Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

LeShuttle to Calais and overnight stay in the Dijon area on a bed and breakfast basis.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

We continue south through France with a stop in Poitiers, a charming market town with an attractive historic centre. Take time to wander its pretty streets, admire the architecture or relax in one of the cafés before continuing to Bordeaux for our two-night stay.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

A full day to enjoy Bordeaux, one of France’s most elegant cities. Our coach takes us into the centre, where you can explore the UNESCO-listed historic quarter, admire the grand Place de la Bourse and Fountain of the Three Graces, or climb the 229 steps of the Cathedral Bell Tower for views across the city. You could also discover the story of the region’s famous wines at La Cité du Vin.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

The journey continues towards Northern Spain, with time to explore Biarritz along the way. Once a favourite retreat of European royalty, this stylish Atlantic resort is known for its beautiful beaches, elegant promenade and dramatic coastal views. After time to enjoy the seaside atmosphere, we continue to Suances, our base for the next six nights.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Settle into the relaxed pace of coastal Spain and enjoy a day to spend as you wish. Take a stroll along the beach, explore the local streets, enjoy the sea views or simply relax and make the most of your surroundings in this charming Cantabrian resort.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Discover a spectacular mountain landscape as we travel to the Picos de Europa. The pretty town of Potes offers time to explore its cobbled streets, traditional shops and cafés before continuing to Fuente Dé. Here, you can choose to take the optional cable car high into the mountains for breathtaking views across this dramatic national park.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Step back in time in Santillana del Mar, one of Spain’s best-preserved medieval towns, with time to explore its historic streets and charming squares. We continue to the Altamira Cave Museum, where a replica of the famous prehistoric cave reveals the incredible paintings created thousands of years ago. Later, enjoy free time in Santander, Cantabria’s elegant coastal capital.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

With the Atlantic coast on your doorstep, enjoy the freedom to explore Suances and the surrounding area at your own pace. Discover nearby beaches, enjoy local cuisine or simply take time to appreciate the relaxed atmosphere of this lesser-known corner of Spain.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Experience Bilbao, where historic streets meet bold modern architecture. Explore the atmospheric old quarter, browse the shops and sample the city’s famous pintxos, or choose to visit the iconic Guggenheim Museum, renowned for its striking design and fascinating exhibitions.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Venture into the heart of La Rioja, one of Spain’s most celebrated wine regions. In Haro, enjoy an included vineyard visit and tasting, discovering more about the traditions behind the area’s famous wines. Later, continue to Logroño, where you can explore the city’s lively streets and sample pintxos, the Basque Country’s delicious take on tapas.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Discover San Sebastian, a beautiful coastal city where golden beaches, elegant architecture and world-class cuisine come together. Stroll around the famous La Concha Bay, explore the charming old town or find a café overlooking the water and enjoy the views of this captivating corner of the Basque Country.

Full Day

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

Our journey north includes a stop in the historic town of Cognac, famous worldwide for its celebrated spirit. Enjoy free time to explore, find lunch at your leisure or perhaps join an optional visit to one of the town’s renowned cognac houses to learn more about its heritage and production.

Basque Country, La Rioja & Beaches of Northern Spa

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Soak up Atlantic glamour on Biarritz’s elegant promenade, where sea air and Belle Époque architecture meet the surf. Walk the curve of the Grande Plage and follow the footpath to the dramatic Rocher de la Vierge for sweeping views over the Bay of Biscay.

Once a royal retreat, Biarritz blends gilded 19th-century style with a vibrant beach culture. The seaside scenery, crashing rollers, and oceanfront cafés capture the resort’s enduring appeal as the Basque coast’s chic, salt-sprayed salon.

Step inside the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to experience titanium curves framing bold contemporary galleries. Explore a collection of modern and contemporary art and wander among monumental, site-specific installations that dialogue with the building’s fluid forms.

This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Audio guides and rotating exhibitions deepen appreciation of Bilbao’s cultural renaissance, where world-leading design and curatorial vision transformed a riverfront into an international arts landmark.

Join a guided cellar tour at a renowned maison to learn how grapes become eaux-de-vie in gleaming copper alembic stills, then mature slowly in Limousin oak. Conclude with a tutored tasting that explores aromas from floral to toasted spice.

This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Expert hosts explain blending and aging traditions, revealing how terroir, time, and craftsmanship define the character and depth of France’s most storied spirit.

Travel into the Picos de Europa for a journey of crags, valleys, and highland panoramas. Pause in Potes to wander stone lanes and bridges around its medieval tower, then continue through the Desfiladero de la Hermida gorge where cliffs rise sheer above the river road.

These rugged limestone peaks formed Spain’s first national park, sheltering mountain traditions and wildlife. The route reveals Cantabria’s dramatic interior, contrasting coastal breezes with alpine vistas that have long inspired pilgrims, shepherds, and modern-day photographers alike.

Step into old Castile’s honeyed stone in Santillana del Mar, a perfectly preserved medieval town of noble houses and cobbled streets. Meander by carved coats of arms and arcaded squares that feel little changed in centuries.

At the heart stands the Romanesque Colegiata de Santa Juliana with its tranquil cloister. The town’s harmony of manor houses and quiet lanes offers a rare sense of time paused, showcasing Cantabria’s historic prosperity along pilgrimage and trade routes.

Discover the story of Europe’s earliest artists at the Altamira Cave Museum. Enter the acclaimed Neocave replica to see lifelike reproductions of the celebrated polychrome Palaeolithic bison, illuminated to evoke torchlit ritual beneath ancient stone.

Context galleries trace Ice Age lifeways and the techniques that created this prehistoric art between roughly 36,000 and 13,000 years ago. The experience marries meticulous science and craft, revealing why Altamira is a keystone of human creativity and archaeological discovery.

Explore the breezy arc of Santander Bay, from seafront gardens to café-lined promenades. Stroll past the Cathedral quarter and contemporary Centro Botín, then trace the coastline toward the Magdalena Peninsula for glimpses of palaces, beaches, and sail-dotted water.

Rebuilt after a devastating 1941 fire, Santander balances maritime heritage with modern design. The elegance of El Sardinero and the city’s green spaces frame vistas that speak to Cantabria’s enduring bond with the Cantabrian Sea.

Experience Bilbao’s character where tradition meets innovation. Wander the Casco Viejo and its Siete Calles (Seven Streets), browse market stalls, and follow the Nervión River to striking footbridges and the shimmering curves of the Guggenheim Museum exterior.

Industrial might once powered Bilbao’s docks; today, design-led renewal animates the riverfront. Basque flair thrives in pintxo bars and lively plazas, while landmark architecture signals the city’s confident cultural renaissance without losing its old-world warmth.

Delve into La Rioja’s cellar heritage in Haro with an included vineyard tour and wine tasting. Walk among barrels, learn how Tempranillo and native varieties are crafted, and appreciate the cool hush of traditional oak barrel cellars.

Generations of expertise define this landscape of vines and hill towns. Your guided visit brings Rioja’s classification, aging styles, and artisan methods to life, offering a nuanced palate of aromas and stories rooted in the region’s celebrated bodegas.

Explore Logroño’s historic core, where church spires and arcades lead to the famed Calle del Laurel. Admire the twin towers of the Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda and wander toward the Ebro riverside for snapshots of bridges and tree-lined walks.

Logroño’s convivial streets reflect centuries on the Camino de Santiago and a deep culinary culture. The compact old town invites browsing wine bars and tabernas, with aromas of grilled skewers and seasonal produce drifting through handsome squares.

Take in the curve of La Concha Bay, a sheltered sweep of sand backed by promenades and Belle Époque balustrades. Amble the Parte Vieja (Old Town) beneath balconies and church towers, and sense the city’s Belle Époque elegance in grand theatres and bridges.

San Sebastián pairs coastal beauty with renowned gastronomy. Elegant avenues, artisan shops, and lively pintxo bars reveal a culture that prizes conviviality and craftsmanship as much as sea views and surfers catching Atlantic swells.

Stroll the lanes of Cognac’s historic quarter, where merchants’ houses and half-timbered lanes edge the Charente River. Weathered warehouses hint at centuries of aging eaux-de-vie, while quayside paths frame reflective waters and elegant stone facades.

From craft distillers to the grand maisons de cognac, the town’s identity is steeped in the ‘angel’s share’ that perfumes the air. Architecture, river trade, and cellar traditions intertwine to tell the story of France’s most famous spirit.

Ascend by cable car to Fuente Dé for vast views over a glacial cirque and the serrated ridges of the Picos de Europa. From the top station, pause at viewpoints to photograph limestone massifs and valleys unfolding to distant Atlantic horizons.

This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. The swift ascent opens a high-mountain world of silence, raptors riding thermals, and misty mountain passes that have shaped Cantabrian folklore and pastoral life.

Wander the medieval streets of Poitiers, pausing in the lively Place Charles-de-Gaulle to admire the luminous Romanesque facade of Notre-Dame la Grande. Cobbled lanes, timbered houses, and café terraces set a leisurely rhythm for discovering this cultured university town.

Learn how Poitiers’ strategic hilltop fostered a rich past, from ancient Christianity to Romanesque art. The intricate carvings of Notre-Dame la Grande reward unhurried viewing, while nearby landmarks evoke the city’s long role at the crossroads of French history and devotion.

Explore Bordeaux’s UNESCO-listed historic centre, where limestone boulevards frame elegant squares and riverfront quays. Stroll to the Place de la Bourse and its mirror-like Miroir d’eau, and take in the graceful facades that reflect centuries of wine trade wealth along the Garonne riverfront.

Absorb the city’s urban harmony shaped by Enlightenment planners, and spot landmarks like Cathédrale Saint-André and the Grand Théâtre. Time here reveals why Bordeaux is celebrated for both classical architecture and a thriving cultural scene backed by its storied viticulture.