Zarautz

The longest beach in the Basque Country stretches 2.5 km in a wide arc facing the Atlantic. The sand is golden, the waves are consistent, and the beach is popular with surfers, swimmers, and walkers. After a day of climbing through the hills from San Sebastian, walking barefoot on the sand with the Atlantic wind in your face is restorative. The promenade runs the full length of the beach and is lined with bars and restaurants.

Zarautz has a strong pintxos culture. The bars on the main street and around the old quarter display counters loaded with creative bites. The quality is high, the prices are slightly lower than San Sebastian, and the atmosphere is more relaxed. Try the local txakoli (sparkling white wine, produced in vineyards visible on the hills above the town) with your pintxos. The combination of the wine and the food is quintessentially Basque.

Zarautz is the surfing capital of the Basque Country. The beach break works on most swells and the lineup is busy with local surfers year-round. Watching from the promenade with a cold beer as the surfers catch wave after wave is a pleasant way to spend an evening. The surf culture here is genuine, not imported. Zarautz has been a surf town since the 1960s.

The hills above Zarautz are planted with vineyards producing txakoli, the Basque sparkling white wine. Several bodegas offer tastings and tours, though these usually need to be arranged in advance. The wine is light, crisp, slightly sparkling, and designed for drinking young. Poured from a height into a flat glass (to create the fizz), txakoli is the perfect partner for seafood and pintxos. Seeing where it is made, with views over the coast, adds to the experience.