and Getaria and Zumaia half an hour; Oñati, under an hour.

And from Bilbao?

Bermeo, Mundaka and Lekeitio are under an hour away along the Bizkaia coast, and Laguardia and Elciego just over an hour.

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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Cover photo: Alberto-g-rovi (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.