Category: Life with Nancy

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Start your holiday by having Brittany Ferries land you in the heart of this historic region

It’s important to pack elasticated shorts and voluminous kaftans when travelling to the Basque country. When the ship docks at Bilbao, it’ll be mere moments before you’re feasting on garlicky gambas (prawns) and bacalao (salt cod) with pil-pil sauce, accompanied by a glass of chilled albariño in the city’s numerous pintxo bars (similar to tapas).

To get under the skin of the Basque country, ship your car over to the continent with Brittany Ferries and load up on the region’s fine cheese, jamón and wine. With frequent sailings to Bilbao from Portsmouth, it’s never been easier to explore this delicious corner of Spain and France.

Before whizzing off to gorge on the delights of San Sebastián, it’s worth spending a day or so soaking up Bilbao’s many sights. Potter around Casco Viejo, the old town’s atmospheric 15th-century streets crammed with boutiques, cosy wine bars and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Spend an hour or three marvelling at the contemporary works by Jeff Koons, Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol et al at the Guggenheim Bilbao, the city’s titanium landmark edifice designed by Frank Gehry, which transformed the port city two decades ago. While fans of the classics will find plenty of El Grecos and Goyas to sate them at Museo de Bellas Artes.

From Bilbao, it’s a scenic hour’s drive east to San Sebastián, a charming seaside city famed for its sandy beaches, vibrant pintxosscene and a world-class culinary reputation with no fewer than 16 Michelin stars. The main beach gets packed in the warmer months, so follow the locals over to Isla Santa Clara, a tiny island just 437 yards wide with a quiet crescent beach, a natural seawater pool and a tiny beach bar.

From San Sebastián, it’s a short hop across the French border to Biarritz, a glamorous belle époque resort which found fame when Napoleon III took a shine to it in the mid-19th century. Park up at Hotel Escale Oceana, which is a short walk from the Old Town, where Bar Jean, one of Biarritz’s oldest hostelries has been serving up flamenco and tapas since the 1930s. Blow out the subsequent cobwebs with a potter along the Port des Pêcheurs, the old harbourfront staggered with crampottes, tiny fishermen’s cottages which back onto the cliffs.

Just east of Biarritz is Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a small fishing town with quaint, whitewashed bistros lining its narrow cobbled streets. Here you can while away the afternoon with the locals over a cloudy pastis and a bubbling crock of bonito marmitako (tuna stew) before heading over to Bayonne, the capital of the Basque country. A charismatic medieval city – all rugged ramparts, half-timbered buildings and tempting riverside restaurants – it’s like walking through a French impressionist’s painting and is regarded as one of the prettiest cities in Europe.

Work off the bountiful Basque cuisine by driving 90 minutes north to Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park, where you’ll find numerous hiking trails and lakes to explore on foot or by canoe, as well as the Contemporary Art Forest, a walking trail which combines art and nature.

Now in the lush heart of Aquitaine, resplendent in corduroy-neat vineyards of some of the world’s greatest wineries, it’s time to book into a 17th-century manor house and spend a few days exploring the beautiful sun-drenched winelands of Bergerac and Saint Émilion. After that third glass of Margaux and a fine entrecôte bordelaise, you’ll be delighted you packed those comfy clothes.

Find out more at brittanyferries.com/telegraph