BASQUE COUNTRY - 5 DAYS – EASTER 2025 & HOLY SPIRITBASQUE COUNTRY - 5 DAYS – EASTER 2025 & HOLY SPIRIT

Meeting at the airport and flight with AEGEAN to the capital of the Basque Country, Bilbao. Arrival and we set off on a wonderful journey. Our first stop, the charming town of Hondarribia built inside a medieval castle. Then crossing the border with France, we will reach the cosmopolitan city of Biarritz, which is the French part of the Basque Country. Magnificent buildings, beautiful beaches, Basque flavors and famous visitors make up the puzzle of this cosmopolitan French resort. Free time for walks and coffee. Then we will return to Spain and head to San Sebastian, the pearl city that is built in an impressive natural environment and has quite a few Michelin-starred restaurants and a port with significant fishing. Transfer and check-in at the hotel. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and we start with a guided tour of San Sebastian. The idyllic beaches and the international jazz and film festivals rank it as one of the most popular resorts in Europe. There must be no other city in the world where the river meets the ocean in the center. During our panoramic tour we will cross the new avenue, the brand new waterfront, we will wander through the narrow picturesque alleys of the Old Town and we will end up on Calle Mayor, to see the Cathedral and the baroque church of Santa Maria Coro. We continue with the historic capital of Navarre, Pamplona or Irunia (in Basque). Arrival and city tour, during which we will walk through the alleys of the Old Town, see the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real, the Palacio del Gobierno - seat of the local government, located in the Plaça del Castillo, the City Hall located in the Plaça Constitorial and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from its old walls (murals). Free time and we continue to Bilbao. Arrival at the hotel & check in. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Santander. The city is built on the southern coast of Cape Mayor, while at the same time it stretches along an endless beach of unique charm. Panoramically we will cross along the port, the historic center of the city and we will reach the famous Casino of Santander, the Gran Casino del Sardinero. Our next stop is the Magdalena Peninsula. There is also the Royal Palace that the city hall built as a summer palace for the royal family as well as its marine park which we will visit. We continue to the beautiful Santillana del Mar, which is one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Then we will visit the famous museum with the exact copy of the Cave of Altamira. It is famous for its great colorful cave paintings dating back to the Paleolithic era and depicting hunting scenes as well as various animals of the local fauna. According to scientific research, the oldest of the cave paintings inside the cave date back up to 36,000 years ago, and of course it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Then, return to Bilbao. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and our day begins with a guided tour of Bilbao. Walking through one of the most beautiful historical centers, we see the arched Plaza Nueva, the impressive Arriaga Theater modeled after the French Opera, the Arenal Bridge, the Cathedral and the famous Gran Via with its elegant shops. As if all of the above were not enough, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation chose Bilbao to be the city of its European branch and the famous Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art was built here - a trademark of the city since 1997. Visit the museum, which is one of the best of its kind in Spain. Boarding the coach and departure for the Biscay coast, where we will enjoy the panoramic view of the coastal towns and picturesque villages. We will see Getxo, where bourgeois families built their summer homes - small palaces, Bermeo, a city with strong elements of maritime tradition, and Muntaca, located at the mouth of the river of the same name and known for its surfing championships, which we will see panoramically. Next is Guernica, the city that remained in history due to its merciless bombing on April 26, 1937 by Adolf Hitler's Nazi air force with the consent of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Picasso, influenced by the complete destruction of Guernica and this horrific crime against the Basque people, created a huge enigmatic composition, with mutilated human and animal figures - an allegorical view of the artist on the horror, violence, bombing of civilians and the brutality of war. We will visit the Guernica Peace Museum Foundation, as well as the House of the General Assemblies of Vizcaya (Casa de Juntas Generales de Vizcaya), the meeting hall of the representative assembly of Vizcaya, in the heart of which is the Guernica Tree (Gernikako Arbola), a symbol of Basque laws and freedoms. According to ancient tradition, the inhabitants convened assemblies under the oak tree and discussed current issues of the community. Return to Bilbao. Overnight.

Transfer to the airport for our flight to Athens.