8 Days Culinary Vacations in the Basque Country

  • San Sebastian - St. Jean de Luz

Mountain and Sea Culinary Holiday in Basque

This is a magical land, half French and half Spanish where they burst into song at the drop of a hat. The Basques are warm and friendly - half mountain people and half sea people. The scenery is fabulous and the food divine. Peta Mathias' mission has always been to provide really authentic gastronomic and cultural experiences, far from the well-trodden tourist circuits and into the homes, restaurants and kitchens of people with real food soul. She samples everything, from the chic to the humble because variety is the spice of life! As usual the most difficult task has been to choose between all those delicious recipes, those tempting wines, those magical interiors, those overflowing markets. Someone's got to do it - why not you?

Highlights

  • Cooking classes
  • Culinary visits and tours
  • Guest chefs and dynamic restaurants
  • 7 nights accommodation
  • All meals with wine
  • Internal transport
  • 8 days with instruction
  • English
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In San Sebastian, you will be staying at Hotel Astoria7. In St. Jean de Luz, you will be staying at La Devinière.

Hotel Astoria7

  • Each of its 102 rooms is dedicated uniquely to a star, actor or filmmaker, who has been present at the International Festival San Sebastian Film.

La Devinière

La Devinière was the house of writer François Rabelais, a symbol of French spirit, and above all a French "ideal of living." This is why the house was named so. You'll find La Devinière in a quiet pedestrian street leading to the main beach, in the heart of the old city. The rooms' terraces look out onto the garden and Saint-Jean-Baptiste church tower, which saw, on year 1660, the wedding of French King Louis XIV with the Spanish Infant, whose house is still today reflected by the port's seas.

You start your tour in the perfect gastronomic city of San Sebastian, where we spend 4 nights exploring, eating pintxos (the most sophisticated tapas) and drinking Rioja. You kick-off with a Ciderhouse welcome dinner, visit the Guggenheim, go on a pintxos tasting tour of the Old Town, visit the medieval town of Gaetaria, take a boat ride to the freshest seafood lunch you've ever eaten, and visit a txakoli vineyard for bubbles and lunch, to name but a few things.

On the morning of day 5 you head to the beautiful fishing town of St. Jean-de-Luz (about an hour away) where you spend the next 3 days eating yet more seafood, drinking Irouléguy and exploring the area. You will have a guided tour of the town and market, visit the famous village of Espelette, eat in starred restaurants and shop 'til you drop. St Jean is both enigmatic and welcoming with dramatic green mountains, white washed houses and fabulous beaches.

Boat ride to the freshest seafood lunch

Guided tour of St. Jean-de-Luz town and market

Pintxos tasting tour of the Old Town

Visit a txakoli vineyard for bubbles and lunch

Visit the famous village of Espelette

Visit the Guggenheim

Visit the medieval town of Gaetaria

San Sebastian has the most 3-star restaurants in the world and St. Jean-de-Luz is possibly the most beautiful seaside town in France. The Basque Country is a foodie's paradise. Come and experience it with Peta Mathias.

  • 7 nights accommodation
  • All meals and wine with meals
  • Cooking classes
  • Guest chefs
  • Internal transport
  • Restaurants
  • Visits
  • The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid 60 days before arrival.
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Testimonials

  • Review by Joe Lillard from US
    10 out of 10

    "This was a fabulous tour; fantastic food by top chefs and some of our own, truly memorable lodgings and excitingly imaginative tours. With eight of our family and friends we had an absolute ball for the entire seven days!! Peta and Rosie brilliantly showed us the best of Hawkes Bay and Auckland."

    Peta Mathias website, edited

  • Review by Lou and Lisa Bieker from US
    10 out of 10

    "Just a quick note of thank you for organizing such a wonderful trip. We had a fabulous time! We experienced a lot of unique things and savored some great meals with top-notch chefs that we would not have been able to experience on our own. For that we are grateful. Thank you for giving us a fresh perspective and taste of New Zealand of which we will speak fondly of for many years."

    Peta Mathias website, edited

  • Review by Molly Lillard from United Kingdom
    10 out of 10

    "If anyone loves food and wants to go to New Zealand, dont miss the 2016 tour from Peta Mathias. We had a fabulous time and would recommend it to anyone. Peta was recognized everywhere we went so we felt very special and Rosie made it all come together. I cant recommend it more! "

    Peta Mathias website, edited

  • Review by Brendan & Shari from Christchurch, New Zealand
    10 out of 10

    "We had an absolutely fabulous time wandering around Puglia. The weather, food and company was outstanding we couldnt have asked for much more."

    Peta Mathias website, edited

  • Review by Lou Sanderson from Australia
    10 out of 10

    "How to change your approach to cooking!! Enjoying your Puglia tour in Southern Italy has certainly rejuvenated my approach to shopping and cooking. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience in Italy, the relaxed pace, the group of people, the priveliged experiences of local food and food production, the opportunity to learn from the locals and be introduced to so many traditions. Additionally it was a travel and cultural experience, all in all the balance of tourism, socialising, immersion in culture and cooking, eating and drinking was perfect!"

    Peta Mathias website, edited

  • Review by Liz Dawson from New Zealand
    10 out of 10

    "Thank you so much for the wonderful photo-montage - what lovely memories and real enjoyment it evokes - you have such an eye! Please pass on our thanks to Peta too - both Colin and I had such a brilliant time, and very much enjoyed the company of you and Peta, and our fellow gastronomads. I have valiantly cooked a couple of Moroccan meals since returning 10 days ago - I have to say, the second definitely better than the first, but our guests were delighted to sample some of Peta’s wonderful recipes. "

    Peta Mathias website, edited

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8 Days Culinary Vacations in the Basque Country

Peta Mathias

Auckland, New Zealand

Peta Mathias is a respected and prolific New Zealand chef, author, entertainer and broadcaster, who hosts culinary adventures to New Zealand, Europe and Asia.

from --

8 days / 7 nights

Availability

Arrival: Saturday June 23, 2018
Departure: Saturday June 30, 2018

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