The Basque country in the far South West corner of France is a veritable melting pot of Spanish and French influences. The area is a cornucopia of foodie delights that will delight the tastebuds of any gastronome’s.
Our outline itinerary for this food-lovers trip will take you from the Atlantic coast to the foothills of the Pyrenees, discovering en route the exceptional variety of flavours and scents of this region’s food specialities.
In the historic streets of old Bayonne, the capital of the French Basque country, it’s the world-renowned ham that steals the thunder. It even has it’s own ‘fête’ which is unmissable if you happen to be in the Bayonne area at the end of March!
You may visit an Espelette chilli pepper plantation (May to October) to understand the strict criteria that surround the chilli pepper’s cultivation and taste various products in which it is incorporated, some of them very surprising indeed!
Explore the world of ewes milk cheese production on your visit to a local producer and treat yourself to a workshop making the signature Gateau Basque.
Take a guided tour of the old fishing port of Saint Jean de Luz and discover the traditional fishing port and shipowners’ houses dating back to the XVIIth century.
On this Atlantic coast, seafood including hake, sea bream, tuna and cod features heavily on local menus, often served with delicious herb or spicy “pil pil” sauces. Local specialities include Ttoro, a Basque fish stew featuring cod, tuna or angler fish. Seek out also “Chipirons” which are small stuffed squid served with tomatoes.
Then there are the numerous artisanal chocolate makers to explore, the ‘biscuiteries’ to discover and even the ‘pintxos’ (tapas) to sample just across the border! If you’re passionate about food, this SW corner of France is an unmissable destination.
Overview
This single centre, fully flexible itinerary is based in the Bayonne area of SW France and will form the basis from which Your Personal France will create your own personalised itinerary.
The options for getting here are numerous with flights from the UK and Paris into Bayonne or Pau or you may prefer to take the train from Paris to Bordeaux from where you can hire a car.
The price for this foodie’s trip to the Bearn and Basque country will depend on your accommodation choice, the number of people, the time of year and which elements of the itinerary you wish to include.
Your Personal France can incorporate elements of this itinerary with any of the other trips on the website to create a complete trip to France.
