8 Days Culinary Vacations in the Basque Country

San Sebastian - St. Jean de Luz

“Discover the half Spanish and half French magical land!”

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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Accommodation

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.

Peta Mathias Spanish French Cooking Vacation in Basque Program

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.

Included excursions

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

The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 60 days before arrival.

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.

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8 days / 7 nights

8 Days Culinary Vacations in the Basque Country

8 Days Culinary Vacations in the Basque Country